Windows 8 Bible

First Things First

First, we need to make a distinction between application programs and services. For the purposes of this chapter, we refer to such a program as an application program (or application). These are programs that, when open, usually have a program window on your desktop and a rectangular button in the taskbar. Typically, you open and use such a program to perform some specific task, such as browse the web or perform spreadsheet tasks. Then you close the program when you’ve finished that task. To close such a program, you can typically click the Close (X) button in the program’s upper-right corner or right-click the program’s taskbar button and choose Close. You can reopen the program at any time by clicking its icon on the Start screen. Windows 8 apps can be closed by grabbing the top edge of their window and dragging down until the app resizes to a small rectangle. Release the mouse button and the app closes.

Even though most application programs run in a window and live on the taskbar, not all do. Windows 8 apps run as standalone programs that do not show up on the Windows taskbar. They are accessible as tiles from the Windows 8 Start screen. Many utility applications appear as icons on the Notification area (tray). The Ultramon program, for example, runs as an icon on the tray and provides special features for using multiple displays. Typically, when you rest the mouse pointer on a tray icon such as Ultramon’s, a tooltip appears, showing the name of the program ...