Classic
and Modern wallpaper
All PCs and laptops that are run on Windows
8 and its Pro version can display the classic wallpaper of Windows. Juts tap or
click on Tile in the bottom-left in Start screen.
Classic wallpaper seems assuring user
immediately if you try to catch up with Modern UI, though the absence of old
Start menu may panic some users. Set your mind at rest! You will soon get
accustomed to executing apps from Start screen or shortcuts lying on wallpaper.
Some factors of Modern UI can be entered via
classic wallpaper, like Charm bar and app list. This ensures the operating
system’s consistence in both design and action, and somehow drives you to think
that classic interface is just like one app – through which you can run Windows
property apps.
Point the cursor to the bottom-left corner
(where Start menu used to pop up in earlier Windows versions) then a thumbnail
for new Start screen appears. It can be entered via Windows key.
Press bottom-left corner or Windows + X to
show administration menu which offers quick access to tools that you used to
see in Start menu. They are File Explorer, Run, Task Manager, Control Panel,
Command Prompt, etc…
When using Windows 8 on laptop, you also
have Mobility Center through which you are able to adjust brightness and power
options.
Another way to enter settings is through
Settings Charm. There, you will find shortcuts to Control Panel,
Personalization and PC Info.
You may notice at Aero disappeared. There’re
no translucent frames surrounding windows (only taskbar looks pretty
transparent to some extent). Besides, simple square corners and elimination of
shadows make thing a little dull. However, there’re still some conflicts, for
example, Vista-styled buttons does lie on Image Previewer.
Ribbon interface, having appeared in Office
2007, was adopted by File Explorer, although it is, by default, hidden. You
still see File, View and other menus. Clicking on each menu makes a vertical
Ribbon (instead of a horizontal menu) visible.
Ribbon is sensitive to concept thus you
will be provided with options suitable for your file format. Clicking Pictures
folder, for instance, shows up two new tabs: Library Tools and Picture Tools. The
first one is display whenever you are watching one folder which is a part of
Library (Windows 7 introduced Libraries as a way to group similar files).
Pictures Tools offers buttons for rotating
photos, playing slideshow, setting current image as wallpaper and showing Play
To menu which allows you to display images on mobile devices.
In other words, wallpaper functions similar
to that of Windows 7. Apps still have Jump Lists that pop up once you right-click
taskbar icon to view recent files and which specific file you can pin.
Wallpaper
interface
Multi-monitor
support
Like its predecessor, Windows 8 supports multi-monitors,
though, with some differences. Despite that clock and notifications only appear
in main screen, apps pinned to taskbar are displayed on both.
All monitors have “hot” corners, meaning
that Charms bar will be available to turn up. Small 6-pixel traps prevents the
cursor from moving to the second screen but you must point your cursor at
screen’s top or bottom to catch them.
You can set up multi-monitors by
right-click on wallpaper then select Screen resolution or via screen settings
in Device Charm.
Start screen and Modern apps use one
monitor. When Start screen is being viewed, the second monitor only shows
classic wallpaper.
Switching
between desktop and tablet
One of Windows 8’s best features is Sync
your settings. This feature allows you to log in PC, laptop or other tablet
that are operated on Windows 8 and find your Windows installation’s exact copy
which looks and functions similarly.
This, of course, may not be accurate. For
example, switching from a PC’s full-HD monitor to tablet’s one, Start screen’s files
will be displayed in a different arrangement. It’s strange that their size
won’t be maintained thus it’s possible to identify an app by remember its
location.
You will find Sync your setting in Windows
8’s Settings. There, you can choose what to synchronize, from wallpapers to
password or app settings and browser’s history… You only can synchronize
password once pressing “Trust this PC” then clicking on confirmation email in
your mail box.
Apps, themselves, are not synchronized.
Thus, regardless the PC/tablet has apps installed via another user’s account; they
won’t appear on Start screen until you install them. When installing an app that
has been used somewhere else, you settings will be loaded.
You are able to install purchased apps into
maximal 5 devices and you can log in to Store from 5 different devices.
User
accounts and security
As Windows 8 connects with many different
online accounts, it’s important that you should apply a powerful password for
your account. You may create pattern password containing 3 movements drawn by
finger or mouse.
It can be dot, line or circle, and you can
also use your image. Setting up pattern password means that you don’t have to input
a complex password every time when you start or resume your device.
Windows 8 has been the most secured Windows
version ever. To synchronize password among Windows 8 devices, you must go
through 2 confirmation steps to trust the device.
Only first-created account on Windows 8 has
administration rights and only administrator is able create new users as well
as install/remove apps. This is a sensitive configuration in most situations.
We feel that some apps (such as Chrome) can
still be installed with standard user account while some (such as Skype)
requires administration password.
Windows 8 uses new feature, Smart Screen,
to prevent you from accidentally installing an app (which may contain malware) from
the Internet. This process is done by checking hash value of app for a
database. If the app is suitable but hash value isn’t, you will be warned.
Along with Windows Defender, Microsoft’s anti-virus, it reduces the chance of
getting virus and other malware.
Any malware getting through the first phase
will have to struggle with the fact that Windows 8 has better security for
kernel files and one more powerful memory manager. Modern apps are operated in
Sandbox, which means that they are isolated from other apps. They have less
privilege. For instance, they are only able to enter file and your location
once given permission.
Windows 8 is the first OS that has ever
used safe boot on main board with UEFI to prevent rootkit from messing you PC. It
also takes advantage of Trust Platform Modules which can is used to identify
whether your PC is trust-worthy when making online transaction.
No
touchscreen? Use Touch Mouse
Microsoft Touch Mouse is not new with
Windows 8, and designed to simplify Windows 7 operation. Its buttons form a
kind of touch pad and support three-pointing gestures. We had a review for it
at tinyurl.com/9khb6ec.
After connected to Windows 8 PC, it can be
used to show Charms bar and switch running apps. Other gestures reveal app list
(similar to the process of sliding upward/downward on touchscreen), and zoom
in/out any places where semantic zoom is supported.
All of Windows 7’s operations can be used
in Windows 8. This means that you can scroll and type horizontally/vertically to
navigate through documents and web pages. You can also manage windows on
wallpaper by tapping on the left or right and zoom in/out or hide them or show
all running apps.
As there’re no scrolling wheel and middle-click,
you can assign new gestures to add this feature. It may take time to get along
with sliding instead of scrolling the wheel but once you are acquainted, you
should wonder how you will survive without them. For $1,400, it is considerably
cheaper than touchscreen.
Use
Touch Mouse
