We all can attest to the fact that Windows 8 introduced a couple of new changes to the traditional Windows versions. These changes proved to be difficult to most people and they were received with a bit of mixed reactions. Most of the users who were used to the previous versions of Windows are yet to embrace the operating system while for those who have embraced it are still familiarising themselves with it despite the fact that we already have a newly released version in Windows 8.1.
Windows 8 introduces a new touch-oriented Start screen which is captivating to see and use making it a very efficient operating system. However, it takes you a bit of time to familiarise your with the version because even some of the most experienced PC users tend to feel a bit lost when using the OS. In the following piece we cover a few useful tips and tricks of going around this operating system:
Know your way around customizing your tiles
Unlike the other previous versions, Windows 8 comes with tiles on the Start screen which can be customized if need be. You can adjust their sizes, location and whatever it is that is that is listed on the Start screen.
- To move a tile, just click on it and drag to where you want it. You can also zoom the tiles while moving it by just dragging it towards the top or bottom of the screen
- To scroll left or right through the tiles just do it with your mouse
- You can also pin some of your desktop shortcuts to the start screen by simply right-clicking on the same and selecting Pin to Start
- You can create a speed bump in between tile groups simply by dragging a tile to a speed bump
- Get to resize the tiles by right clicking on them and clicking on the resize option
- To show the admin apps on the Start screen just click Setting in Charms. You can then go ahead and change the Show admin tools from No to Yes
Windows 8 Keyboard Shortcuts
It is very important to know some of the OS’s keyboard shortcuts because they normally come in handy when using your PC. Ultimately, knowing about the shortcuts will enhance your experience when you start using the Windows 8 version. Try as much as possible to memorize the keys:
- The Windows key grants you access to the Start screen
- Windows key + D gives you access to your Windows Desktop
- Windows key + . pins or unpins Windows apps appearing on the side of the screen
- Windows key + Tab reveals to the user all the open applications that are currently running
- Windows + C opens the Charms
Familiarize yourself with the hot corners
Each of your Windows 8 corners are known as hot corners and they all can grant you access to different features found on the operating system. For example, the left bottom corner on your Windows 8 screen allows you to access the Start screen.
As for the top left corner on your Windows 8 screen, you get to see all the running apps by simply moving your mouse to the top left corner and then move down.
The right hand side of the screen gives you full access to the Windows Charms.
How to run apps side by side
With Windows 8 it is possible to run two applications side by side. All you need to do is to pin the apps on the right or left hand sides of your screen. As an example, just click on the music app and then press the Windows Key + .and then move it to the right hand side of your screen. On pressing the same keys, the app automatically moves to the left hand side of the screen and on another press, the music app will appear full screen! From the moment an app is pinned, the user can run any other application without encountering any problems. This was not possible with the previous versions of Windows making Windows 8 the first to include this feature.