Re:Walt Mossberg's Windows 8 Review
by HardyLeung on Wednesday October 17, 2012 @03:02AM
(#4663437)
> One other subtle thing I miss from Windows 7 is that shortcuts to apps like Notepad will start multiple instances of the app. For some unfathomable reason, the Windows 8 start screen always goes to the first instance of the app if you try to start Notepad or the like multiple times. That would be OK but I can't find any way to override it and easily start multiple instances. Start8 brings back the old behavior here.
You can do that by right clicking the icon on the bottom taskbar and click the app to start. It did drive me crazy until I figured this out.
Does middle click not work? It does in Win7 (and Ubuntu/Unity too) and I'd be very surprised if they removed that feature
Re:Walt Mossberg's Windows 8 Review
by Stratoscope on Wednesday October 17, 2012 @04:49AM
(#4663655)
Interesting... Thanks for the tip!
Middle click does work on my Windows 8 start screen; it always launches a new instance.
It doesn't do anything on my Windows 7 machine's start menu, though. But that's no problem because left click does what I want.
Testing a bit more... Now I see! In Windows 7, middle click works on the taskbar but not in the Start menu. In Windows 8, it works on both.
Middle click the icon in the taskbar to open a new instance of the app. It does mean you need to pin the app to the taskbar or open it first from the start menu, but that's what you're doing anyway. Just saves you navigating the start menu for subsequent launches.
The easiest way to launch a new instance of the application is to hold down the Shift key while launching. Don't remember how I stumbled upon this, but it works for both the taskbar and the start screen launchers.
Re:Walt Mossberg's Windows 8 Review
by HardyLeung on Wednesday October 17, 2012 @03:52AM
(#4663528)
That's right! Thanks!
It's not because you upgraded from Windows 7; a vanilla Windows 8 installation has the same desktop too.
In particular if you use the Windows 7 Start menu with the keyboard - typing in a name to search for it - that works much the same in the Windows 8 start screen. Some useful keyboard shortcuts:
* Windows+W to go directly to the Settings
* Windows+F to go directly to Files in the new start screen
* Windows+X to get a quick popup menu of power user tools
* Windows+I to open a panel of quick settings
If you want something more like the Windows 7 Start menu, try Start8:
http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/
I've been trying it out a bit and am not sure whether I prefer it or the Metro start screen. I very much like the lack of animation in Start8 - that was the main thing I missed from Windows 7.
One other subtle thing I miss from Windows 7 is that shortcuts to apps like Notepad will start multiple instances of the app. For some unfathomable reason, the Windows 8 start screen always goes to the first instance of the app if you try to start Notepad or the like multiple times. That would be OK but I can't find any way to override it and easily start multiple instances. Start8 brings back the old behavior here.