{"id":6461,"date":"2013-11-08T15:10:08","date_gmt":"2013-11-08T20:10:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/?p=6461"},"modified":"2013-11-08T15:10:08","modified_gmt":"2013-11-08T20:10:08","slug":"windows-8-1-simplified","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/windows-8-1-simplified\/","title":{"rendered":"Windows 8.1 Simplified"},"content":{"rendered":"

EB has always liked Windows 8 (and now 8.1), but until recently, I haven’t liked it very much. I have been using my Windows 7 laptop almost all the time, and using Windows 8 (and now 8.1) sparingly. Perhaps it’s my fault then that it has taken me so long to sort of “warm up” to Windows 8.1.<\/span><\/p>\n

But every time I use it, I find easier ways to do things — and I find myself now navigating Windows 8.1 easily.<\/p>\n

Let me tell you all a few things I’ve discovered in the past couple of weeks that may help you come to grips with the fact that:<\/p>\n

Windows 8.1 is not so bad after all!<\/p>\n

One of the biggest complaints we’ve heard about Windows 8 and 8.1 is that when running an Windows App (as opposed to a traditional desktop program) there’s no X in the top-right corner you can use to close the program. But it’s so easy to get back to the desktop and choose another Windows App that it makes no difference.<\/p>\n

Leaving apps running is a lot different than leaving Windows desktop applications running. When you leave desktop programs running — they continue using system resources. When you navigate away from (i.e. get the app off your screen) they go to sleep — so to speak — and don’t use any memory.<\/p>\n

And there’s several ways to move off an app and back to the Windows desktop, here are some of them:<\/p>\n

1. Tap the top-left corner of your screen – or – if you’re using a mouse, put your cursor in the very top-left corner of your screen and you’ll see a thumbnail of the last app you were running or your desktop — click the thumbnail (or tap it if you’re using a touch screen) and you’re back to the last App you were using or the desktop. The Windows Key plus the D key always takes you back to the desktop.<\/p>\n

\"Cloudeight<\/p>\n

Want another way? Press the Windows key.<\/p>\n

2. If you really want to close a Windows App? Just press the Alt key + the F4 key.<\/p>\n

3. Did you know this?<\/p>\n

While using a Windows App you can access its options by pressing the Windows Key + the I key. That’s I as in I am therefore I am. As in, I am going to the store to get some bleach, I am.<\/p>\n

4. Did you know this?<\/p>\n

Pressing the Windows Key while using an App takes you back to the start screen. Pressing the Windows Key again takes you back to the App.<\/p>\n

5. D stands for Desktop \/ So familiar, not new \/ If you like the desktop \/ Here’s a tip just for you:<\/p>\n

No matter what you are doing, whether using a program or a Windows App, browsing the Web, writing a nasty letter to EB, pressing the Windows Key + the “D” key will always take you back to your desktop.<\/p>\n

6. We don’t need no stinkin’ start button!<\/p>\n

Windows 8.1 offers a start button of sorts and it can easily be configured to launch a facsimile start menu -albeit a full-screen one. And Windows 8.1’s new start button offers a lot of options on right click including “This PC” (formerly known as Computer and My Computer), Control Panel, and more (see image). By default, when you left-click the Windows 8.1 start button it goes to the tiled start screen, but you can make a few changes in less than 2 minutes so left-clicking the start button takes you to a full screen start menu, with desktop programs listed first, before the Windows Apps. It’s simple to configure your Windows 8.1 start button this way: See\u00a0http:\/\/goo.gl\/c5KkFa<\/a><\/p>\n

Right-clicking on the Windows 8.1 default start button reveals a lot of useful features and tools: See?<\/p>\n

\"Cloudeight<\/p>\n

7. Windows 8 is a drag<\/p>\n

Did you know when you put your cursor at very bottom-left corner of your screen and drag up, you’ll see a list of all running apps. If you really want to close an App, right-click the App’s tile and choose “Close”.<\/p>\n

\"Cloudeight<\/p>\n

8. Quick restart, Quick Shutdown, Quick way to PC settings<\/p>\n

It’s easy as pie – press the Windows Key plus the I key — and that’s an I and it rhymes with pie.<\/p>\n

\"Cloudeight<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

EB has always liked Windows 8 (and now 8.1), but until recently, I haven’t liked it very much. I have been using my Windows 7 laptop almost all the time, and using Windows 8 (and now 8.1) sparingly. Perhaps it’s my fault then that it has taken me so long to sort of “warm up” to Windows 8.1.\u2026 Read More »<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6461"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6461"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6461\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6462,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6461\/revisions\/6462"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6461"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6461"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6461"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}