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Windows 8 is the almost significant operating system update Microsoft has launched since Windows 95, and the starting time one designed to run on such a wide range of devices. ExtremeTech has separate its coverage of the operating arrangement accordingly: I will exist writing about Windows 8 on a not-touch desktop PC, while my colleague Sebastian will be reviewing Windows eight from a tablet perspective.

To begin with, just to address the elephant in the room, there are two very distinct parts to Windows 8: The Metro interface, and the Desktop interface. The overall experience of using Windows eight on a non-affect device if you try to use Metro and Desktop together is so different than Desktop alone that we're going to break information technology into 2 stories. This story here deals with Windows 8 on a standard, not-touch PC, applied to the same use cases every bit Windows XP, Vista, or seven. The Metro side of the equation will be addressed in an upcoming story.

Windows 8 -- setting the default programs to something less... Metro

To avert Metro as much equally possible, I followed these steps kickoff (and I suggest you lot do the same, if yous're a professional Windows user): Press the Outset push on your keyboard, or left-click in the lower left-hand corner; Blazon "Control Panel"; Click the Command Panel icon; and navigate to and select "Default Programs".

From here, scroll to the bottom of the listing, where the programs beginning with "Windows" are listed. Set Windows Media Player and Windows Photo Viewer to be the default handlers for all the types of content they support. I recommend doing this before you install other software; information technology'll relieve you the headache of fighting with the Metro version of these applications. You'll too wwant a different PDF reader.

Once you've changed those defaults and grabbed the browser, e-mail program, and address book (if any) of your selection, congratulations. You're ready to explore what Windows 8 has to offer. And as long every bit we're talking about the Desktop, that's a good thing.

The Start screen

The Start Screen is the one Metro function I'm going to discuss in this department, every bit it's as well the only Metro (also known as Windows 8-style) app yous tin't get away from without installing a third-party awarding. At that place are programs that duplicate the functionality of the old Start menu, if y'all're interested in them, and Microsoft included a right-click pick in the bottom-left hot corner that gives easy access to some of the more common Start Card tasks.

I expected to hate the new First screen. I don't — but that's partly a function of having used PCs for a very long time and knowing the names of the programs that I desire to run. Finding the detail program you're looking for if you lot don't know the name tin can be frustrating, peculiarly if information technology's an application that drops a number of links in what used to be a hierarchical Start Menu.

TightVNC icons

Quick — selection the right TightVNC icon!

Ane of the downsides to Windows 8'south flattened hierarchy is that information technology aggregates icons to the point that they lose their distinctiveness. The erstwhile Offset bill of fare hierarchy provided a brusque list of frequently used programs, followed by an alphabetical listing of folders and icons inside of these. Equally long equally I remember that I own a Seagate product, I can find the associated program to access information technology. Metro doesn't work that way.

Seagate search results

Rather, I have to search for BlackArmor to find the relevant launch utility. This is problematic, even with the Commencement menu, but it doesn't become infuriating until nosotros talk nearly the other Metro apps (more on that in another commodity). For those of you who want the Showtime menu back, at that place's an app chosen Classic Shell that returns it, and gives you access to a huge range of configurable options.

Adjacent page: Windows 8's improvements…

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