Would you believe that the list of the “12 Windows 8 Starter Tips and Tweaks” from Maximum PC includes, wait for it, bringing back the start button?
“If you want to bypass the Windows 8 Start Screen, remove your ability to accidentally pull up its sidebars, and restore your Windows Start Button to a place of prominence in the corner of Windows 8’s Desktop Mode, there’s one free app that can perform all this magic: Classic Shell. Give it an install, and you’ll find a wealth of easy-to-manage options for removing some of Windows 8’s more controversial user interface elements.” David Murphy for Maximum PC
Users are always right
Right now Windows 8 has just been released, so the people who are installing it are the most prepared (and excited) to test whatever the newest latest thing is. If these power users are already looking to bring back the comfort zone of a start button, when getting rid of the start bar is the essence of moving toward surface and the windows 8 interface, it’s a sign that moving a less technology-savvy user base over to this new style of user interface is going to present essential training challenges. At the end of the day, technology exists to enable ‘users’, which means that the user is always right. The movement of touch and intuitive UI into the business world has been on its way for a while, but Windows 8 is putting more pressure on user interface experts than ever.
Software Modernization
So how do we bring business applications up to new user interface standards that without losing our user base? Or, to rephrase that question more accurately for this situation, when do we modernize?
What businesses looking to upgrade should think about from our senior software architects:
- Windows 8 Tips and Tricks
- Where Does Windows 8 Fit In The Business World?
- Windows 8 Versus Traditional Mobile Apps
Some common modernization pitfalls:
Software Modernization Pitfalls
What Microsoft is doing to train users:
Microsoft Educates Windows 8 Users