All software comes with a license of some description. So the Caps Lock Alert needs one as well. Decision time!

There's a huge variation in what they allow and disallow. And some people get very serious about them, as I discovered when I tried to say hello to Mark Shuttleworth at the Ubuntu Phone launch. It never happened as the discussion carried on until he got called away (or rescued depending on your point of view).

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The biggest criticism of Windows 8. Sorry, one of the biggest criticisms of Windows 8 has been the disappearance of the Start button. After 17 years and many different shapes, it's gone. And Microsoft's response has been because it's not being used enough.

Nonsense, I thought. Getting ready to write an angry blog post I pressed the Windows key on my keyboard to open Word. And that of course is where the problem lies.

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Find the latest updates on the Caps Alert program here.

I've been really encouraged by the response to the Caps Lock program. All the comments and emails have been encouraging, even when they're pointing out problems. My experience so far has reaffirmed some of the things I've learnt about programming. Namely, just because it works on my desktop doesn't mean it will work on everyone elses. And simple ideas have a tendency to become more complicated.

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Getting back into education, especially to study IT, can seem daunting. Even finding well recognised, quality courses isn't always easy.

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Many people argue that Windows 8 is a tipping point for Microsoft - a pivotal moment that will define the company's future for better or worse.

That's because Microsoft recognises the importanc eof the growing tablet market, and has developed the latest version of Windows with that type of device primarily in mind, although one of the Computeractive team who has been using it on a non-toucscreen computer for some time says the Windows 8 Start screen works perfectly well for him.

But this is the reader blog, so let's bring on Chris Read, who bought a digital download of Windows 8 on the day it launched.

"Having previously backed up my data, the Update Assistant led me through the upgrade process which really couldn't have been easier," says Mr Read.

"Everything worked perfectly and, within about 45 minutes, my old laptop was transformed into a rapidly booting and swift-running system. No glitches, no missing device drivers and a quick look at the new Task Manager told me that Windows 8 was using far less memory and did not put as much strain on the processor, compared with Vista.

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Find the latest updates on the Caps Alert program here.

It's been a little longer than I intended but here is the latest update to the Computeractive CapsLock Alert program. Hopefully it's looking a bit more polished than when it was first shown to the world and it has some extra features that should make it more useful.

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