Quick, what time is it? If you're on Android, iOS, BlackBerry 10 or even Windows 7, you can answer this question without so much as touching the screen. However, if you're using Windows 8 or 8.1 the clock, battery level, Wi-FI connection status and even key notifcations remain hidden.
Microsoft knows that users want a place for status and notifaction information because it introduced the system tray for Windows in the 1990s.You can still view the tray in Windows 8.1's desktopmode, but if you're using a modern app, you'll need to launch the Charms menu to see this curcial information appear.
Like its predecessor, Windows 8 does pop-up notifications that appear briefly in the upper left corner but go away if you don't act on them for 5 seconds. Once notifications disappear, they are gone for good, unlike on Android, which provides a large notification drawer.