windows 8 You know what I think Windows 8 truly needs?

[SierraSonic]

A universal back button!

I am so tired of being in apps and HAVING to click the back button in the top left!

I always try to hit my mouse's back button. It would improve the speed of which someone could view content inside metro apps.

Not only to the start of apps but it should remember the history path through all apps all the way back to the start screen.

What do you think?

[TheLegendOfMart]

I didn't have Windows 8 for long, but cant you use the backspace button to go back?

[Glassed Silver]

I didn't have Windows 8 for long, but cant you use the backspace button to go back?

Tough luck on tablets. :p

Glassed Silver:mac

[drazgoosh]

Well if it's like that, then the other Windows would also benefit, not just Windows 8...

[.Neo]

Windows 8 needs a design team that pays attention to detail.

[Detection]

I think windows in general needs an "Undo" button, able to undo any last action performed on the OS

[jakem1]

I think windows in general needs an "Undo" button, able to undo any last action performed on the OS

I think I'd prefer to leave undo as a per-application function. I can imagine accidentally undoing something I don't want to undo with a universal button. Also, what if you want to undo the last actions taken in two or more applications?

[jakem1]

Tough luck on tablets. :p

Glassed Silver:mac

That's what the back button the OP is tired of using is for ;)

[Detection]

I think I'd prefer to leave undo as a per-application function. I can imagine accidentally undoing something I don't want to undo with a universal button. Also, what if you want to undo the last actions taken in two or more applications?

Yea I mean just OS related, ie. deleting files, altering registry, setting permissions, ownerships etc

It would be a pain if it worked throughout apps too :)

[theyarecomingforyou]

It is incredibly annoying that the back button on my mouse doesn't work for Metro apps. There really is no excuse for it is supported for Explorer, Control Panel, web browsers, etc. It's just another example of Microsoft's schizophrenic design philosophy when it comes to Metro. I honestly don't know how such a fundamental feature can be completely overlooked.

[Brandon Live Veteran]

Your mouse back button should work inside apps. Support for it may not be complete for all apps in the RP, though. Remember, they're "previews." :-)

There may be other factors like something specific to your mouse, as well. But yes apps absolutely should support the mouse back button (and backspace) for navigation. The VS app templates already hook this up for you.

[Dot Matrix]

You know what I think Windows 8 truly needs?

An end to these threads?

[Dashel]

They still need to get scrolling fixed before they work on the back/forward buttons but I do agree. Its another Metro surprise!

[theyarecomingforyou]

Well, I'm using a Razer Mamba and the back button works throughout the rest of Windows 8 but not in Metro apps. And we're not talking about random apps - we're talking about core Metro apps like Store, News, Travel, etc. Bizarrely SkyDrive does support the back button but not the forward button. As the OP stated, there should be a universal back button and at the moment there isn't.

[Knife Party]

Windows 8 needs a design team that pays attention to detail.

sadly this is so true.

[L1520]

It needs a 7 or 7.7 inch WinRT tablet for ?199 to compete with Nexus 7!!

[spaceelf]

It needs a 7 or 7.7 inch WinRT tablet for ?199 to compete with Nexus 7!!

If only I could install WinRT on my Nexus 7, I'd do it too :woot:

[MichaelAWYu]

Designers... We need more designers.

Give Mr. Fast, Fluid, Immersive and Fun 2cc talent, and all is solved.

[xgt001]

plenty of reasons why windows 8 would fail :/ . I do not see any windows 7 user jumping to Windows 8. Microsoft needs some really compelling apps for metro apps which are productive unlike most of them which are mostly for consuming information. Office 2013 is a right step in that direction...

[georgevella]

I'd guess a universal back button would be difficult to implement. I can only see two ways how this can be executed - either Windows keeps track of every running app and it's state (which is a non-trivial task) or have Windows ask the app to revert to it's previous state, but that would depend on the devs to implement proper state management. Considering that some apps in Windows Store can barely make use of the scroll wheel on a mouse, depending on the devs to implement state management is a no go as well.

[Sekyal]

I find many apps have a back button but you have to right-click to make it show up which is an annoying extra step. Some apps don't provide a quick way to jump to different sections of the app either (usually done via a "v" like arrow) so you have to continually hit the back arrow to return "home".

I wasn't aware the back button on the keyboard actually went back on the desktop, never bothered to try it lol. If that is the case, it is frustrating that ESC doesn't exit full screen on apps that play video or open other "sub"-windows.

[remixedcat]

It needs a good media player!

[SteelToast]

I do hope RTM comes with metro icons for desktop mode, as those aero icons look horribly out of place.

[BoyBoppins]

Ive been rating down apps with an explanation why that dont pay attention to the back and scrolling functions of my trackpad.

[+DKAngel Subscriber²]

i just set my mouse back button to back and not magnify and it works =]