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Windows 8.1 |OT| There's your start button


Couple interesting things I didn't know:
-Closing an app will now take you to the previous app in the stack instead of the start screen, on both touch and non-touch devices
-Non-touch devices will now set defaults for pictures, music, and video to desktop applications. (this is kind of an odd change considering they are actively developing and updating the modern apps for these and the desktop ones probably won't see any changes. This is arguably even more odd considering what we've see for their plans for the next update, with the start menu and modern apps running in windowed modes. Aren't they hoping that modern apps in the desktop will help push store apps on KB + M devices?)
 

Azih

Member
The change is necessary if Modern apps remain designed to see only files on their own sandbox. A sister in law of mine was turned completely off win 8 when she clicked on a pic from Explorer as typical and up popped modern viewer that hid the folder she was working with and couldn't even press left or right to go through the other pics like the desktop version can. First thing i did after that was to change the program to open pics to the desktop viewer but the first impression damage was done.
 
(this is kind of an odd change considering they are actively developing and updating the modern apps for these and the desktop ones probably won't see any changes. This is arguably even more odd considering what we've see for their plans for the next update, with the start menu and modern apps running in windowed modes. Aren't they hoping that modern apps in the desktop will help push store apps on KB + M devices?)

The store app is pinned to the taskbar so there's nothing really to do other than that. There's no net benefit to the default behavior before since more than half of PCs shipped to retail are non-touch. There's no point if a mouse user changes the default, complains, and you're not shipping more touch PCs anytime soon. Maybe if they're serious about being cross-platform, then they'll start porting their out of the box apps to the app store and Google play in the meantime.
 
Couple interesting things I didn't know:
-Closing an app will now take you to the previous app in the stack instead of the start screen, on both touch and non-touch devices
-Non-touch devices will now set defaults for pictures, music, and video to desktop applications. (this is kind of an odd change considering they are actively developing and updating the modern apps for these and the desktop ones probably won't see any changes. This is arguably even more odd considering what we've see for their plans for the next update, with the start menu and modern apps running in windowed modes. Aren't they hoping that modern apps in the desktop will help push store apps on KB + M devices?)

This might be a temporary change, just until they can get metro apps to completely replace the desktop ones as far functionality goes.

The change is necessary if Modern apps remain designed to see only files on their own sandbox. A sister in law of mine was turned completely off win 8 when she clicked on a pic from Explorer as typical and up popped modern viewer that hid the folder she was working with and couldn't even press left or right to go through the other pics like the desktop version can. First thing i did after that was to change the program to open pics to the desktop viewer but the first impression damage was done.

I can open photos from any folder on my Pc and the arrows work for moving to other photos. Granted, the photo app is the only one that behaves this way, for movie files for instance, the other apps have no idea of what else is in the same folder, unless I use the file picker to go there.
 

Azih

Member
I can open photos from any folder on my Pc and the arrows work for moving to other photos. Granted, the photo app is the only one that behaves this way, for movie files for instance, the other apps have no idea of what else is in the same folder, unless I use the file picker to go there.

8.1 modern photo app might behave better than the one that came with vanilla 8. But man that was an awful work flow.
 
http://www.microsoft.com/nl-nl/download/details.aspx?id=42335 Got them through here, you need to install them in a certain order:

KB2919442,
KB2919355,
KB2932046,
KB2937592,
KB2938439
KB2934018.

You probably already have the first one, if you do you can skip it :) You don't need to restart every single time you have a update complete, just go throught them one by one and with the latest one finished, restart.

The 355 does take a while, that's not weird looking at it's size. It doesn't hang it just takes a time. Good luck :)
Edit haha beaten
 

Kabuto

Member
http://www.microsoft.com/nl-nl/download/details.aspx?id=42335 Got them through here, you need to install them in a certain order:

KB2919442,
KB2919355,
KB2932046,
KB2937592,
KB2938439
KB2934018.

You probably already have the first one, if you do you can skip it :) You don't need to restart every single time you have a update complete, just go throught them one by one and with the latest one finished, restart.

The 355 does take a while, that's not weird looking at it's size. It doesn't hang it just takes a time. Good luck :)
Edit haha beaten

how do I know if I have KB2919442 or not?

edit: just kidding it was in an update from March
 
@Rd, no problem, goodluck :)


how do I know if I have KB2919442 or not?

Press start and search "Windows Update" Then in the left corner you will see Installed updates (or something in that fasion, my Windows is dutch but i guess it's something like that.) click that.

Then in the right upper corner search kb2919442 if it lists something you have it :)
Can make screenshots but i think you will get it with these simple steps, goodluck.

Edit: Pff i'm too slow.. jeah it's a older update indeed was confused at first too but it's simple to see if you have it
 

Warnen

Don't pass gaas, it is your Destiny!
Got them all installed on my surface pro 2. Not much for tablet users but I do like the power button and search on home screen.
 
I have the search on the start screen, but not the power button.

Also, despite un-ticking the option, once I close all apps I automatically return to the desktop. Not really what I want to happen.


Only 2 updates seem to have downloaded though. Thought there were 5 or 6.
 

dLMN8R

Member
I have the search on the start screen, but not the power button.

Also, despite un-ticking the option, once I close all apps I automatically return to the desktop. Not really what I want to happen.


Only 2 updates seem to have downloaded though. Thought there were 5 or 6.

The power button doesn't show up on tablets or other devices you're generally not supposed to turn off (or can simply close the lid or push the button to put it in connected standby)


There are two options:

1) Show Store apps on the taskbar
2) When I sign in, go to the desktop instead of start
 
So far don't like the update. The UI feels very cluttered with stuff popping up everywhere. I think they've made it more confusing than ever.

Turning on show apps on taskbar is really bad. It feels like they're really pandering to the clueless with the close/minimize stuff popping up for a second as every modern app launches. And closing apps forces you to launch the desktop. No options on that. Just awful.


Trying it out some more the pop-down close button is really pointless. I can close the app faster with the drag down move faster than the app can even show the close button. The mouse gesture to bring up the taskbar is really dumb. Why not use the corner slide across the bottom like the charms/task switcher bars. You have to keep sliding down way past the bottom of the screen.
 
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