Do you use Metro or Desktop?
- Thread starter raqball
- Start date
malberttoo
Well-Known Member
THIS.
I agree with the first part. But there are still many things that have no Metro app, that will require the desktop.
megatronium
Active Member
I've yet to open an app in Metro since taking Fresh Paint for a spin on the 1st day.
Arizona Willie
Active Member
Depends on what I'm doing. I use Metro and IE11 when posting on most sites that use the Facebook verification system, but for most other things I go to the desktop. But I also am using the Reader app in Metro mode for reading and Free Sudoku, also in Metro mode.
So, overall, I'd says it's about 50/50. I don't understand the big deal ... all you have to do to switch modes is touch the Icon. They have added a Start button back in with Windows 8.1 for those who can't figure out how to live without one. I'm surprised they don't complain that there isn't a Stop button as well.
Overall, I'm quite happy with Windows 8.1 and don't really care if they bring out Windows 9 or not. I can do everything I need to do now.
However, that being said, I hope they include that Cortana helper thing in Windows 9 --- that would be great.
So, overall, I'd says it's about 50/50. I don't understand the big deal ... all you have to do to switch modes is touch the Icon. They have added a Start button back in with Windows 8.1 for those who can't figure out how to live without one. I'm surprised they don't complain that there isn't a Stop button as well.
Overall, I'm quite happy with Windows 8.1 and don't really care if they bring out Windows 9 or not. I can do everything I need to do now.
However, that being said, I hope they include that Cortana helper thing in Windows 9 --- that would be great.
Michael Lovett
Member
You've opened a can of worms here, lol.
I originally detested the MUI and used desktop exclusively.
This wasn't for lack of trying. I liked the idea of the MUI but I just felt my hands were tied too often.. for example, whenever I wanted to configure some behavior I sat there staring at the screen wondering where the hell to find the option - or if the option even existed. Often it didn't. If the option did exist, maybe it's accessed from swiping the top of the app, or maybe the bottom, or maybe Win+Z or Win+I.. or??? It was hard to tell.
At least with the old style apps you knew that if the app could do something, it was under a menu option. You might have to look through every menu but at least you know you were in the right spot and the option wasn't hiding behind some swipe gesture that was not obvious or consistent. Microsoft must address the "hidden options" problem. Either put a button on every app that somehow leads to all its options, or consistently force one swiping gesture to access all the apps options.
Now, having said that, now that I have my Sp3 I find myself using the MUI much more. When I'm using the SP3 as a tablet, I use MUI apps almost exclusively. I love snapping multiple apps to the screen, and as Frank said, the workflow for some apps is actually better in the MUI.
Here's one case in point that has me dancing in the street: I have the email app opened and click on a link in an email. IE is automatically snapped to half the screen to show me the link and my email is not closed and I don't have to figure out how to get back to my email app. I can just swipe to close IE and my email app returns to taking the whole screen. Nice. Compare this to how it worked on my ipad - click a link in an email and your email app disappears and the browser takes over the screen. When you're done looking at the browser content and want to return to your email, it felt like an unnecessary chore to get back to your email. MS nailed this one.
Also I like the search ability on the start screen and the ability to launch all apps there. It's sort of similar to the new interface that's showing up in a lot of the linux distro's... you can type a few keystrokes to find and launch an app, which is actually often much faster than using icons. Where MS has bungled it is there search is not smart. It only matches exact names, and it doesn't let me assign my own search terms. So if I want to start Oracle's Virtual Box, I can't just type in "vbox", I have to remember some part of the apps' actual name.
I originally detested the MUI and used desktop exclusively.
This wasn't for lack of trying. I liked the idea of the MUI but I just felt my hands were tied too often.. for example, whenever I wanted to configure some behavior I sat there staring at the screen wondering where the hell to find the option - or if the option even existed. Often it didn't. If the option did exist, maybe it's accessed from swiping the top of the app, or maybe the bottom, or maybe Win+Z or Win+I.. or??? It was hard to tell.
At least with the old style apps you knew that if the app could do something, it was under a menu option. You might have to look through every menu but at least you know you were in the right spot and the option wasn't hiding behind some swipe gesture that was not obvious or consistent. Microsoft must address the "hidden options" problem. Either put a button on every app that somehow leads to all its options, or consistently force one swiping gesture to access all the apps options.
Now, having said that, now that I have my Sp3 I find myself using the MUI much more. When I'm using the SP3 as a tablet, I use MUI apps almost exclusively. I love snapping multiple apps to the screen, and as Frank said, the workflow for some apps is actually better in the MUI.
Here's one case in point that has me dancing in the street: I have the email app opened and click on a link in an email. IE is automatically snapped to half the screen to show me the link and my email is not closed and I don't have to figure out how to get back to my email app. I can just swipe to close IE and my email app returns to taking the whole screen. Nice. Compare this to how it worked on my ipad - click a link in an email and your email app disappears and the browser takes over the screen. When you're done looking at the browser content and want to return to your email, it felt like an unnecessary chore to get back to your email. MS nailed this one.
Also I like the search ability on the start screen and the ability to launch all apps there. It's sort of similar to the new interface that's showing up in a lot of the linux distro's... you can type a few keystrokes to find and launch an app, which is actually often much faster than using icons. Where MS has bungled it is there search is not smart. It only matches exact names, and it doesn't let me assign my own search terms. So if I want to start Oracle's Virtual Box, I can't just type in "vbox", I have to remember some part of the apps' actual name.
Michael Lovett
Member
For my paid work, I use the desktop mostly. This is because the tools aren't there for the MUI. But with the SP3 my workflow has even changed with that. On the SP3 I usually have emails and chat snapped , then I use external monitors for the desktop, meaning I'm rarely 100% desktop-only any more.
When all is said and done, I think the MUI is on to something good and I actually enjoy the process of snapping apps, swiping to get to my most recent app, etc. If we can just stop dumbing-down the new apps, and give the users a consistent , one-swipe gesture to get at any apps' options, I think we will move beyond a lot of people's resistance.
One more thinkg: who the hell does MS invite to be on their usability panels? lol.
When all is said and done, I think the MUI is on to something good and I actually enjoy the process of snapping apps, swiping to get to my most recent app, etc. If we can just stop dumbing-down the new apps, and give the users a consistent , one-swipe gesture to get at any apps' options, I think we will move beyond a lot of people's resistance.
One more thinkg: who the hell does MS invite to be on their usability panels? lol.
Nuspieds
Active Member
Without a doubt I spend most of my time in Desktop mode because most of my applications are Desktop apps.
However, I am very sold on the touch interface and the full-screen look & feel of MUI apps. Every opportunity I get, I replace a legacy Desktop app with a MUI equivalent. Slowly but surely the scale is tipping to MUI being my predominant interface.
I look forward to the day when I seldom have to use Desktop mode.
However, I am very sold on the touch interface and the full-screen look & feel of MUI apps. Every opportunity I get, I replace a legacy Desktop app with a MUI equivalent. Slowly but surely the scale is tipping to MUI being my predominant interface.
I look forward to the day when I seldom have to use Desktop mode.
Michael Lovett
Member
Well put.
I think it's in the settings in IE desktop. I have them open in the desktop on my desktop and Metro on my Surface.
Yea Metro is pretty useless in its current state. This is a full PC yet metro apps are so limited and stupid.
There is not one app that approaches the same functionality as desktop apps except for stupid apps. Even OneNote the flagship app is missing most of the functionality of the desktop app.
So yes it is a failure that's why Ballmer and a lot of others are no longer there.
Will they fix it in 9 who knows but possibly, by putting the start menu back and defaulting to the desktop
There is not one app that approaches the same functionality as desktop apps except for stupid apps. Even OneNote the flagship app is missing most of the functionality of the desktop app.
So yes it is a failure that's why Ballmer and a lot of others are no longer there.
Will they fix it in 9 who knows but possibly, by putting the start menu back and defaulting to the desktop
