Windows® 8.1 IN DEPTH

4. Using the Windows 8.1 Interface

Taking a Tour of the Windows 8.1 Interface

When Microsoft was designing Windows 8, one of its guiding principles was “content before chrome.” That is, the Windows 8 interface gives top priority to content—apps and app data—and either hides or eliminates chrome—menus, tabs, controls, icons, and so on. As a result, when most new users first come face to face with the Windows 8 interface, whether it’s the Start screen or a Windows 8 app, they usually don’t have the faintest idea how to proceed. The lack of chrome makes for a pleasing, uncluttered screen, but it also means that you get no clues that tell you what to do next. (To be fair, Windows 8.1 does implement a few onscreen hints that tell you how to perform ...