Windows 8: Tips and Tricks for mouse/keyboard users

Microsoft’s new Metro interface is great for touch but how about keyboard and mouse users?

We’ve put together a few tips and tricks to help you along your Windows 8 way with your traditional desktop. Feel free to comment if you have more and we’ll update the post with a mention and your tip/trick.

WinRumors



Windows 8 Keyboard Shortcuts

Many people prefer to use Windows with keyboard shortcuts (and who doesn’t use Ctrl-C, Ctrl-X and Ctrl-V regularly). Windows 8 includes some new keyboard shortcuts for the new Metro UI. These can be very useful while you’re evaluating the new Operating system.



Where they come in very useful is when you’re using Metro with a mouse. Currently, swipes such as showing the charms on screen by swiping in from the far right of the screen don’t work with a mouse. This can make performing a task as simple as shutting down the computer complex. Here then are the, currently accurate, keyboard shortcuts for the Windows 8 Developer Preview.

http://www.windows8news.com/2011/09/16/windows-8-keyboard-shortcuts/

Sophos Disses Norton and McAfee, Praises Windows 8's Built-in Antivirus

Perhaps you've heard that Windows 8 will ship with built-in antivirus software. Don't fret if you're just now learning this, Microsoft did a great job bombarding the media with information about its next major OS at its BUILD conference, and retaining it all on first pass is asking a lot. Nevertheless, this is a big announcement, and one that can't be sitting well with third-party AV vendors. Security firm Sophos has a message for them: "Too bad, sucka!"

Maximum PC | Sophos Disses Norton and McAfee, Praises Windows 8's Built-in Antivirus

About time

Windows 8: Photos, Mail, People, Calendar, and Messaging Metro app demos [video]

Microsoft is currently building a number of Metro inspired applications for Windows 8.

The software giant is working on several Windows Live Metro apps for Windows 8 that will be made available alongside the new operating system. The applications are not currently available in the Windows 8 Developer Preview build but Microsoft is expected to ship them in beta form once the first Windows 8 beta is available.

Windows 8: Photos, Mail, People, Calendar, and Messaging Metro app demos [video] | WinRumors

Windows 8 Developer Preview Product Keys

The Windows 8 Developer Preview has been out for some days now. If you have been living under a rock, you may be interesting in our Windows 8 screenshots tour for a visual impression of the operating system, Jason’s first impressions of Windows 8, a list of mouse and keyboard shortcuts, Windows 8 Download links and Mike’s take on Windows 8.

Windows 8 Developer Preview Product Keys

Is Windows 8 a Backward Step for the Platform?

I’ve had a few days to have a good play with Windows 8 now, and I’m beginning to wonder if Microsoft’s new operating system might not be undoing a lot of the good work they did with Windows 7. Now I’m going to stress here that this is pre-release software, not even a beta yet, and as such a significant amount of things with the operating system will change. However I am visiting Microsoft’s UK head office on Monday and meeting with the head of Windows there, who is bound to ask me what I think of Windows 8.

Is Windows 8 a Backward Step for the Platform?

Blue Screen of Death Lives On in Windows 8

Good news for the haters, when Microsoft said it reimagined Windows, it also reimagined what the Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) should look like, which means Windows 8 isn't immune to crashing. If you think about it, it's kind of comforting in a way. After all, what would Windows be without a BSoD revealing what went wrong? You could answer "Linux," or even "Mac OS X" if you're trying to start a flame war, but we won't go there.

As much as we all hate getting a BSoD, they're actually pretty helpful if you know how to decipher them. They're also a little intimidating, despite the use of the color blue, which studies show have a relaxing effect on people. It appears Microsoft wants them to be even less frightening in Windows 8.


Read more at:
Maximum PC | Blue Screen of Death Lives On in Windows 8

Building Windows 8 Makes Steven Sinofsky Top MSDN Blogger

The story accompanying the Windows 8 development process has catapulted Steven Sinofsky, President, Windows and Windows Live Division into the top position among MSDN bloggers.

“Building Windows 8” is a MSDN blog, and this is obvious by just looking at the URL: Building Windows 8 - Site Home - MSDN Blogs.

Sinofsky published the first B8 blog post on August 15, 2011, almost a month before Microsoft released the first testing preview of Windows 8.

Building Windows 8 Makes Steven Sinofsky Top MSDN Blogger - Softpedia

Windows 8: what you need to know to be productive now

Are you one of the million people who have downloaded Windows 8 and taken it for a test drive? Windows 8 introduces some fundamental changes to the way familiar actions work. That can be a bit disorienting, until you learn the new ways of working. Here are my shortcuts and secrets.

Roughly a million people have downloaded the Windows Developer Preview that Microsoft released publicly at the opening of its BUILD Conference last week.

Windows 8: what you need to know to be productive now | ZDNet

Windows 8 Refresh, Reset, and Windows To Go

Though aimed primarily at software developers, last week's BUILD conference introduced a few new Windows 8 features that will make the lives of enterprise IT departments easier. Windows 8 Refresh and Reset will both make it easier to clean malfunctioning systems and restore them to a working state, and Windows To Go offers new deployment features using Windows installations that run directly from USB.

Making the lives of IT easier: Windows 8 Refresh, Reset, and Windows To Go

[Updated] What Do You Like and Dislike About Windows 8?

Yesterday, I put up four questions, which ask you about what you think about Windows 8. Quite promptly someone answered with the response.
“Less of this stupidity. I have not yet left BUILD and you lot seem to be lauding it”

[...]

“As it has not been released whats the point of this? How many beta testers are there?”

[Updated] What Do You Like and Dislike About Windows 8? | Windows 8 | Windows Tools, Help & Guides

Internet Explorer 9 and 10 now fully pass Acid3 test thanks to criteria changes

Acid 3 test in Internet Explorer 10 on Windows 8

Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 9 and 10 browsers both pass the infamous Acid3 test thanks to changes by its authors.

Google employee Ian Hickson and Opera employee Håkon Wium Lie both announced changes to the Acid3 test on Saturday. The changes will allow more browsers to pass the test and focus on allowing the specs to change according to what’s best for the web. ”As the Web matures, we have made a concerted effort to improve the precision of Web technology specifications,” said Hickson in a Google+ post on Saturday.”We’re trying to simplify parts of the platform that still haven’t received broad use,” he added before explaining that the Acid3 test has been changed. “+Håkon Wium Lie and I are announcing that we have updated the Acid3 test by commenting out the parts of the test that might get changed in the specs.”


WinRumors

Tweak Your Windows 8 UI Using Metro UI Tweaker

It allows you to do the following,

Disable Metro Start Menu: Disables only Metro Start Menu Screen. This function requires editing a System File. It does not remove the file.

Disable Metro Ribbon: Disables only the Metro Ribbon UI. This function I discovered myself. It requires Taking Ownership of a System File. It does not remove this file.

Disable Metro Start Menu and Ribbon:
Disables the Metro Start Menu UI, Ribbon UI, MetroTask Manager UI and the Lock Screen.

Read more -

Microsoft News » Tweak Your Windows 8 UI Using Metro UI Tweaker

Here's the one Microsoft Windows 8 slide that everyone wants to redo

Microsoft’s official architectural diagram of Windows 8 has been a source of controversy since it debuted last week at Build. Here are some attempts to redraw and re-explain what’s going on under the covers with Windows 8 from around the Web.

Architectural diagrams — as much as I and many others love them — are, by nature, oversimplifications. But they’re a good way to provide developers with a quick take on how software and/or services were built… in theory, at least.

Here's the one Microsoft Windows 8 slide that everyone wants to redo | ZDNet

Microsoft to take cut of revenue from Metro apps on Windows 8

Metro apps for Windows 8 will be available only through Microsoft's own store, the company said at its BUILD Windows conference last week.

But although Microsoft went to pains to say that it would not discuss the business end of the app store, including what percentage the company will return to developers, a primer of the download market published by Microsoft said that it, like Apple, will take a 30% cut of all sales.

Microsoft to take cut of revenue from Metro apps on Windows 8 - Techworld.com