Microsoft's
Windows 8 user interface initially referred to like Metro-inspired, a nod to
the company's inner design language, is as astonishing as it is astounding.
Taking image elements from Microsoft's Windows Phone design, the Start display
is the first thing you will experience when you log in. There is no Start
button, no desktop, just rows of colorful, continually changing tiles. The
interface can be modified with backgrounds & colors for those wishing to
dig deeper. If you have configured a Microsoft account that uses Hotmail or Outlook.com,
then you will notice that calendar, contacts and email will automatically
appear. If your Microsoft account is connected to Facebook, your Facebook
contacts will also show in the People app & its associated tile. Straight
away, this different interface already looks like; it is customized to you,
with your friends' faces marking away on the People Live Tile & photos you
have stored on Facebook or SkyDrive showing up mechanically on the associated
Live Tile.
Navigating
this fresh user interface is possibly the most controversial feature to Windows
8. There is a steep learning curve here, from navigation to basic tasks as
turning off your PC. If you are using Windows 8 on a touchscreen device,
swiping from the right will disclose the new Charms, a set of 5 icons that
surface the most ordinary tasks in Windows 8. The Charms also reveal significant
information such as network status, battery levels, & the time & date.
Unlike previous versions of Windows, the time & date are not displayed on
the Start screen or whereas you use of any Windows 8-style applications, this
can be extremely frustrating if you spend lots of time in the new Windows 8 UI.
Charms can be accessed by mouse, touch, or keyboard
The
Search charm is context alert, meaning you can use it to search while you are
in an app or to trigger searches across files & settings. A Share charm
acts as a way to pass information from one app to another, sharing a URL to the Mail app such as, however
it formats an email with images & a subject rather than just copying &
pasting the URL. Devices are fairly self descriptive, offering a basic look at
devices you can send content to, for example a printer or a second screen. The
Settings charm is one of the more puzzling aspects to Windows 8. Like all other
Charms, it is context aware, meaning that you will use it to access settings in
every app. It too works as an entry point to quick system-wide settings like network,
power, notifications volume, & brightness. I say it is confusing because
until you get used to using the Charms, it is often easy to forget that an app
has multiple places for settings, with some obtainable visually within the app &
others available from the Charms. The approach of Microsoft here is understandable,
but it is another learning curve that users need to be aware of. The last Charm
is the replacement for the traditional Windows Start button, by a redesigned
flag for the Start Charm.
Charms
can also be accessed using keyboard or mouse. Microsoft has created hot corners
for all 4 edges of Windows 8, with the Charms appearing while you hover over
the bottom right or top right corners. This thorny approach is often frustrating
& fiddly, mainly on a desktop machine with multiple monitors. Luckily,
Microsoft & other accessory makers are creating a no. of touch-based mice &
keyboards that contain gestures to trigger the Charms & further aspects to
Windows 8. This helps alleviate the pain on a desktop, & laptop users with up
to date trackpads can use same gestures to activate the Charms. Unfortunately,
if you are upgrading to Windows 8 from older hardware or you do not have a touch
mouse or trackpad then this will either frustrate you or you will get used to
it in time.
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