Your observations on Windows 8.1 update 1 (a.k.a. Feature Pack)

By Ice_Blue
in Microsoft (Windows)

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Grand Master

Dot Matrix

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Posted

It's bizarre. I mean do MS not have a graphics design team that checks these kind of things?

I think it's by (bad) design. Windows 8 is all about color, so Microsoft didn't make pitch black an option. Which, is a bad call, as lots of people prefer darker colors.

Grand Master

Lamp0

Posted
Posted

I think it's by (bad) design. Windows 8 is all about color, so Microsoft didn't make pitch black an option. Which, is a bad call, as lots of people prefer darker colors.

 

Yea, although it's not just dark colors where you can't see the black text very well, it's also colours with high color saturation & intensity where I think white text would stand out more. hell even just enable a white glow on the black text!

 

I actually really like the theme for Windows 8, I just wish there was more options to customize certian elements. For example I'd like the taskbar to be a transparent black rather than the same color as the window frame.

 

It'll be interesting to see what they do with it for Windows 9.

Proficient

Obry

Posted
Posted

Windows Media Player is largely despised - even in Windows 7; in fact, it has been largely despised since XP.  Name one group of post-XP users tha still uses WMP as tthe default for ANY file format - audio OR video.  The same applies to Photo Viewer - or even MSPAINT (both of which are also still around, and have gone nowhere).  I still use both, because they are very simple, and thus quite suitable for simple tasks (primarily screen-captures and editing thereof - largely cropping in Paint's case) - however, while I WAS a heavy user of WMP with XP, that was only until I could replace it with a lighter application that suits my needs better (and wound up replacing it with multiple applications, because, as much as I wish, there is no single application that suits my needs for every audio and video file).  The ModernUI versions exist BECAUSE the desktop applications are so heavily despised.

 

I still use WMP and always had - it does absolutely everything I ever needed it (including burn Audio CD's). The only thing I have ever done to it is install a minimal codec pack to play the few formats it doesn't. The Photo Viewer is also decent although I think they should've made the Windows Essentials apps standard on Windows instead of separate downloads.

Apprentice

rorrr

Posted
Posted

small, very obvious tip for anyone who *really* dislikes seeing the taskbar over the Start screen and Metro apps (this behavior occurs when you click the Start button in the lower left corner--even if you have disabled "show Windows Store apps on taskbar")

 

simply reposition the taskbar's location to the right or top of the screen

 

I have mine on the right and set to auto-hide

 

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Community Regular

Sekyal

Posted
Posted

I'm waiting to update when its official, but I'm still wondering how everything behaves with the taskbar up top. I prefer it there as it makes more sense, yet with this new minimize/close bar at the top of metro apps and the taskbar showing up as well I am wondering if they collide poorly.

Of course I could simply disable that and keep using ModernMix.

Grand Master

Dot Matrix

Posted
Posted

small, very obvious tip for anyone who *really* dislikes seeing the taskbar over the Start screen and Metro apps (this behavior occurs when you click the Start button in the lower left corner--even if you have disabled "show Windows Store apps on taskbar")

 

simply reposition the taskbar's location to the right or top of the screen

 

I have mine on the right and set to auto-hide

 

Ugh. Are you serious? So there really is no way to turn it off?

Grand Master

Max Norris

Posted
Posted

Ugh. Are you serious? So there really is no way to turn it off?

From what I noticed it only appears if you hover at the bottom of the screen, it's not there all the time.  That is, what should be an obvious way to make it visible with a full screen program going, same with the title bar.  Should have been there from day 1.. more control via a familiar interface yet it's not in your way when you don't want to see it.

Grand Master

Dot Matrix

Posted
Posted

From what I noticed it only appears if you hover at the bottom of the screen, it's not there all the time.  That is, what should be an obvious way to make it visible with a full screen program going, same with the title bar.  Should have been there from day 1.. more control via a familiar interface yet it's not in your way when you don't want to see it.

Problem is, I don't want to see it at all. My workflow doesn't depend on it, and it's nothing more than a hindrance since it has the potential to cover up controls on the Metro apps.

Grand Master

Max Norris

Posted
Posted

Problem is, I don't want to see it at all. My workflow doesn't depend on it, and it's nothing more than a hindrance since it has the potential to cover up controls on the Metro apps.

Don't move your mouse to the very bottom of the screen then.. it's doesn't stay visible 100% of the time.  You're just as likely to be "hindered" by the charms bar and the switcher-bar-thingey (forget the name) on the left side too.  They're ok but the taskbar isn't?

Grand Master

Dot Matrix

Posted
Posted

Don't move your mouse to the very bottom of the screen then.. it's doesn't stay visible 100% of the time. You're just as likely to be "hindered" by the charms bar and the switcher-bar-thingey (forget the name) on the left side too. They're ok but the taskbar isn't?

The key difference is, the Charms Bar is triggered by the corner, not by the edge of the screen.It's easy to avoid the corners, not so much the edge of the screen in certain cases.

Grand Master

Max Norris

Posted
Posted

It's easy to avoid the corners, not so much the edge of the screen in certain cases.

Unless you're having difficulty controlling your mouse, any examples?  Why would you move your mouse to the very bottom of the screen otherwise? Plus this only works with desktop setups, supposedly doesn't even come into play in a touch-only setup.  It's amazing they still get crap for adding functionality, especially when you don't even have to use it.

Grand Master

Aergan

Posted
Posted

Installed yesterday, I'm actually not really understanding the nature of the changes. The environment is now really badly sandwiched together whereas before it was at least partially segregated.

 

I've managed to have the App Switcher, Modern App title bar and 'Charms' menu all activate together during an RDP session, then behave like an orphaned right click menu (would not go away until each menu was interacted with in turn).

  • Dot Matrix, duoi and Ian S.
  • Like 3
Enthusiast

bitslasher

Posted
Posted

It only does if you hover your cursor at the bottom of the screen, otherwise it's hidden.

 

Exactly.  These enhancements are for mouse device interaction.  The old behavior is the same if you have touch-enabled devices. 

 

The task bar appearing fixes a serious usability problem that had existed thus far between desktop and full-screen (modern) applications.  The new way is very seamless and consistent, seeing and switching tasks between full-screen and desktop applications.  This dovetails with modern applications now appearing in the task bar, and being able to be pinned to it also.

Grand Master

Dutchie64

Posted
Posted

That doesn't close an app it restarts it.

http://winsupersite.com/windows-8/windows-81-tip-restart-app

 

To close an app, just drag it to the bottom and let go.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-8/how-close-app

the OP was right:

 

Apps you install from the Windows Store don?t slow down your PC, so you don?t need to close them. When you?re not using an application, Windows will leave it running in the background and then close it eventually if you don?t use it.

But if you want to close an app and remove it from view, drag the app to the bottom of the screen.

Tip

  • To completely stop all processes associated with an app, drag the app to the bottom of the screen, and hold it there until the app flips over.

  • 0nyX and DConnell
  • Like 2
Rising Star

gxsaurav

Posted
Posted

Is anyone else facing the problem where right click menu on Metro app tiles on start screen no longer appears? When I right click on the tiles on start screen, it gets selected instead of showing the right click menu

Veteran

bikeman25

Posted
Posted

I actually like Metro in Windows 8 and 8.1 update 1, improvements are good in 8.1 update 1, performance great, and yes I do use Metro Apps, Desktop applications all day long, I have NO trouble finding anything on this Desktop PC, be it Desktop application or Metro Application, and Yes I still boot up to Metro Start screen, as it's place I get mornings info when I wake up the PC, can open mail from there, check weather, check facebook, or play a game if I decide to before going into Desktop mode to get things done.

 

Personally Start menu coming back in later update I don't know if i'll use much, but i'll see about it

Rising Star

gxsaurav

Posted
Posted

Edit: Apparently my right-click in Start Screen stopped working. Ah well...

 

I found the solution for this. With default Windows 8.1 theme, this menu shows up just fine. However, with a UXTheme multi patch and a 3rd party theme, this menu will disappear.

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