With the launch of Windows 8, buyers are about to discover a computing experience unlike anything they’ve seen before. Here’s a guide to getting past some of the hurdles. The main thing to know is that Windows 8 is designed especially for touch-screen computers, to make desktops and laptops work more like tablets. It is Microsoft’s way of addressing the popularity of tablets. But Windows 8 will work with mouse and keyboard shortcuts, too. It’ll take some getting used to, though. - By Associated Press and Globe reports