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Windows 8 Features Slick Search from Start Screen

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People need to start stepping up and criticizing this stuff. This whole concept doesn't save time. I don't want to "switch to start" with the logo key and type "calc" to bring up the calculator. Right now it is 2 clicks. Why would I want to increase that to 5?
 
While I am at it - stop with all the gimmicks and mac-like menus. Windows has an 85-90% market share. Rewrite the kernel, upgrade ntfs to a new file system, stop write throttling, end 32 bit, stop turning on automatic updates after I just turned it off... improve. Stop turning the round wheel into a box; Round just works better.
 
being able to quickly search by details of how a photo was taken is pretty cool, I would use that. One could say I am almost looking forward to being able to do that.

 
[citation][nom]campb292[/nom]People need to start stepping up and criticizing this stuff. This whole concept doesn't save time. I don't want to "switch to start" with the logo key and type "calc" to bring up the calculator. Right now it is 2 clicks. Why would I want to increase that to 5?[/citation]

Being able to use the keyboard to make 5 clicks is a lot faster than moving the mouse and making it click twice, it also interrupts the flow of what you are doing on the keyboard.
 
[citation][nom]campb292[/nom]People need to start stepping up and criticizing this stuff. This whole concept doesn't save time. I don't want to "switch to start" with the logo key and type "calc" to bring up the calculator. Right now it is 2 clicks. Why would I want to increase that to 5?[/citation]
You do realize you can just use the mouse then, right?
 
I fail to see how this is better and more useful than the Start Menu in Windows 7. In fact, this seems like a full screen Start Menu that doesn't have all the features the current Start Menu has.

If I promise never to buy or use a Windows tablet, will they include the normal Start Menu in Windows 8?
 
[citation][nom]killerclick[/nom]Try this in Windows 7... Ctrl+Esc and then type a file name! Amazing, right?[/citation]

Yep.

Stupid, anyhow... I can't recall when was the last time I used Search. I really can't. Whether or not Win8 will have better search doesn't matter to me.
 
What are you talking about campb292? How is it 2 clicks now? Also, are you talking about 2 "mouse clicks" vs 5 "keyboard key presses"? If so, it's clear that 5 keyboard key presses is many times faster than 2 mouse clicks.

I'm all for criticizing stuff that needs criticizing, but I don't find your criticism very compelling.
 
What are you talking about campb292? How is it 2 clicks now? Also, are you talking about 2 "mouse clicks" vs 5 "keyboard key presses"? If so, it's clear that 5 keyboard key presses is many times faster than 2 mouse clicks.

I'm all for criticizing stuff that needs criticizing, but I don't find your criticism very compelling.
Click to expand...

He's right, I don't want to switch to Start, either... It IS two clicks - one on the Start button, another on the Calculator icon. And 2 mouse clicks ARE faster than 5 keyboard presses.
 
[citation][nom]amk-aka-Phantom[/nom]He's right, I don't want to switch to Start, either... It IS two clicks - one on the Start button, another on the Calculator icon. And 2 mouse clicks ARE faster than 5 keyboard presses.[/citation]

I think this is one of those cases where it is to each their own. Some people who use the start menu search will probably find this really helpful, while others will continue to use the mouse to launch programs. Why should there be only one way of doing something? It is nice to have the option either way.
 
I don't understand why switching to a separate touch UI is necessary to utilize existing Windows 7 search functionality.
 


Exactly. Problem is, most likely we won't get that choice.
 
Windows 7 search is broken, Vista was slightly better because you still get Advanced search by hitting Windows+F and bringing up the search pane.
Both Vista and 7 search takes a long time to complete and sometimes can't find a file, even though it exist.
Let's hope Win8 isn't broken.
 
[citation][nom]campb292[/nom]While I am at it - stop with all the gimmicks and mac-like menus. Windows has an 85-90% market share. Rewrite the kernel, upgrade ntfs to a new file system, stop write throttling, end 32 bit, stop turning on automatic updates after I just turned it off... improve. Stop turning the round wheel into a box; Round just works better.[/citation]

I wouldn't mind a new file system, hell they had one planned for Vista, WinFS which looked to run circles around NTFS, but that was cut for now. As for rewriting the Kernal, why do it again? It was rewritten for Vista, hence why you can't really upgrade from XP to Vista, and reworked for 7. The 7 Kernal works great, why redo it if you don't have to? How many times do you think Apple has rewritten its Unix Kernal for OSX?

[citation][nom]killerclick[/nom]If I promise never to buy or use a Windows tablet, will they include the normal Start Menu in Windows 8?[/citation]

It wont matter because they already have the classi 7 Start menu in 8. This is the Metro UA and much like Aero, can be turned off.

Have people really been paying attention to the Windows 8 info or just missing it all together?

[citation][nom]amk-aka-Phantom[/nom]He's right, I don't want to switch to Start, either... It IS two clicks - one on the Start button, another on the Calculator icon. And 2 mouse clicks ARE faster than 5 keyboard presses.[/citation]

Unless you have Calculator pinned to the Start menu, its 4 clicks. Start> All programs> Accessories> Calculator.

 
[citation][nom]amk-aka-Phantom[/nom]Exactly. Problem is, most likely we won't get that choice.[/citation]

I dunno, I may be wrong, but from what I've seen of the latest changes they've made to the start menu, programs will be categorized similar to being in a folder, except that they will be visible right off hand. So I would assume that any program should only be about two clicks away (may be some scrolling involved), plus you can always pin a program to the start menu (again, from what I have seen).
 


The example suggested that the person uses Calculator often. In that case, I'd expect it pinned to the Start Menu.
 
[citation][nom]lradunovic77[/nom]Please remove pile of crap called Metro. It makes sense for phone but not for desktop and laptops.[/citation]
Have you even payed attention to any news on Win8, or just this article? It's been said by many users as well as mentioned in articles that Metro can be disabled, and that is separate from the desktop interface. Please don't post pile of crap comments if you have not researched anything about a certain topic.
 
[citation][nom]amk-aka-Phantom[/nom]He's right, I don't want to switch to Start, either... It IS two clicks - one on the Start button, another on the Calculator icon. And 2 mouse clicks ARE faster than 5 keyboard presses.[/citation]
Like someone already mentioned, it's not 2 mouse clicks unless you pin it to the start menu (or unless you use it often and it shows up in your recently used programs list on your start menu).

In addition, you seem to be ignoring the time it takes to move your mouse to the start menu button and then finding the calculator icon, and finally selecting it.

Since the keys on a keyboard are constant and very fast to press, 5 keyboard strokes will almost always be faster than the process above. Here, I'll time myself:
Keyboard: winkey c a l c ENTER -- 1.7 seconds

Not even trying to be fast, this includes the time taken to move my left hand to the keyboard from starting the timer. and back to stop the timer again.

Now, for the mouse: I pinned the calculator, I've identified exactly where it is on the screen before I run this, so I'm removing the times needed to figure out exactly where on the screen it is. I'm even putting the mouse in the lower left quadrant of the screen to minimize the amount of time it takes to get to the start menu.
Mouse: 2.0 seconds.
Now, this has the additional advantage of my left hand staying on the timer so I can stop it immediately when I reach my goal.

Now, feel free to actually repeat this yourself. I would be surprised if your results differed significantly from mine.

It really shouldn't surprise you that keyboard commands are faster than using the mouse.

That all said, Windows 7 has the same thing as Windows 8 (just not taken full screen). Some people above said ctrl+esc, but all you have to do is press and release the Windows key like the video said. I think the take away from this video is that the new Start was designed for power users.
 
The problem for me is not whether you can use the keyboard or the mouse, rather it's that the entire desktop with all open windows (on my three 1080p screens) will go away while I'm trying to open the calculator or notepad or whatever. If you could have the current search limited to a portion of the screen, with all the open windows remaining visible, then I'd be cool with it.
 
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