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I like the casualness of the Metro apps. It's easier and faster to click on the Netflix app than to open Firefox and then load the Netflix webpage. I also like some of the News apps, again it's fast and easy to catch up on some of the headlines, I also like the weather app, in two clicks(1.Hot corner start screen, 2.weather app) I can quickly see the forecast for the whole week. I also like some of the casual games.

I am about as a hardcore Desktop user as it gets, I have a custom build pc with 3 screens, custom mouse & keyboard shortcuts, steam, Photoshop & Dreamweaver user, etc...

I've been using Windows 8 since the Developer previews, and while some things have taken a while to get used to(like the hot corners), I'd have to say overall Windows 8 is a step up from Windows 7 in every way, I would hate to go back to 7. The Start Screen makes the Start Menu seem archaic.

Some pics of my setup:

http://i.minus.com/iqRDyV3Cdz4M3.jpg

http://i.minus.com/iUyzL0SkQgSD5.jpg

http://i.minus.com/ibsaj7IkT3usDj.jpg

http://i.minus.com/i2xfTeTriMwQ8.jpg



Couldn't you do those things in Windows 7 by docking applications or web shortcuts to your taskbar?


Yeah but these are easier and fully featured/integrated(think for example notifications). Also given my heavy use of Firefox and Chrome, think 100+ tabs spread out in multiple windows & never ending sessions, it's many times easier with casual things to use a Metro app then open additional windows or tabs.


I'm not sure I follow. There is nothing preventing the desktop software from using a system-wide notification system.

FWIW, metro apps are not fully featured but rather feature crippled. Take Chrome's metro version for example. It is just the forced-fullscreen version of the desktop one. You can still open insane amount of tabs.


>There is nothing preventing the desktop software from using a system-wide notification system.

But there is already one integrated into Windows 8, there is also sharing and searching integrated

Sharing

http://i.minus.com/ixWDWz6QqMRvG.jpg

Searching

http://i.minus.com/ieIlX6e9QyL16.jpg

shifting search to a different app/service with a click

http://i.minus.com/i8CxZ5i2wILEW.jpg

I'm not trying to become the Windows 8 advocate here but just showing how it has utility and value in many uses for me.


I think perhaps the issue is that there are more integrated "apps" available on mobile platforms. For example Netflix provide apps for iOS and Android etc but if you are using a PC they want you to go through the website.

This isn't a technical issue per se, since it would be possible to produce these apps for the desktop.


This is sort of reminding me of the argument that programming language features are pointless because all languages are Turing-complete anyway.


>I've been using Windows 8 since the Developer previews, and while some things have taken a while to get used to(like the hot corners)

Out of curiosity, is there anything the hot corners can do that you can't do using the Windows key launcher?


The hot corners are as follows

* Start Screen(lower left or Windows key)

* Recent/Running Metro apps(upper left or Win & Tab) http://i.minus.com/iD8rJOYWLWoHU.jpg

* Charms bar (upper or lower right or Win & C) http://i.minus.com/iKqyzIcITSAfB.jpg




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