Michael Geary wrote:
You can just ignore the tiles and use the Start screen the same way you should be using the Start menu in Windows 7: don't hunt for stuff in it with the mouse, just start typing the name of the thing (app/setting/document) you want. Then it works pretty much like the Windows 7 start menu with a different visual appearance. The only significant difference is that it has separate searches for apps/settings/files instead of the single search in Windows 7. But you can go directly to any of those with Windows key shortcuts.
It's more than that. The interface is designed to work with gestures that may work well on a large touch screen, but are a PITA on a small touchpad. If it "helpfully" pops up the last application I was using, or the settings "charm" just because I let my finger stray to the edge of the touchpad, I'll scream. And let's talk about schizophrenia. Two versions of IE - one tiled and one on the desktop - and they don't share history or bookmarks? Really?
You do use Windows key shortcuts, right? Start with the Windows key itself instead of hunting for the Start button or hot corner. Use Windows+other keys for all sorts of quick shortcuts. Basically you should try every Windows+key combination to see what they do (none are destructive). Not just Windows+letter, but Windows+number and Windows+arrowkey too. Windows 7 has lots of these handy shortcuts, Windows 8 has even more.
Indeed, keyboard shortcuts are the only thing preserving my sanity right now.
If you finally decide you can't stand the appearance of the Start screen, then I suggest buying Start8 for $5 and you'll have a Windows 7-style Start menu without losing the many other improvements in Windows 8.
Without any intended sarcasm, what exactly are those improvements? Apart from faster boot times, I have yet to find anything that Win8 does better than Win7, and the new interface just seems to get in the way. And let's not get started on Secure Boot! If there are compelling reasons to move to Windows 8, I'm all ears, but right now it seems like a "contractual obligation album" - something that's been pushed out just so they can have something shiny and new in the marketplace. Cheers, Jon. ________________________________________________________________________ Delivered using the Free Personal edition of Mailtraq (www.mailtraq.com) _______________________________________________ Thinkpad mailing list [email protected] http://stderr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/thinkpad
