46 replies to this topic

[Scorbing]

This is stuff Microsoft should have added to Windows 8 by default.

[HawkMan]

Scorbing, on 09 November 2012 - 21:56, said:

This is stuff Microsoft should have added to Windows 8 by default.

Why, they're tryign to maintain usability. and there's little point in backgrounds on a start screen you're only going to be watching for a few seconds at a time at the most anyway. Especially when those very same photo backgrounds make it harder and slower to use by making it all messy. There's a reason why the speedometer on yoru car doesn't have a photo background.

[Spartan Erik]

HawkMan, on 09 November 2012 - 22:04, said:

Why, they're tryign to maintain usability. and there's little point in backgrounds on a start screen you're only going to be watching for a few seconds at a time at the most anyway. Especially when those very same photo backgrounds make it harder and slower to use by making it all messy. There's a reason why the speedometer on yoru car doesn't have a photo background.

Usability? I'm finding that I barely use the Metro Start screen in the first place, only to use win key+begin-typing-a-program.. having the same background as my desktop makes the transition feel a lot smoother and less interrupting. Metro as is disrupts workflow.

Gonna try it for 30, but I'll probably end up buying this. Microsoft should've hired these guys..

[HawkMan]

Start screen doesn't disrupt workflow anymore than a start menu or other launcher, unless you think workflow is something completely different than it actually is,.

[CSharp.]

HawkMan, on 09 November 2012 - 22:04, said:

Why, they're tryign to maintain usability. and there's little point in backgrounds on a start screen you're only going to be watching for a few seconds at a time at the most anyway. Especially when those very same photo backgrounds make it harder and slower to use by making it all messy.

Yeah, we wouldn't want that...

Attached Images

• 

[HawkMan]

Notice how that aimed at children background also keeps the horizontal central area clean ? no you didn't, did you.

[CSharp.]

HawkMan, on 09 November 2012 - 22:27, said:

Notice how that aimed at children background also keeps the horizontal central area clean ? no you didn't, did you.

No.

[Dashel]

CSharp., on 09 November 2012 - 12:06, said:

Neat app! One item of functionality I'd love to see is a gaussian blur effect that could automatically be applied to the chosen background picture.

It definitely makes the transition far less annoying when you set up the backgrounds that way. The color shift alone was nauseating to me.

[Scorbing]

HawkMan, on 09 November 2012 - 22:04, said:

Why, they're tryign to maintain usability. and there's little point in backgrounds on a start screen you're only going to be watching for a few seconds at a time at the most anyway. Especially when those very same photo backgrounds make it harder and slower to use by making it all messy. There's a reason why the speedometer on yoru car doesn't have a photo background.

OK, then, if that's how you feel about it then this Stardock app is useless.

[HawkMan]

It's not useless, it'll made Stardock a neat little chump of money off from the small "customizer" crowd, since they'll pay before they realize how useless it is and how little they actually see the start screen and that having a background, much less paying for having one, is rather pointless.

[Scorbing]

HawkMan, on 09 November 2012 - 22:36, said:

It's not useless, it'll made Stardock a neat little chump of money off from the small "customizer" crowd, since they'll pay before they realize how useless it is and how little they actually see the start screen and that having a background, much less paying for having one, is rather pointless.

I hate that new Start Menu myself. Can't stand those ugly tiles. All I bought from Stardock is Start8 to get my Start Menu back.

[Doli]

I think there will be some free programs that will do the same thing soon but I don't need to spend $5 on a program that just changes the background of the start menu that I am in for a short time. Can you change the font color on files you search for in the Start menu? it would be a real mess on some backgrounds because the font color is white.

I would keep an eye on this person: http://winaero.com/blog/
He already found out how to do advance animations on the Start menu and he shows you how to do it or you can use his free program.
I really like his Win+X menu editor, hell you can let that be your start menu if you want. Win+X is also activated if you put the mouse cursor in the lower left screen and when you see the window for the Start menu right click.

[HawkMan]

Personally, I like having a launcher that is faster and more effective with direct access to far more pinned favorites directly, and access to unlimited favorites without having to click sub menus. and the ability to organize said favorite apps as I see fit, and group them, making finding and accessing said apps even faster. far faster than clicking down into sub menus in the tiny start menu, that's for sure, and far less clicks.

Doli, on 09 November 2012 - 22:58, said:

I think there will be some free programs that will do the same thing soon but I don't need to spend $5 on a program that just changes the background of the start menu that I am in for a short time. Can you change the font color on files you search for in the Start menu? it would be a real mess on some backgrounds because the font color is white.

Unless this app changed that as well, search results as well as "all apps" uses a flat color background not the graphical background.

[Sekyal]

I really like this app. You can not only change the background, but the colors of the search background, charms, the text color for groups, many options.
Those who say you only look at it briefly aren't really using the live tiles. You keep the Start Screen open longer if checking out your live tiles.

I'v given my thoughts on it here though guess you have an idea how I feel. >> http://throughthepan...2/11/09/decor8/

For the record I don't care at all the have Start8, though this serves a crowd that likes the Start Screen anyway.

[CSharp.]

Neil Banfield, on 09 November 2012 - 21:15, said:


You may also find more simplistic wallpapers rather than photos work better and 


Pictures of the sky work pretty well. Just a little bit of a color gradient and some grainy texture already makes the start screen feel much more welcoming in my experience (especially when the desktop background is set to be the same). Maybe that's just me.

Neil Banfield, on 09 November 2012 - 21:15, said:

for 1.0 we plan to include a number of enhancements to reduce any distraction while at the same time allowing you to customize what you see.

Awesome! Looking forward to that.

Attached Images

•