[concept] SnapSearch

Pressing WinKey + S will open this immediately, as shown. maybe even swipe from the bottom-right corner

List would show a mixture of recently used apps, apps most commonly launched this way, and newly installed apps. Maybe pinned apps also.

You can press alt+ 1, 2, 3, etc to immediately launch the first, second, third, etc app in the list (maybe ctrl + 1.. could open in snap)

you can start typing immediately to search through apps. pressing tab will cycle through searching through apps, files, settings, then lastly the current apps (but you can click on that to switch which app you want to search through) and of course you can use the arrow keys to move and enter to launch (or click or tap).

Thoughts? Would this work more to eliminate your need for a start menu?

For new users of Windows 8 ...

For those who have not been on this topic for the past 78 weeks!

FuturDreamz said:

Pressing WinKey + S will open this immediately, as shown

Click to expand...

Win + Q does this now although it does not auto snap (stay on the desktop) and the results are immersive.

FuturDreamz said:

List would show a mixture of recently used apps, apps most commonly launched this way, and newly installed apps. Maybe pinned apps also.

Click to expand...

The recent activity folder can be pinned to the start screen or accessed from explorer.





Recent app activity can be taken from task manager.

FuturDreamz said:

You can press alt+ 1, 2, 3, etc to immediately launch the first, second, third, etc app in the list (maybe ctrl + 1.. could open in snap)

Click to expand...

Win + Tab brings up the metro taskbar.
Win + Tab > Tab > Tab = metro taskbar.



Alt + Tab brings up the task switcher.
Alt + Tab > Tab > Tab = task switcher.




http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2355-windows-8-keyboard-shortcut-keys-list.html

This type of multi tasking in Windows 8 is very different from previous versions.

FuturDreamz said:

you can start typing immediately to search through apps

Click to expand...

I like this one especially, although my preference is 1 key, a thru z or 0 thru 9 and select from a list.

The start screen is immersive. All Apps is immersive. It is a different system than a desktop start menu.

Old news for sure, tired old news for sure, it is not just the menu, but the direction of software.

Apps in the cloud cuckoo land, services in the cloud, online pay per use services, marketing conspiracies, lack of choice, EULA agreements, lack of privacy, infringements of rights, endless product keys and activation schemes, transferability issues, internet reliability and security and a direction away from stand alone systems, unintuitive hidden features, touch centric designs, an unfamiliar approach, lack of nesting and concurrent resizable windows in metroland, unappealing style to many, commercialization, controversies about code evolution, over priced new technology, unneeded new technology, unwanted new technology for many etc...

The traditional start menu is neat, compact and not immersive. The metro start menu is different (which is, IMO, why I like it). Having used a traditional start menu for 17 years is enough for me. I like the new immersive tech. The fact that one can park all their links and shortcuts to a separate page (start screen or apps) is an interesting new design IMO. A clean desk is impressive IMO. Then again, someone could feel fine and dandy and efficient with 120 icons on their desktop, 27 pinned taskbar icons, taskbar toolbars with another 90 levels and a desktop start menu for everything else. Whatever works in your office.

MDMD: Your solutions either require more steps, only work on the desktop, and/or only work with application that haven't been closed.

You've made it abundantly clear that you don't like Windows 8, so this isn't for you. The purpose of this is simply to ebhance Windows 8 experience.

Please don't make this thread into yet another "I hate Windows 8" thread. There are enough of thosr and they solve nothing.

FuturDreamz said:

mdmd: Your solutions either require more steps, only work on the desktop, and/or only work with application that haven't been closed. You've made it abundantly clear that you don't like Windows 8, so this isn't for you. The purpose of this is simply to enhance Windows 8 experience. Please don't make this thread into yet another "I hate Windows 8" thread. There are enough of those and they solve nothing.

Click to expand...

You've made it abundantly clear that you don't like Windows 8, so this isn't for you. The purpose of this is simply to enhance Windows 8 experience.

Click to expand...

Wow! I don't know how you got that impression. Wow !! I am hugely in favor of 8 and like it totally !!
I wasn't offering solutions, ... only pointing out the differences and perhaps unknown features.
You're the 2nd person that suggested I don't like 8 ... hmmmm

I have been a huge supporter of Windows 8 since my first post.
All my suggestions are external to the desktop and function both in metro and on the desktop.
The metro taskbar and the task switcher are what they are and do a nice job!
I find Windows 7 and Linux to be stale old shoes!

One of my points is to suggest that 8 requires a skill set or an ability to learn how to use it rather than simply plugging in an old start menu because that is the familiar and what they are used to using!

8 is a breeze to work with if one is inclined to learn how to use the keyboard as designed for 8.
8 is also a breeze to work with using a mouse if one understands how to use the edge UI to multi task between metro and desktop apps and system functions.

There are many folks that are screaming help because they do not know what they are doing.
Windows 8 works fabulously if you know how to use it.
Bringing everything to function on the desktop is not a solution.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2355-windows-8-keyboard-shortcut-keys-list.html

I'm afraid you're still not seeing the point of my SnapSearch concept: It is to provide a Metro application launcher without fully leaving the application.

Scenario 1: you're in a program, either desktop or metro, and you want to pull up the weather.
My method:
1. Just swipe from the bottom-right (or use shortcut key) to pull up snapsearch on the side of the screen
2. if Weather is already in the list, just tap on the "snap to screen" icon to the right of the Weather app. The weather app will replace SnapSearch as the snapped app.
3(opt). if Weather is not in the list, then just start typing Weather, then click on the app when it pops up.
Conclusion: can be done in two steps, you never leave your app.

Your method:
1. Drop to desktop if not already there.
2. If you have a keyboard, type ctrl-alt-del (I don't even know how you pull up task manager on a tablet)
3. in the CAD windo, select "task manager"
4. click on app history tab
5. launch weather
6. navigate back to your previous app
7(opt). pull up weather in the current app list and snap it to the side of the screen.
Conclusion: takes at LEAST five steps, and you have to leave your app.

Compared to your options, SnapSearch would function more like a metro version of the start menu/run command.

FuturDreamz said:

Your method: ....

Click to expand...

Ok....
First, SnapSearch does not exist. Nice idea, but I can only use what is available.
Second, I would not use any of those steps that you suggest.

If I want to launch an app, I would press a tile (example: weather app) on the start screen or enter w and select weather. ...enter e for internet explorer, f for file explorer, win+X or d for desktop, t for task manager, c for computer, etc anything... or simply press a pinned start screen tile.

None of this Ctrl Alt Del stuff ?? I only mentioned app history because it exists!
I don't drop to the desktop for anything. Metro Apps do not need to be closed.
Win+X can get one to task manager at any time.
I am open to any and all new methods of getting something done.
I am opposed to the notion that one cannot be taken away from the desktop because it is unintuitive or distracting.

Oh, let me add, I would not be snapping any immersive apps to the desktop. My preference is to use them as designed, immersively, and use the edge UI metro taskbar (Win+Tab) or usually a mouse to fly around the system with ease of access in milliseconds.

FuturDreamz said:

I'm afraid you're still not seeing the point of my SnapSearch concept: It is to provide a Metro application launcher without fully leaving the application.

Click to expand...

That's what the edge UI metro taskbar is for. Sorry, I disagree with the notion that one not leave a metro app to start another metro app or have concurrent metro apps on top of each other. Basically, a windowed metro.

I tried ModernMix from Stardock and did not like it much. Anyway, I don't need that level of windowing.
At some point, Microsoft might lose the name entirely and stop calling it windows. Call it something else.
At the moment, the code (WinRT) might not support all the features of Win32.

Of course it doesn't exist. I'm saying it would be awesome if Microsfit implemented such a feature where you can open any app on your computer without having to use the fullscreen method that takes you away from what you're doing.

I'm not anti Windows 8, but I'm also not saying that Windows 8 is the pinnacle of os design and cannot be improved.

I actually think I read somewhere this was a hacked feature in the leaked Blue build, where the Search pane can be fly out to do a universal search as your concept. It strikes as VERY similar to it though.

I like it, especially on the Desktop, where you can enter in a search query and hit an app to launch it the search already complete when the app loads.

Coke Robot said:

I actually think I read somewhere this was a hacked feature in the leaked Blue build, where the Search pane can be fly out to do a universal search as your concept. It strikes as VERY similar to it though.

Click to expand...

That's what I was hoping to hear. Once they implement this feature, they can always improve it as time goes on.

I do hope it allows you to pin apps or show recent, so you can just swipe in from one of the right-hand corners then drag the app's icon to the side of the screen to automatically snap it. That would be really awesome for conjunction apps/gadgets like the upcoming calculator.

FuturDreamz said:

Coke Robot said:

I actually think I read somewhere this was a hacked feature in the leaked Blue build, where the Search pane can be fly out to do a universal search as your concept. It strikes as VERY similar to it though.

Click to expand...

That's what I was hoping to hear. Once they implement this feature, they can always improve it as time goes on.

I do hope it allows you to pin apps or show recent, so you can just swipe in from one of the right-hand corners then drag the app's icon to the side of the screen to automatically snap it. That would be really awesome for conjunction apps/gadgets like the upcoming calculator.

Click to expand...

Oh yeah, in the leaked Blue build, Microsoft are expanding on the Charms bar and each of the Charms. I actually do think in the leaked build that was feature hacked, you could type in a query and get Bing search results instantly as well. It's pretty neat, as I kind of already just go to Start and type in a search query and hit Internet Explorer. BAM! Search results! But that would actually make the process quicker.

I think that already works in 8, you have an app snapped to the side, open another one, that snapped app is still there.

What I mean is you have a full screen (not-snapped) app, then use "SnapSearch" to launch an application and immediately snap it to the side. No dragging an app to snap mode then pulling up the other one

FuturDreamz said:

Of course it doesn't exist. I'm saying it would be awesome if Microsfit implemented such a feature where you can open any app on your computer without having to use the fullscreen method that takes you away from what you're doing.

Click to expand...

mdmd — I understand where you're coming from. Making the best of what does exist and learning so many different ways to do the same thing. Definitely not an 8 hater.
For the most part, its about learning the new system without hanging onto the old. The start screen really does give us a lot in the way of customizing it to fit our needs. Pin & unpin.
Pinning these to taskbar & start screen is always good for me.
"Start" Screen Shortcut - Create in Windows 8
"All Apps" Shortcut - Create in Windows 8