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windows ui

] its not metro, its not modern, its "windows ui" (i believe) is the official name of the new graphical user interface(UI) replacing the traditional windows "start" button/menu with a new "start screen". This Start screen consists of a collection of "interactive TILES" representing your Start Screen programs and apps in a user configurable grid layout but, but, but you say, this is windows after all and windows has (almost) always had a start button, is there really no "start" button ??

[UI] start screen - this is where windows 8 starts. The "start screen" displays active tiles.

] similar to the onscreen "home" button on an android screen or the home button on an iphone. to get here from anywhere, just press the windows key.

[UI] active tiles - represent an app or program that you can launch, or a website. These tiles CAN also DISPLAY current information from that application, for example the native "mail" tile displays the number of new mail messages that you have recieved and also rotates through the subject line of each of the new messages.

] they are also used to launch the app that the tile represents by clicking on the tile
] the interactivity feature can be turned off
] tiles can be resized to one of 3 different configurations
] tiles can be organized into groups of related items
] tile groups can be labelled.

[UI] "charms" - are sort of the replacement for some of those icons that were on the old start menu (besides your programs), things like the "Control Panel" and "Devices and Printers" and your "Documents", "Music", "Photos" folder icons. Charms provide options to ] Search ] Share - your content and to access Devices and Settings options for both the current app your working in and system wide, as well as to return to the Start screen. HOW TO: (windows key + c) OR top right, bottom right hot corner

Search - (windows key + q(apps) OR f(files) OR w(settings)) launch apps, find files, settings. This is the ALL STAR of the lucky charm collection
Share - (windows key + h) - enables you to share your "current" content across your social networks, via email, .... for example, .. if your viewing your photos, you bring up the sharing charm, select your distribution channel (email, facebook, "what have you"), enter your recipients, then click send and your done!
Devices - (windows key + k ) - like your printer or scanner or mouse or ...
Settings - (windows key + i) gets you access to the settings of your current app AND the settings for your pc (bottom link)
Start - (windows key) takes you back to the Start screen, seems like a waste of a charm icon to me, but maybe theres more to it ...
DID YOU KNOW - ] to display your systems Time and Date, network connectivity status, battery life , just bring up the charms bar on the start screen and hover on it, these properties will display on the left hand side of the screen.

[UI] hot corners hover your mouse in any one of the four corners of your screen (in any app) and you are presented with various options, like returning to the start screen, bringing up your open apps, displaying the charms menu

] BOTTOM LEFT point your mouse here and the start screen icon will appear, a left click will bring you to the start screen, a right click will bring up an advanced options menu
] TOP LEFT - point your mouse here and left click to go back to the previous app, right click to close the previous app
] TOP RIGHT - point your mouse here and left click to bring up the charms menu bar
] BOTTOM RIGHT - point your mouse here and left click to bring up the charms menu bar, right click to peak at the desktop (in desktop )
] TOP CENTER - point your mouse here, when the pointer changes, left click and DRAG the window down to the bottom of the screen to close the APP

] the "traditional style" windows desktop complete with task bar is represented by a tile on the start screen, most appropriately named "Desktop" Keep in mind that there is NO start button/menu per se, here either - REMEMBER the "start screen" is the "start" button, You can still install and run your traditional windows PROGRAMS here, just like you did before. You even still have the taskbar and all of its functionality available to you. HOW to get here= from the Start screen, click the Desktop tile, on the keyboard press the windows key + D

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