Metro Lovers -- Please tell me how to organise tiles for THESE

[R0bR]

Jimbo, I get the impression that you are asking how will the average user deal with Windows 8 if they had to use it like YOU do. The average user isn't going to be installing applications like CS5 suite with million icons, Office will be one of the few applications that will have more than normal amount of icons and even then most average users don't use much past Word and Excel. Average users seem to like saving to their desktop and have application shortcuts there too because it's easier to find, I highly doubt they care about a hierarchy structure to peruse through. Another thing is that with Windows 8 there will be a transition period, I have no doubt that eventually installers for Windows applications will ask if you want to pin icons to the Start Screen like it asks now for the desktop. As a power user I understand what you are saying, Metro is too limiting but for an average user you are over complicating the issue.

 

[pparks1]

Funny enough, I generally consider myself a power user, but my list of installed programs is usually pretty small. Absolutely only what I need, all other testing in a VM. But when I visit the average joe, they seem to have tons and tons of applications installed. They might not be of the gigantic variety such as the entire Adobe suite, but it's a lot of installed garbage. Their start screens should look awesome.

 

[davehc]

I agree with the essence of the two previous posters. One of my sons, as an example, has several rows of shortcut icons on his desktop, Id guess probably something around 40. 90% of his computer time is spent playing on line games!
I have ten shortcuts in regular use. As said before, all the remainder are available with a click, in the "All Apps"
But, Rob, for interest, what particular feature do you find "limiting" in Metro, for a Power user or any other?

 

[Colonel Travis]

But when I visit the average joe, they seem to have tons and tons of applications installed. They might not be of the gigantic variety such as the entire Adobe suite, but it's a lot of installed garbage. Their start screens should look awesome.

This is so true. My desktop has the trashcan and My Computer and a nice picture for wallpaper and that's it. I go to my parents' house, my in-laws' house, and their screens looks like half the inventory of Newegg exploded all over it.

 

[Phone Man]

I don't think in the old Start menu that the hierarchy got there on its own. The software programers followed MS instructions on how to get their Start menu to work. Now that Window 8 RTM is out I would think the software vendors would tweak their Start Screen additions to give their customers a better Start Screen. Its up to the vendors to adapt to the new Modern UI (MS new name for Metro UI)

Jim

 

[R0bR]

But, Rob, for interest, what particular feature do you find "limiting" in Metro, for a Power user or any other?

Actually, I don't find it limiting myself, I just meant that I can see as a power user why Jimbo would find it to limiting based on his complaints. Personally I like Windows 8 and I have no issues with the way it has been designed and it actually works very well for my requirements. Professionally working in IT I need to do some more testing but at the moment chances are high that I will move to Windows 8.

 

[davehc]

Good for you, Rob. I must be out of step with the masses. I am using the (previously called) Metro as my Start menu 100%. I do not regard it as a Desktop. In fact, with my method if use, the legacy desktop, which is, of course, still there, is merely an irritant which gets in the way when I close an App.

 

[Coke Robot]

But when I visit the average joe, they seem to have tons and tons of applications installed. They might not be of the gigantic variety such as the entire Adobe suite, but it's a lot of installed garbage. Their start screens should look awesome.

This is so true. My desktop has the trashcan and My Computer and a nice picture for wallpaper and that's it. I go to my parents' house, my in-laws' house, and their screens looks like half the inventory of Newegg exploded all over it.

Same here!

 

[Coke Robot]

I'm mildly confused jimbo. I know you don't use the Start Screen, so I'm guessing you REALLY don't know how to use it?

 

[jeffrys]

But when I visit the average joe, they seem to have tons and tons of applications installed. They might not be of the gigantic variety such as the entire Adobe suite, but it's a lot of installed garbage. Their start screens should look awesome.

This is so true. My desktop has the trashcan and My Computer and a nice picture for wallpaper and that's it. I go to my parents' house, my in-laws' house, and their screens looks like half the inventory of Newegg exploded all over it.

Same here!

hi guys,

for me only the trash can is on the desktop, no my computer, if only I could remove the trash can, but I can't.

Jeff

 

[davehc]

Remove or uninstall?
The latter is impossible , of course. But hide?
Right click desktop, personalise - Change desktop icons.

 

[Stretchymantis]

It is my belief that the OS should be customize-able according to a large audience's needs, not the other way around. The new Windows 8 Start Menu simply lacks the hierarchical properties that the old Start Menu carried. IF *everyone* only had a few programs they used, great, but that's simply not the case. Now, in the matter of blaming Company installation methods....*sigh* Again, there simply isn't a submenu option inside of the Start Menu for software developers to provide options for. So as far as they could go would be for the user to choose which items are pinned or not during installation. This causes a whole new issue though. Now one would need to go through the annoying search function for the lesser used programs, assuming they even remember the programs name by the time they required its use. All in all, it just matter of factly provides less customization. Period.

One method I went, is to create a 'Start Menu' shortcut on the taskbar. That so far has worked much better for me. You can only (as far as I can tell) create it in the 'Favorites' toolbar of the taskbar, and only after unhiding system files and changing permissions to allow permissions under the 'Security' properties. I changed the security properties for 'All Users' and then under my users profile, then copied the users profile contents to 'All Users'. If anyone's interested, I had screenshots of the process. But for now, here's one of the final setup.

Oh, you can also use Start8 which puts the Start Menu back on the taskbar completely, should you be inclined to purchase it.

Hope this helps!

 

[Kebero]

Is it me, or is a lot of the complaint here really just an issue of vendors haven't updated their software to be fully compatible with an OS that only recently has gone RTM?

 

[Frank1]

I will agree with Jimbo on this one. MS should have done a better job of organizing as far as the tiles are concerned.

 

[mdmd]

I will agree with Jimbo on this one. MS should have done a better job of organizing as far as the tiles are concerned.

Hello Frank1. (and Stretchymantis - Welcome to Eight Forums)

What organizing? Opinions vary, but the start screen is the same as the desktop screen.
The desktop is where shortcuts get dumped. The same as the start screen.

http://www.eightforums.com/general-discussion/9789-all-apps-new-start-menu.html

> The organizing is done in all apps. <



All Apps does not need nested menus or hierarchies.
Program Groups are organized here.

 

[bigbob]

Hi Jimbo,

I totally agree with you, M$ needs to quickly pull out something with at least the same usability as the windows 7 start menu in metroUI.

There are too many users who need it.

I wish to see good updates on this.


Bye

 

[Frank1]

Hi Jimbo,

I totally agree with you, M$ needs to quickly pull out something with at least the same usability as the windows 7 start menu in metroUI.

There are too many users who need it.

I wish to see good updates on this.


Bye

At one time I agreed with this. If you look at post 34 I said that MS should do a better job of organizing the tiles. But after using 8 for a while, I find that it's really not that necessary. All you need to do is type in the first letter of the app you're looking for and all apps starting with that letter will pop up. If you want to narrow it down, then type in the first two letters.

 

[pcRat]

jimbo- did you ever find an acceptable solution?
After installing a couple programs and seeing my Start Apps grow then reading this, I think I understand more.
Understand why people get upset about scrolling so much and using third party start programs.
Then again, I may still not have a clue.
Would it help if the 'Group Title Bar' were right clickable with option to collapse group?
Or change default action of the 'Group Title Bar' to collapsed and right click evokes option to keep group expanded?
Option for individual subfolders to hide with right click on them.
there's 2 pics and I cant remove 1. sorry

 

[mdmd]

After installing a couple programs and seeing my Start Apps grow then reading this, ...

All apps groups can all be collapsed with semantic zoom. Many will never approve or like this feature anyway, but you could have hundreds of programs and immersive apps installed which can be accessed by a minimized amount of pointer movement. Zooming takes one to the page where the app link resides assuming there are many installations.



Semantic zooming can easily handle this traditional method of nesting.



A reduction (or elimination) in the number of sub levels is more efficient IMO.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/4869-zoom-view-start-apps-screen-windows-8-a.html

 

[mdmd]

there's 2 pics and I cant remove 1. sorry

Click on "Go Advanced"
Scroll down to where you see manage attachments,
Delete the pic > select to close the window > top right of screen
Return to the editor and delete the pic from the post

Check with "Preview Post".