After a certain Windows 8.1 update, icons and text disappear from Outlook and Lync 2013 tiles. All you can see are two blank blue tiles. Let me show you how to bring back icons and text.
Windows 7 have a nifty feature which combines the windows of opened applications under the same taskbar button. If you don't like it you can always turn it off.
Explorer in Windows 8 is quite updated and it is as much as possible adapted to the user. They have also added the option to quickly access the Command Prompt terminal window.