The Windows 8 Start Screen

One of the most common FAQ items we get from folks upgrading to Windows Server 2012 or Windows 8, is the new look and feel of the Start screen. Our PFE colleague from the US and Windows Guru - Don Baker has written a good post on the usage of this new UI.

First things first – UI can be a raging philosophical debate, but I liked the way Don compares the Windows 8 upgrade experience to a new car:

There are a bunch of third-party utilities that have been created to provide the old-style Start Menu for people who refuse to change. If you plan on using these with Windows 8 you should probably just keep using Windows 7. When you buy a new car are all the buttons in the same place? Is it exactly like you old car? Would you consider buying a dashboard overlay to make you new car operate exactly like your old car?

He then encourages us to give it a fresh mind:

Windows 8 is a unique operating system. It has two separate user interfaces that lets YOU determine how you want to work. If you have a touch-enabled device you can use the new “modern” interface with Live Tiles to interact with the computer. If you are running an older application you can use the same desktop you used on Windows 7 and work the way you always have. A great deal of thought, research and testing has gone into Windows 8 and you owe it to yourself to give it a try.

Don then lists some keyboard shortcuts which are useful for old-timers who prefer to navigate using the keyboard. Read the full post here!

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Original content from Don Baker ; posted by MSPFE editor Arvind Shyamsundar