I use Windows 8 like a power user! Do you?


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As a power user, I didn't wine about the missing start menu or the existence of the metro UI. Rather, I used the new capabilities to make my computing more efficient than it was with Windows 7. Many others have done too and, as a result, love Windows 8. I will tell you, though, that many haters have never even learned to use Windows 8 efficiently before giving up. Windows 8 is very efficient with keyboard and mouse.

Here's a quick video of how I use windows 8 like a power user. Do you do the same?

P.S There are some neat Windows 8 tips and tricks shown in the video that you might have not known about.

Wow you're fast. :p

I didn't realize power users move that fast, either :p

Thanks. It's a matter of becoming open minded with Windows 8 and learning to use it efficiently rather than relying on the old hacks like 3rd party start menu.

My only gripe about Windows 8 is the extra presses when I want to search settings, or files. All this time, I thought win+q is the only keyboard shortcut for search. I didn't know about win+f and win+w so thanks :)

@grayscale you are welcome! you don't need to use Win+Q. To search apps, just hit the windows key and type, just like you did in Windows 7. Oh, and about the speed, I did things quickly so I can make the video short; I don't think I have ADD :p

hmm.. everything you can do I can do in Windows 7, except play a couple shitacular games. I don't need or want a bunch of boxes on my screen every time I want to do something new. I don't want a full screen app for everything, and in the end be told just to use the desktop (which everyone wants gone??).

Also, "Closing apps is easier than you think"... really? CTRL+W or ALT+F4 closes apps faster than going to corner, waiting for bar, clicking and dragging app.. etc. Also, the start-menu provides command line tools, and there are shortcuts for running as admin, and the sort. All done without extra bars, or hidden menus.. so I feel it's actually easier.. but that's just me. Also, I don't think opening a notepad, and paint is a power-user. Just my opinion though.

All I saw from the video was.. I can open apps, I can close them, and I have a big ass screen to do so. Well I can do the exact same with a small little rectangle on my windows 7.

Just sayin'

All I see is how you can get motion sickness watching the ridiculous metro start animate in every time you want to search.

Hahaha, that's all you've got?

hmm.. everything you can do I can do in Windows 7, except play a couple shitacular games. I don't need or want a bunch of boxes on my screen every time I want to do something new. I don't want a full screen app for everything, and in the end be told just to use the desktop (which everyone wants gone??).

Also, "Closing apps is easier than you think"... really? CTRL+W or ALT+F4 closes apps faster than going to corner, waiting for bar, clicking and dragging app.. etc. Also, I don't think opening a notepad, and paint is a power-user. Just my opinion though.

All I saw from the video was.. I can open apps, I can close them, and I have a big ass screen to do so. Well I can do the exact same with a small little rectangle on my windows 7.

Just sayin'

Alt+F4 also closes metro apps.

Stop whining that the start screen is full screen, it is only up for a second or two. It shows more information at once. And explain WHY the little rectangle in the corner of the screen is better than the full screen start menu? Do you just dislike change?

There is a lot of power user features in 8. Right click in bottom left (or Win+X) for a very useful menu. Didn't you see all the fast links in the ribbon in explorer? How about that new task manager? File copy dialog?

Face it, when shown videos like this the Windows 8 haters resort to pretty lame arguments.

The only arguments the Windows 8 haters are going to have in this thread basically boil down to them disliking it for no particular reason.

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Alt+F4 also closes metro apps.

Didn't say it didn't, all I said was it's easy to close apps in Windows 7, windows 8 doesn't make closing apps easier.

Stop whining that the start screen is full screen, it is only up for a second or two. It shows more information at once. And explain WHY the little rectangle in the corner of the screen is better than the full screen start menu? Do you just dislike change?

The small rectangle is nice, because it doesn't distract me from anything, I mean I can have it up, and not even be looking at it while launching an app, it doesn't take away ANYTHING from my view on the desktop. 0 broken focus. Shows more information? Such as... Weather? There's a gadget, Mail? There's a gadget, CPU Usage? There's a gadget. Guess what? They are all gadgets that go on the desktop and can be viewed at any time without having to switch to another screen. Really? I don't like Windows 8, or see faults so I instantly hate change? That's funny brah.

There is a lot of power user features in 8. Right click in bottom left (or Win+X) for a very useful menu. Didn't you see all the fast links in the ribbon in explorer? How about that new task manager? File copy dialog?

Not saying Windows 8 doesn't have nice features, but in adding nice things I feel they took away some really nice things too. Honestly though how many people stare at Task Manager, 99% of people open TM to see Memory usage, CPU Usage, or to kill programs that froze.. .all of which is easy to do on <=W7

Face it, when shown videos like this the Windows 8 haters resort to pretty lame arguments.

The only arguments the Windows 8 haters are going to have in this thread basically boil down to them disliking it for no particular reason.

Or so you assume, your assumption is that someone who doesn't like something is talking out of their ass, have no clue why they don't like it, hate change for the sake of hating it. Which sorry to burst you bubble isn't true. There are plenty of people who feel the same as me, and have their own reasons for disliking it. If you are too blind to see that people have valid feelings about something, then that's on you, but don't make assumptions and group people together just because you can't understand why they don't like something you do.

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In summation - if you dislike metro because you don't want to some tacky full screen start thing and have no interest in the ever trendy app store you hate Windows 8. Despite the fact that excluding metro, there is actually a lot of nice changes in Windows 8 that most people on neowin that are "haters" actually want.

I don't see why it's to much to ask that MS give us an option to have a start menu like it is now. You can use metro, I can use my start menu. Everyone is happy.

Microsoft implemented changes correctly in Windows 7 with the super bar. If you didn't like it you could make the start bar like Vista, or 95, or 2000, etc. How they are forcing (if you want windows 8) the metro start screen onto everyone is a night and day difference compared to how they made changes in Windows 7. It amazes me that people are so against having options.

I'm 100% certain that if they did that the majority of the criticism against Windows 8 would disappear nearly instantly.

In summation - if you dislike metro because you don't want to some tacky full screen start thing and have no interest in the ever trendy app store you hate Windows 8. Despite the fact that excluding metro, there is actually a lot of nice changes in Windows 8 that most people on neowin that are "haters" actually want.

If there was a GPO that would revert to the normal start menu I think MS would avoid a ton of this resistance. But they are choosing to be stuck up and force it upon the user base. Too bad they forget that they aren't Apple.

Didn't say it didn't, all I said was it's easy to close apps in Windows 7, windows 8 doesn't make closing apps easier.

It doesn't make it any harder to close apps, either.

The small rectangle is nice, because it doesn't distract me from anything, I mean I can have it up, and not even be looking at it while launching an app, it doesn't take away ANYTHING from my view on the desktop. 0 broken focus. Shows more information? Such as... Weather? There's a gadget, Mail? There's a gadget, CPU Usage? There's a gadget. Guess what? They are all gadgets that go on the desktop and can be viewed at any time without having to switch to another screen. Really? I don't like Windows 8, or see faults so I instantly hate change? That's funny brah.

So, while you are using the start menu (for 2 seconds) you're actually paying attention to something else? No, I don't buy this argument. When I use the start menu/screen I'm launching a program which means I'm typing or mousing in the start menu/screen, not looking at something else. Yes, actually, it does show more information. Not only does it show those tiles like you stated, but since it takes up the whole screen, more apps and search results are shown at once. Why have this huge screen and only use a tiny portion of it to do what you're currently doing? Pressing the start button (or clicking in the bottom left) brings it up, and pressing the start button again makes it go away. Yes, you just hate change.

Not saying Windows 8 doesn't have nice features, but in adding nice things I feel they took away some really nice things too. Honestly though how many people stare at Task Manager, 99% of people open TM to see Memory usage, CPU Usage, or to kill programs that froze.. .all of which is easy to do on <=W7

And it's even easier to do on W8. You haven't actually stated any useful features which were removed. Just things you've gotten used to doing one way that you'll have to do a slightly different way and you can learn how to do in a minute.

Or so you assume, your assumption is that someone who doesn't like something is talking out of their ass, have no clue why they don't like it, hate change for the sake of hating it. Which sorry to burst you bubble isn't true. There are plenty of people who feel the same as me, and have their own reasons for disliking it. If you are too blind to see that people have valid feelings about something, then that's on you, but don't make assumptions and group people together just because you can't understand why they don't like something you do.

Please state some actual reasons that it is worse than Windows 7. The start menu using a small portion of the screen is not in any way inherently better than using the whole screen. People always say it's better to take a small portion because they can still see the rest, but that's not valid because no one is actually paying attention to the rest for the whole two seconds that it is usually up. And when you're using it to search or launch a program by clicking, it shows MUCH MORE things at once.

In summation - if you dislike metro because you don't want to some tacky full screen start thing and have no interest in the ever trendy app store you hate Windows 8. Despite the fact that excluding metro, there is actually a lot of nice changes in Windows 8 that most people on neowin that are "haters" actually want.

I don't see why it's to much to ask that MS give us an option to have a start menu like it is now. You can use metro, I can use my start menu. Everyone is happy.

Microsoft implemented changes correctly in Windows 7 with the super bar. If you didn't like it you could make the start bar like Vista, or 95, or 2000, etc. How they are forcing (if you want windows 8) the metro start screen onto everyone is a night and day difference compared to how they made changes in Windows 7. It amazes me that people are so against having options.

I'm 100% certain that if they did that the majority of the criticism against Windows 8 would disappear nearly instantly.

This is such a STUPID thing to be mad over. The start screen is better than the start menu. It shows more items at once AND is immensely better for touch screens for computers with them. This doesn't mean it's only better on touch screens, but also for non-touch computers. I have a 30" 2560x1600 monitor on my desktop. The start screen shows a TON of items at once, and they're all very large. This means I can very easily mouse over to them and click without having to be precise or scrolling a lot.

It's no worse than the start menu on my desktop and in my opinion even better since it shows more items and has tiles which replace desktop gadgets.

The only people mad at the change are a minority of people online. Everyone who I've showed it to has liked it. All the "reaction" videos of people hating Windows 8 are the ones who were told about it in a negative fashion before being given it to use or weren't told at all how to use it (hot corners). These aren't realistic scenarios.

If there was a GPO that would revert to the normal start menu I think MS would avoid a ton of this resistance. But they are choosing to be stuck up and force it upon the user base. Too bad they forget that they aren't Apple.

The user base won't mind and the ones with touch screens will thank them for it.

It is really sad that when someone wants to read sometime about Win 8 that could be helpful they are faced with nothing but Win 8 haters.

Just once it would be nice to read all the ways folks have come up with some good things about Win 8 without the BS.

The user base won't mind and the ones with touch screens will thank them for it.

Obviously you think they'll mind enough to be here as the MS shill or apologist.

I am stating my opinion. It is as valid as yours regardless of whether or not you agree with it.

  • Like 3

This is such a STUPID thing to be mad over. The start screen is better than the start menu. It shows more items at once AND is immensely better for touch screens for computers with them. This doesn't mean it's only better on touch screens, but also for non-touch computers. I have a 30" 2560x1600 monitor on my desktop. The start screen shows a TON of items at once, and they're all very large. This means I can very easily mouse over to them and click without having to be precise or scrolling a lot.

It's no worse than the start menu on my desktop and in my opinion even better since it shows more items and has tiles which replace desktop gadgets.

The only people mad at the change are a minority of people online. Everyone who I've showed it to has liked it. All the "reaction" videos of people hating Windows 8 are the ones who were told about it in a negative fashion before being given it to use or weren't told at all how to use it (hot corners). These aren't realistic scenarios.

The bolded part is purely your opinion and the part after are your reasons backing up your opinion. I do not need to see nor want to see so many items at once, there for I do not want a full screen start menu or need it. Also, my computer is not a touch screen.

That's fantastic that the people you've showed it to like it. I was talking about stuff that I've witnessed on neowin and why people that are labeled as "windows 8 haters" don't like metro.

You still didn't answer my question though. Why are you so resistant to having the option? Really? If I can use the regular old start menu on my computer and you can use the metro start screen on your computer why is that a problem? If the only thing that it costs to have the option is some random coders time at Microsoft then why do you care that we have the option? And who knows, maybe down the line people who like the start menu in windows 7 might decide they want to turn the option on to try the metro start screen.

If people who dislike metro are resistant to change then people who do like and argue why it's "the best" are resistant to having options. And I think that's far worse.

It is really sad that when someone wants to read sometime about Win 8 that could be helpful they are faced with nothing but Win 8 haters.

Just once it would be nice to read all the ways folks have come up with some good things about Win 8 without the BS.

Internet forums aren't for you then, sorry. If you want to only see one side of the argument you could start a blog or something maybe???

  • Like 2

Internet forums aren't for you then, sorry. If you want to only see one side of the argument you could start a blog or something maybe???

You really, really didn't get the point, now, did you?

The thread isn't about the pros and cons of Metro. There are other threads where you can go and do that.

The OP was simply showing off his Win 8 expertise.

Why wouldn't you rather see all your items and search results at once? The whole point of the start menu is to start a program. Being able to see more things at once allows you to more efficiently accomplish that task and is better than seeing a smaller amount in pretty much every way. This is resisting change for no reason.

I wouldn't mind if it were there as an option and I wouldn't say it should be removed. But it's not there and it's not an option. It's no reason not to buy Windows 8 though. I guess it isn't an option because it's better than the start menu in almost every way so Microsoft sees no reason to waste effort maintaining it.

So tough luck. It's not going to change and since Windows 8 won't be resisted by the majority, they'll have no reason to revert it in 9.

You really, really didn't get the point, now, did you?

The thread isn't about the pros and cons of Metro. There are other threads where you can go and do that.

The OP was simply showing off his Win 8 expertise.

So I am only allowed to post in Windows 8 threads if I like it?

It seems to me the point of this thread was to show us "haters" how we're using windows 8 wrong so I thought discussion would follow? If he only wanted to show off his expertise he shouldn't have used the word "haters" in his op. And then people proceed to post their opinion like it's fact saying that because you can see more items on the metro start menu or other nonsense then it has to better than the windows 7 start menu when that's purely an opinion.

No, I don't think I missed the point.

P.S. When I open my start menu I usually have a destination in mind so I don't need to see 50 different things there. I don't usually open it just to see what's there and marvel at all the cool colors. That aside my biggest problem with it is I just don't want a full screen start menu. The only things on my computer that are used full screen are games or movie/video players.

  • Like 2
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