Since the day Windows
8 was introduced to the world everybody is speculating about the absence of
start button which is totally beyond my understanding. I have been using
Windows 8 since the time it was in its consumer preview stages and I have NEVER
felt the use of start button. In fact there is no need of start button at all!
If I think back I
remember start button had all the shortcuts to the commonly used applications
plus a search box and if you wanted to go somewhere easily all you had to do
was just press the start button… Now let’s see what does Windows 8 has to
offer… A start screen which can hold any number of tiles which are nothing but
the shortcuts to your favorite and most used applications. The age old start
button could hold a limited number of shortcuts whereas the start screen can
have any number of tiles and you can even group them according to the category
or your frequency of use. You have the amazing Semantic zoom if you have added
many tiles on the start screen.
Coming on to the
search box which otherwise popped up in the start menu when we clicked on Start
button, I know it was a handy search box. In Windows 8 all you have to do is
start typing when you are on the start screen and it would start searching for
you in the various apps that you have installed, in files and even in settings.
For example if I wanted to search for the Hyper-V settings or the Remote
connection settings I just have to start typing the text and Windows 8 searches
for these in the settings and quickly shows you the result. I don’t think this
is possible with the search text box in start menu!
Now if you are missing
the fact the you could have gone to the start menu even when you had opened
many applications on the desktop then to compensate that, there is a Window key
available on your keypad, and you just have to press it to go back to the start
screen or press the Window icon on the Charms
I think people are
just not exploring enough. There is nothing missing in Windows 8. Windows 8 has
reinvented the whole desktop. Windows 8 has got a beautiful and super user
friendly start screen which needs to be used correctly.
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2 comments:
Most of the people do not use a computer to use the Operating system and appreciate it. They use it as a tool to get to the stuffs they needs. Those includes playing a video or a song or to open Facebook or do some work in excel. Consistency is valued more than innovation or "Easy to use once you learn it" kind of stuff. That is the reason we hardly see any right click or double click in web applications and still see floppy disk icon as save icon. With Windows 8 MSFT is trying to change peoples habit that most of the non-geek community is reluctant to do. They are less enthusiastic about "new way of doing things" and more irritated to have to learn (By experience or by reading manual/websites".
Still as Microsoft have the monopoly in desktop they can take the risk to change people's habit in long term as they have done with Office ribbon design which is now appreciated by a large part of the community.
What about the inconsistent ui, shutdown takes a hover and 3clicks, logoff and other power options are separated. Where is logic in that ?
Its a good system but with its flaws and undue assumptions
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