Solved Could someone explain the purpose of apps on my computer?

Hello,
Honestly, what is the purpose of apps? It is not like they are just shortcuts to a program, or are they similar to destop gagdets. Maybe I am slow, don't use internet phones or tablets. I would really like to understand the concept that makes them seemingly so important? Thanks for any explanations! I am running W8 and have removed most of them and will remove the video, photo and stuff and replace them with pinned up programs like I did with Firefox, thunderbird, control panel and whatever else. Also pinned them to the taskbar on the desktop and usually just in start screen go to desktops and forget the metro stuff. Am I missing some valuable experience?
Glenn

glennc said:

Hello,
Honestly, what is the purpose of apps? It is not like they are just shortcuts to a program, or are they similar to destop gagdets. Maybe I am slow, don't use internet phones or tablets. I would really like to understand the concept that makes them seemingly so important? Thanks for any explanations! I am running W8 and have removed most of them and will remove the video, photo and stuff and replace them with pinned up programs like I did with Firefox, thunderbird, control panel and whatever else. Also pinned them to the taskbar on the desktop and usually just in start screen go to desktops and forget the metro stuff. Am I missing some valuable experience?
Glenn

Click to expand...

...to make Microsoft $ in at least 2 ways. One, directly sell you things. And two, to get you to connect to the cloud a.k.a. their servers and give up as much personal data/info as possible. It's all about $ and that transfers into a downgraded experience for the end user comparing to how it would be if apps just worked without marketing.

Reminds me of how PS3 firmware updates would start adding things like Netflix. I'd rather they leave that off the XMB and allow me to find my own movies. I don't want to see that stuff, man!

I can't look at a calendar or my photos on my local machine without having UAC on? meh

So why does UAC security for these apps need to be? (rhetorical question but I'll still answer it - $ - you need to provide security when taking customer info.)

An operating system should be an operating system, not a portal to enhance your abilities to destroy your credit report.

But that's why no amount of complaining by guys that dislike it will alter things. MS will release Windows 8 as is, without the ability to disable Metro money maker.

Howdy Gman,
First, how do you add reputation points for the members that help you, like on W7 Forum???? Secondly, REALLY?? I despise being tracked, if your going to make money off of me, I want a cut. If I want personalized advertisements, I'll send them an inquiry to do so, until then.... I am on a site that allows you to put photos for sale, copyrighted. Google has snagged many of the images without my permission and I found them being displayed on various sites that use the tracking results of Google. This is absurd, and if it isn't an invasion of my privacy, well I need a better definition. So if do not get positive reasons to use them, I can uninstall all of them, I have them just hid now. Save disk space and let the computer run with less processes. Thanks for your frank honesty!
Glenn
BTW, when I pin say the Firefox Browser to the start menu, is it an app or just a shortcut?????

Well, I find a good thing to some apps. For example, if you had a facebook app (if you use facebook that is) the facebook app is just facebook. There aren't adverts all over the place on the mobile apps from what I've seen. It's just the content of facebook. Apps are focused on the content of the app. A weather app is all about weather, no suggested links or adverts. The Mail app is just email, not adverts there. That's really the main thing about them from what I see.


Also, does turning off UAC actually screw with some of the apps? Because I've had those apps stop working after I kill UAC, but on a laptop that I installed 8 on, the apps are still working fine and UAC is at the default. Hmmm, I wonder if the UAC in 8 is better than 7's was....

Its really simple. People that use apps on their Smart phones will now have the same apps available on their PC. You do have a choice. You can remove the apps and just use the PC programs. But for some that want the apps they are available. Its call choice.

Jim

If you have used computers for many years, and I mean right back to the days of the Commodore 64 and earlier, you have already been using apps longer than you realise. An app is an abreviation for application, which is another word for program.

It's all to do with marketing. Apps just sound more cool and high-brow than programs, plus it fits in quite nicely with the intended market (portable devices). Apps on the Start Page are just shortcuts to the actual application/program.

Microsoft themselves say "app" is a generic term that includes application software so really is just MS getting hip for the youngsters!

I've taken almost all of them off my Start screen and replaced them with all my software and windows utilities I use frequently. Very handy as previously my Win 7 desktop was cluttered with dozens of short-cut icons. Now all my stuff is just a click away. The OP Glen seems to have discovered this so isn't he pleased?

thatmanbrian said:

Microsoft themselves say "app" is a generic term that includes application software so really is just MS getting hip for the youngsters!

I've taken almost all of them off my Start screen and replaced them with all my software and windows utilities I use frequently. Very handy as previously my Win 7 desktop was cluttered with dozens of short-cut icons. Now all my stuff is just a click away. The OP Glen seems to have discovered this so isn't he pleased?

Click to expand...

Thanks for all the different opinions. Yes apps are just applications. What I meant though was clearly covered in Gman's response. I will eventually find all the normal apps and install them. Found the link on how to arrange them and put titles on their groupings, cool. More work than was necessary with Windows 7, well yes in my opinion. All were automatically on my start button and menu. I believe I can get there from here.
Know on a phone I believe I can see the use of tiles and cloud based applications. Tiny screen, not much computing power. This seems to be also true on tablets I guess. But on my computer, I don't find it appropriate. Optional would be nice. But the extra work is not appreciated. I have been computing a long time and have felt that Windows concepts touted back in 3.1 are finally coming to fruition. So now they change it to tiles??
It is also getting better as you find out where stuff is through repetition. But I can see a market for a fully functional start orb. So is this OP happy? I think indifferent. It is fun to play around with, but Windows 7 is just fine. I would like to see a comparison of W7 and W8 on the exact same hardware int two boxes, to see if there is a real performance difference.
Thanks for responding with your honest opinions and varied viewpoints.
Glenn