Windows 8.1 UI fixes showcased

Fulcrum29 said:
New Windows 8.1 search feature returns curated results...

Ahem, bringing mature content to the desktop.

MS is doing everything to “improve” metro, but is not yet providing the functional features so much concerned about like the start menu… They did “promise” to bring it back, but what if they decide to integrate that also into metro?
Click to expand...

The start menu is dead, deal with it.

Users will be able to pin the start button back to the taskbar in 8.1 which will then take you to the start screen.
 
Must say, so far I like what I see in the 8.1 update preview.

While it may seem trivial, having precisely the same wallpaper on Start & Desktop makes switching back & forth a much less jarring experience. Have been using a 3rd party util to do this on Win8.

Also now that you can customize the tile column widths, grouping & naming, the Start screen becomes more functionally (not visually) equivalent to the Start Menu, albeit sans hierarchy. The new micro tile size should mean a non (Modern) App user can pack almost all their desktop programs onto one Start screen (no lateral scrolling required), neatly organised into named column groups.

Will definitely be installing on launch day.
 
Roman4604 said:
Must say, so far I like what I see in the 8.1 update preview.

While it may seem trivial, having precisely the same wallpaper on Start & Desktop makes switching back & forth a much less jarring experience. Have been using a 3rd party util to do this on Win8.

Also now that you can customize the tile column widths, grouping & naming, the Start screen becomes more functionally (not visually) equivalent to the Start Menu, albeit sans hierarchy. The new micro tile size should mean a non (Modern) App user can pack almost all their desktop programs onto one Start screen (no lateral scrolling required), neatly organised into named column groups.

Will definitely be installing on launch day.
Click to expand...
+1
 
Roman4604 said:
Must say, so far I like what I see in the 8.1 update preview.

While it may seem trivial, having precisely the same wallpaper on Start & Desktop makes switching back & forth a much less jarring experience. Have been using a 3rd party util to do this on Win8.

Also now that you can customize the tile column widths, grouping & naming, the Start screen becomes more functionally (not visually) equivalent to the Start Menu, albeit sans hierarchy. The new micro tile size should mean a non (Modern) App user can pack almost all their desktop programs onto one Start screen (no lateral scrolling required), neatly organised into named column groups.

Will definitely be installing on launch day.
Click to expand...

It does look well improved, but even more tablet-centric than before... Will give it a look...
 
Roman4604 said:
Also now that you can customize the tile column widths, grouping & naming, the Start screen becomes more functionally (not visually) equivalent to the Start Menu, albeit sans hierarchy. The new micro tile size should mean a non (Modern) App user can pack almost all their desktop programs onto one Start screen (no lateral scrolling required), neatly organised into named column groups.
Click to expand...

Perhaps this will do it (from the article)?: Customisable app groups on Start screen
 
alloytoo said:
The ribbon is a pain in the arse for power users, and Excel 2010 is noticeably less stable than 2003.
Click to expand...

You using Excel 2010 64-bit version with latest Service Pack?

It's rock solid for me.

*With Office 2010, you can easily disable the ribbon with an up/down arrow. Easy peasy.
 
kingrob said:
Yup, I was really hoping for some Aero goodness, but apparently tablets struggle a bit with eye candy and battery life takes a hit.
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I personally don't care for Aero and typically switch off visual effects in favor of performance. Thing is, you can switch it off, there is no easy way to disable the visual abomination called Metro/modern.
 
kingrob said:
You using Excel 2010 64-bit version with latest Service Pack?

It's rock solid for me.
Click to expand...

32 bit version it's what I'm supplied with.

*With Office 2010, you can easily disable the ribbon with an up/down arrow. Easy peasy.
Click to expand...

You mean hide the ribbon. Disable implies you can replace it with a menu system, you can't.

I hide it and use a customized selection of buttons, but I still work faster and more efficiently in 2003.
 
alloytoo said:
Thing is, you can switch it off, there is no easy way to disable the visual abomination called Metro/modern.
Click to expand...

When do you actually see it? You hit 1 button on bootup, and you're on your desktop all day. Should be launching 99% of your apps from pinned apps, and the rare occasion you need to launch a less used app, it's like 3 seconds in the metro launcher. It still boggles my mind how that can ruin a VASTLY superior desktop OS than Win7 for people.

I'm not looking to pick a fight, I'm genuinely interested in why the metro launcher bothers me so little, but inspires so much hate in others.
 
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elvis_presley said:
Should be launching 99% of your apps from pinned apps, and the rare occasion you need to launch a less used app, it's like 3 seconds in the metro launcher.
Click to expand...

I like a clean toolbar. I don't want a bunch of apps pinned.
 
kingrob said:
You using Excel 2010 64-bit version with latest Service Pack?

It's rock solid for me.

*With Office 2010, you can easily disable the ribbon with an up/down arrow. Easy peasy.
Click to expand...

Have they fixed it yet so that you can link one file's cells to another file on the PC?

Have loads of spreadsheets that does this but 2010 broke it so went back to 2003

As for original topic:

This is more like we enhanced Windows ModernUI for touch screen than anything else. I see nothing here about fixing original desktop complaints. Also isn't the universal search something Apple patented? I remember Apple hitting Samsung with that law suit...
 
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elvis_presley said:
When do you actually see it? You hit 1 button on bootup, and you're on your desktop all day. Should be launching 99% of your apps from pinned apps, and the rare occasion you need to launch a less used app, it's like 3 seconds in the metro launcher. It still boggles my mind how that can ruin a VASTLY superior desktop OS than Win7 for people.

I'm not looking to pick a fight, I'm genuinely interested in why the metro launcher bothers me so little, but inspires so much hate in others.
Click to expand...

I don't use the start button much - have icons on desktop and pinned to bottom bar.

The Metro Launcher's tiles are too big - you can't fix them in place (so when you add a new app things shift around), and, it just looks ugly on a large screen - mostly it's about not giving me choice.
 
Amazing how many people believe this is an upgrade. Microsoft had to downgrade their OS from windows 7 so they can re-add the features again later and sell them as an upgrade/improvement. Like the multitasking improvements? Windows 7 had no problems with multi-tasking. Sounds like they are just making it more like windows 7 but still more limited too leave room for future upgrades?
Or the start button? Whats next a start menu? Most if no all of that start screen customizations have been true of the windows 7 start screen(desktop). Suddenly adding that is a new feature.
 
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