Metro at first, then, it's Desktop on the PC?

[HippsieGypsie]

Welcome to EightForums, dsmither.

No offense, but I don't get your logic. Did the Start Menu open in anticipation of opening another program after you closed a program on the desktop? No. You had to press the Windows key or click the Start Orb to open the Start Menu. So what's the difference? You still had to make a navigational motion.

 

[dsmither]

Let's try this again. I'm not talking about the start menu. I'm talking about the start "screen" that Windows 8 boots to upon startup. You know, the big new fangled thing that Windows 8 is all about. Let's say you have a large button there on the start screen for Firefox. You click that button and voila, Firefox opens. Close Firefox and you have the desktop in front of you, not the start screen where you originally came from. If MS thought so highly of the start screen to give it to us on start-up, why then wouldn't things revert back to that start screen again, when you are done with what you had just closed? If I'm going to enjoy working with their start screen, that's the way I would prefer that it would work. If I choose to start with the desktop, then I would wish to return to the desktop each time. It would be lovely if they would give us a choice.

 

[Ray8]

What's happening is that there are a bunch of programs (most actually) that will only work on the desktop (they are not a Windows 8 app), so if you open one of those programs, then you remain in the desktop after closing the program. This is one of the things that many have been criticising about Windows 8, that Microsoft has slapped a mobile phone interface on the desktop and created a half-baked OS; it's neither Arthur or Martha.

 

[pcRat]

So is Halloween Heat

apps are apps, all I know is that Wordament is so addictive that's it not even funny.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
On desktops / laptops or even on a tablet with an EXTERNAL monitor there isn't much or any demand for Full Screen metro style apps. Also if you DO use one on a laptop without a touch screen the method of getting back to "Normal" screens is just 100% (no make that 1000%) cackhanded.

On a phone it's no problem -- either Swipe the screen or press an easily accessible BACK button (Galaxy IIIs) . On a classical desktop the whole process is just redicuuous.

I don't mind the idea of dynamically updating applications -- I can see uses for these -- ever done any Market trading - having stocks in real time is fine -- but why can't we operate these like the old "Gadgets" or in a re-sizeable Window so we could view several of these at the same time while also doing other work on the machine.

Ms I think in designing Metro you've forgotten that the name of the OS is WINDOWS (note PLURAL) not WINDOW (Singular).

For those that don't want metro just start whatever application you want to from the start screen and the desktop then will launch automatically. You don't have to start the desktop app first.

I like W8 in general but the whole Metro subset / GUI needs a bit of an overhaul to make it even remotely useable on a desktop.

Also Ms have you even given a though to what a waste of screen real estate these metro apps are on say a 40 inch screen -- not so unusual either these days - loads of people are using these sizes (and bigger).

Cheers
jimbo

 

[Ray8]

It's good to see others stating what I've said from the start.

 

[pcRat]

dsmither- I look at it like Windows 8 starts in the menu. When we click a Program as we know them, they open on the desktop. While clicking an App will open in the Metro part.
Once you customize the tiles by unpinning the unneeded ones & pinning the ones you need most. A few shortcuts pinned to the taskbar allow you to click them instead of the lower left corner or pressing the Winkey.


Pinning the 'File Explorer' & these 2 shortcuts to your desktop taskbar will help you save time.
"Start" Screen Shortcut - Create in Windows 8
"All Apps" Shortcut - Create in Windows 8
Or you can use third party start menus.

This will help you view recent files if needed
Make a shortcut to <user folder>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent on the desktop, then right-click and 'Pin to Start and/ or Taskbar.

 

[HippsieGypsie]

Let's try this again. I'm not talking about the start menu. I'm talking about the start "screen" that Windows 8 boots to upon startup. You know, the big new fangled thing that Windows 8 is all about. Let's say you have a large button there on the start screen for Firefox. You click that button and voila, Firefox opens. Close Firefox and you have the desktop in front of you, not the start screen where you originally came from. If MS thought so highly of the start screen to give it to us on start-up, why then wouldn't things revert back to that start screen again, when you are done with what you had just closed? If I'm going to enjoy working with their start screen, that's the way I would prefer that it would work. If I choose to start with the desktop, then I would wish to return to the desktop each time. It would be lovely if they would give us a choice.

I know what you were talking about. I can read and understand English.

Ok, so it's a big change, but not too difficult to comprehend or learn. We have entered the world of touch along with the information age via the internet. MS is lagging in this market. iExpensive and Android (Screwgle) being the biggest players in that game are winning.

In order for MS to compete, they "reimagined" themselves and their products, so for starters they took the Start Menu (of which few used) and created the Start Screen. I think it to be a much better informational and personalized menu. I think of it as a "house built of the internet". So upon boot I get personal info that's important to me. How many emails & from whom, weather (I have mine set to four locations), news & sports headlines, stock market conditions, scrolling pics of people I care about, and anything I find of personal interest. The live tiles more or less replaced gadgets, use less resources, and are more secure.

Hell, I wouldn't mind a EightForums app of scrolling posts of threads that I'm subscribed to. If one could write Modern apps, one could make some bucks. There's no limit here. If one could imagine it, one could create it.

So now we have this new informational menu in a newly introduced Modern/Metro interface. The desktop takes second to this as a portal to run Win32 programs of which is important. One can continue to run those just as in past OSs. MS in no way left the desktop user in the dust.

The Modern/Metro interface was introduced to become familiar across multiple devices so eventually there's no confusion with any device one picks up to use. PC, pad, or phone. Much less complicated is key here. I feel MS did a good job on their first approach. Can it be improved? You betcha'.

It is what it is. Don't like the change? Make it what you want it to be. Create a desktop tile on the Start Screen. It can be the only one. Upon boot click it or use WinKey/D. Create menus on the taskbar, which remains or purchase a 3rd party program to boot to desktop along with the Start Menu. There are many threads on how to perform that. Walla! Good to go. Enjoy.

Bottom line...MS created 8 to compete in an ever changing computing world. They will create what THEY see fit to make a profit. That's why they and other companies are in business for. I personally think the Start Screen will remain, which I think is good.

Good luck to you in whatever you personally decide to do.

 

[pcRat]

Recommended reading for people not quite understanding the basics of 8. Good job Hippsie!

Let's try this again. I'm not talking about the start menu. I'm talking about the start "screen" that Windows 8 boots to upon startup. You know, the big new fangled thing that Windows 8 is all about. Let's say you have a large button there on the start screen for Firefox. You click that button and voila, Firefox opens. Close Firefox and you have the desktop in front of you, not the start screen where you originally came from. If MS thought so highly of the start screen to give it to us on start-up, why then wouldn't things revert back to that start screen again, when you are done with what you had just closed? If I'm going to enjoy working with their start screen, that's the way I would prefer that it would work. If I choose to start with the desktop, then I would wish to return to the desktop each time. It would be lovely if they would give us a choice.

I know what you were talking about. I can read and understand English.

Ok, so it's a big change, but not too difficult to comprehend or learn. We have entered the world of touch along with the information age via the internet. MS is lagging in this market. iExpensive and Android (Screwgle) being the biggest players in that game are winning.

In order for MS to compete, they "reimagined" themselves and their products, so for starters they took the Start Menu (of which few used) and created the Start Screen. I think it to be a much better informational and personalized menu. I think of it as a "house built of the internet". So upon boot I get personal info that's important to me. How many emails & from whom, weather (I have mine set to four locations), news & sports headlines, stock market conditions, scrolling pics of people I care about, and anything I find of personal interest. The live tiles more or less replaced gadgets, use less resources, and are more secure.

Hell, I wouldn't mind a EightForums app of scrolling posts of threads that I'm subscribed to. If one could write Modern apps, one could make some bucks. There's no limit here. If one could imagine it, one could create it.

So now we have this new informational menu in a newly introduced Modern/Metro interface. The desktop takes second to this as a portal to run Win32 programs of which is important. One can continue to run those just as in past OSs. MS in no way left the desktop user in the dust.

The Modern/Metro interface was introduced to become familiar across multiple devices so eventually there's no confusion with any device one picks up to use. PC, pad, or phone. Much less complicated is key here. I feel MS did a good job on their first approach. Can it be improved? You betcha'.

It is what it is. Don't like the change? Make it what you want it to be. Create a desktop tile on the Start Screen. It can be the only one. Upon boot click it or use WinKey/D. Create menus on the taskbar, which remains or purchase a 3rd party program to boot to desktop along with the Start Menu. There are many threads on how to perform that. Walla! Good to go. Enjoy.

Bottom line...MS created 8 to compete in an ever changing computing world. They will create what THEY see fit to make a profit. That's why they and other companies are in business for. I personally think the Start Screen will remain, which I think is good.

Good luck to you in whatever you personally decide to do.

 

[Coke Robot]

Let's try this again. I'm not talking about the start menu. I'm talking about the start "screen" that Windows 8 boots to upon startup. You know, the big new fangled thing that Windows 8 is all about. Let's say you have a large button there on the start screen for Firefox. You click that button and voila, Firefox opens. Close Firefox and you have the desktop in front of you, not the start screen where you originally came from. If MS thought so highly of the start screen to give it to us on start-up, why then wouldn't things revert back to that start screen again, when you are done with what you had just closed? If I'm going to enjoy working with their start screen, that's the way I would prefer that it would work. If I choose to start with the desktop, then I would wish to return to the desktop each time. It would be lovely if they would give us a choice.

What?

So you're saying to open the Firefox browser metro app, close it, and revert to the Desktop? Or the Firefox browser in the Desktop, in which to hit the close button, and it stays in the Desktop? That would become tediously annoying if you closed an app on the Desktop for it to go back to Start, people pin things to the Taskbar, others pin to the Start Screen, others do both, some don't at all.