Idea (might sound crazy): MS should scrap the desktop completely.

Freddie AppsHer

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Ok, here me out.

What a lot of people are having trouble with is the split between Metro and the desktop. So I've been thinking about it, and really... do we need the desktop?

Have the taskbar on the bottom, and then, on top of that, Metro Start, the same as how it is in W8 now. Use tiles on Start to access everything; apps (Metro and legacy), files, explorer. All open apps and files and folders can appear on the taskbar as they do now. Bring back the Start Button and make it a "return to Metro Start" button (kind of a hybrid between the W7 Start button, the keyboard Windows key in W8, and the taskbar's desktop button. Allow windows to be opened over Metro Start. Find a way to make Windows more intuitive and easier to use for tablet users while keeping functionality.

How does that sound?
 

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Metro could be the desktop wallpaper with its own superbar icon. That would be a new approach too.

But none of it makes me go "Ooooh more Metro please." heh

Maybe if there are some fantastic apps developed for it, that do not offer to sell you stuff or advertise at you while you use it.

I think we're gonna need AdBlock Plus, NoScript, Ghostery, BetterPrivacy, HTTPEverywhere and RefConrol for the entire Metro. lol
 

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If you did all this, you realize you wouldn't be getting rid of the desktop. You'd just be changing the name and cluttering it up with all kinds of junk, which is how Windows started out, which is why they came up the Start Menu, which then led to Metro, which then led to your idea, which is nothing but a big circle back to 1990.
 

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Actually, Freddie, I think you have an intelligent idea, but there's a problem.

The Metro Interface takes a LOT of getting used to. People would be afraid to buy Win 8 because they would be afraid that they couldn't understand it. As I get more accustomed to the Metro Interface, I'm realizing that it has a lot of strong points. But that's after a few days of working with it, while I still have Win 7 on another partition for things that I need to do until I get things migrated over to 8.
 

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"Allow windows to be opened over Metro Start", is a good idea.

All of the discussion about the Metro UI and the desktop only proves that the Metro UI simply does not work well in combination with a laptop or desktop computer. That can been seen on this forum time and time again. The Metro UI is absolutely fine for a tablet with a touch screen because that is what it's specifically been designed for. On a desktop it seems to be is far too intrusive, or simply annoying, for most people.

Also, scrap the desktop completely and then they'll try and make you pay for every app, oops Tile, you want to download.
 

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Hi,

Also, scrap the desktop completely and then they'll try and make you pay for every app, oops Tile, you want to download.

With or without desktop, that is exactly what they're doing already.
So far I still have to find an app that comes preloaded with W8 (and free of pecuniary charge as the proverbial carrot luring the donkey into moving forward) that has any use on a desktop.

I suppose all those appletts come with a shutdown button too, it's just zero pixels, right? ;)

Cheers, ;)
 

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Exactly

If you did all this, you realize you wouldn't be getting rid of the desktop. You'd just be changing the name and cluttering it up with all kinds of junk, which is how Windows started out, which is why they came up the Start Menu, which then led to Metro, which then led to your idea, which is nothing but a big circle back to 1990.

Exactly.
It defeats the entire purpose of the Metro screen.

Also, scrap the desktop completely and then they'll try and make you pay for every app, oops Tile, you want to download.

Not to mention, making you rent your data storage from the "Cloud". :(
 

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Technically, that would be changing the UI of the Desktop. Honestly, if there was a metro file navigator version of Windows Explorer, probably the use of the Desktop would be dramatically lessened. But the Desktop app are a whole other beast to tackle.
 

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Windows Explorer is barely adequate for basic file task as it is.

If they remove any more "stuff" from Windows Explorer, it will be totally useless.
In that case they might as well eliminate it.
 

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Also, scrap the desktop completely and then they'll try and make you pay for every app, oops Tile, you want to download.

Hang on, I never said to get rid of Explorer. You still be able to do everything you could before, you just can't dump it all on the desktop. Which, if you've ever seen a casual user's desktop, is probably a good thing.
 

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If you did all this, you realize you wouldn't be getting rid of the desktop. You'd just be changing the name and cluttering it up with all kinds of junk, which is how Windows started out, which is why they came up the Start Menu, which then led to Metro, which then led to your idea, which is nothing but a big circle back to 1990.

Essentially, although, I don't think it's fair to just say that it's cluttering the place up. I don't think Progman was entirely worth throwing away.
 

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Well, one man's clutter....

Your idea would at least make the OS more coherent than it is now. Since you mentioned Program Manager, 8 is essentially going back to that too. I don't think people realize how un-forward Metro really is. Seriously, it's kind of a dolled up Windows 3.
 

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I don't understand why some of us insist that we have to buy apps for 8 Preview. I just installed the free Office.org suite and it works fine. I've installed a few free games and they work fine. I installed a free Anti-virus that worked fine, although I am now using Defender again. I'm using free Hotmail. I installed two free browsers, although I usually use IE10. I installed the free version of WinPatrol and it works fine. I've also installed free Win 7 themes and gadgets, and they work fine.

Man, I even got the Win 8 Preview edition for free, and it works fine.
 

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Hi,

I don't understand why some of us insist that we have to buy apps for 8 Preview.

That's not what's been said either. Still it's hard to miss things like the store and how they'd love you to sign-in with your live-id should you have one etc. Sure, you can just ignore it but it's all there nonetheless.

Cheers, ;)
 

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