Windows 8 In Depth

Bypassing the Start Screen

The Windows 8 Start screen is a bold and innovative move on Microsoft’s part, and now no one can accuse the company of resting on its considerable laurels. Microsoft is clearly looking to a future where computing is just as often performed on a tablet or a smartphone as on a traditional PC. But it’s important to understand that Microsoft, unlike Apple, is not gearing up for the so-called post-PC world where all computing is done on mobile devices. Microsoft is still very much pro-PC, and as evidence you need look no further than the existence of the Desktop app in Windows 8. Although it’s jarring and disorienting to switch between the new interface and the Desktop app, Microsoft understands that most people will need ...