How Samsung Is Making Windows 8 Less Scary


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How Samsung Is Making Windows 8 Less Scary

Windows 8 changes a lot of things about how the operating system works, but one of the features Windows traditionalists will find jarring is the lack of a Start button. Although the button?s functions are still present in various places, users may miss its easy click-and-start-typing familiarity. Well, Samsung?s bringing it back.

The all-in-one PCs Samsung unveiled this morning are the first Windows machines to sport the S Launcher, a simple widget that acts just like the old start button: Click, start typing (say ?keyboard?) and it instantly shows you the settings and apps that relate to your term. There?s also a separate settings icon for quick access to the most commonly needed controls.

Sure, Windows 8 has native ways to search your system and call up settings, but as others have observed it?s not always in the most intuitive places. To anyone who?s been using Windows for a long time (read: the whole world), Samsung?s S Launcher is like seeing an old friend in a new country ? it?s very reassuring.

And of course, the S Launcher is also a launcher. Simply drag apps or files to it for easy access, tossing them off when you don?t want them anymore. Nothing groundbreaking in that, but it doesn?t hurt, either, and the icons are bigger than in the Windows taskbar.

The settings icon is helpful, too. Windows 8 moves your computer settings to different places, and Samsung?s custom settings saves you the trouble of finding out where. It gathers many everyday controls ? including user accounts, power management, display settings and sound ? into one spot on the desktop.

How do you like Samsung?s take on the Start Menu? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Source: Mashable

Screenshots:

s-launcher.jpg

s-launch.jpg

settings.jpg

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Its great to see so many options popping up for adding back the good old start menu :)

All though I guess this Samsung Start menu will only be available for people who buy there computers.

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As if...jesus, they get one win up their sleeves - that has yet to survive an appeal - and now anything resembling any apple product is an infringement...

back to the topic, tip of the hat to samsung. I think adding in the start menu just helps people hold on to the past and an item that just aint coming back but yes I can see that for some this would make win8 seem more applicable.

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I'm glad a huge company like this agrees removing the Start menu was not a wise decision (by adding one back in with their systems) :)

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ughhh Samsung

i command you ;Remove that bloatware at well!

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQf-f6Jj_azl0B0ZKYqpCuqrbOLKeT0HoNVkzUayIac2YF36S4F

and the the title is just wrong.

should be "Samsung help you to hang into the past" :/

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Aren't you curious what other OEMs like HP, Dell, Toshiba et al. are going to add to Windows 8 now? I know I am.

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Might be interesting to have, even for non samsung user.

It would be funny if every brand would create similar widgets, virtually

destroying the efforts by Microsoft to push user to use the "metro screen".

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ughhh Samsung

i command you ;Remove that bloatware at well!

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQf-f6Jj_azl0B0ZKYqpCuqrbOLKeT0HoNVkzUayIac2YF36S4F

Too bad he died already in code geass 2 :p

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God no. By all means make it an optional download but for god sake don't keep bundling crap with your computers.

Im sure it is easily disabled, but I agree this is bundled crap to most people on here but for day to day users this could be a godsend.

Aren't you curious what other OEMs like HP, Dell, Toshiba et al. are going to add to Windows 8 now? I know I am.

I think HP will more than likely come up with something for this......will prob be as useless as HP advisor.

Easily disabled but thats not the point, they are targeting the majority of the users which wouldnt be on this site lol

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The complaints about Windows 8 on PCs go beyond a lack of a mere start button. It's the general navigation of the UI on a non-touch interface and how things that used to be done in 1 or 2 steps now take 3 or 4, depending on what you are trying to do. A start button doesn't remedy that. I applaud Samsung for trying but at the same time it's just added bloat.

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Might be interesting to have, even for non samsung user.

It would be funny if every brand would create similar widgets, virtually

destroying the efforts by Microsoft to push user to use the "metro screen".

Then what is the point of OEM's trying to sell new hardware running the new OS while doing their utmost to make the new features redundant?

And here's a good point: https://twitter.com/sbisson/status/240473291515629568

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Does this actually fit with MS new terms of what can be included on default installs

Oh and

"Samsung, backwards copycating into the future since 2000"

And that's going to confuse the hell out of users. This is only to try to attract the minority of tech users who are afraid to go forward and cut ally try to learn a more efficient launcher paradigm.

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I find it hilarious that Samsung is now blatantly ripping off the start menu *and* the OS X dock all in one utility - terrible copies, too. Are they inviting lawsuits or something? This past patent defeat with Apple wasn't enough for them?

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That looks weird. Is the dock even necessary?

Plus, if they really wanted to make this as "hot" of a clickable target as the Start Menu, they must've forgot that at least the Start Menu (and the Start Screen) both respect Fitt's Law by being accessible at a corner. This one floats in the middle and requires much more dexterity to reach for and click. And unlike apps on say the OS X dock, the frequency of clicks on an app in the dock versus a replacement for the Start button should be much much lower.

Now if this AIO PC had touch, then the complaint about Fitt's Law is irrelevant. But then we'd be looking at which is better for a touch-enabled PC - the Start Menu or the Start Screen - and the latter is trivially better in that case.

It's too bad these computer manufacturers can't sell computers on the merits of their hardware design and the parts offered inside alone, instead of polluting Windows desktops with junk. Microsoft's advertising efforts for Windows 8 will be useless if consumers continue to see 30-day trial warnings from McAfee and a dozen icons in the tray plastered on demo machines at Best Buy.

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