Windows 8

Windows 8, and now 8.1, is the first operating system designed to be equally comfortable on a table as on a traditional PC or laptop. You could think of these "modern-style" (previously known as "Metro") apps as most suited to the tablet side of that equation, but to tell you the truth, I enjoy using the occasional modern app on my good ole desktop workhorse. For a peek at the weather, Facebook, Twitter, or instant messaging, it's a snap to flip over to the modern side.
Of course, I'm usually doing things that take a desktop app, like editing in Word or working on photos in Lightroom. But that's one of the beauties of Windows 8: You can swap personae in the blink of an eye.

I have taken every single category in the Windows Store and decided to pick the top three applications for each. This is part one of the list and will cover Games, Social, Entertainment, Photo, Music & Video, Sports, Books & Reference, News & Weather, Health & Fitness, and Food & Dining, Lifestyle, Shopping, Travel, Finance, Productive, Tools, Security, Business, Education, Government applications. I hope you enjoy part one of the list, and if there is something that you love, be sure to share it in the comments and let other readers experience it for themselves!