From this point on, the steps are different depending on what applica- tion it is.
Summing Up
In this lesson, you learned how to run and manage applications, both the tra- ditional desktop apps and the newer Windows 8 apps. Here’s a quick review:
✓ Desktop applications are the traditional Windows apps that run on the desktop, in their own windows; Windows 8 apps are the tablet-style apps.
✓ To start an app, click its shortcut on the desktop or taskbar, or on the Start screen. If there’s no shortcut, you display the Apps list and select the app from there.
✓ To switch between apps, you can us Alt+Tab for desktop apps. For Windows 8 apps, move the mouse pointer to the upper-left corner of the screen and then click the thumbnail of the app to switch to, or swipe the touchscreen from the left.
✓ To close a Windows 8 app, drag from the top of the screen to the bottom. To close a desktop app, click the Close (X) button in its upper- right corner.
✓ Desktop apps use a menu system or a ribbon, depending on the pro- gram. Windows 8 apps have a command bar, which you can display by right-clicking.
PRACTICE
If you want to practice uninstalling a program, look through the list of installed applications, and if there are any you don’t use, go ahead and uninstall them. The steps are identical to the ones shown here for repairing, except in Step 5 you click Uninstall.
Know This Tech Talk
✓ You can minimize, maximize, restore, or close a desktop application window with the window controls in the upper-right corner of the window.
✓ Windows 8 apps run full-screen by default, but if your screen resolution is at least 1366 x 768, you can snap an app to fill one-third or two-thirds of the screen by dragging from the top of the app to the center of the screen and then dragging right or left.
✓ To install new Windows 8 apps, choose them from the Windows Store.
Use the Store icon on the Start screen to enter the store.
✓ To install desktop apps, insert the disc for the app and follow the prompts, or double-click the Setup file for the app.
✓ To uninstall a Windows 8 app, right-click its tile in the Start screen and click Uninstall on the command bar. To uninstall a desktop app, display the Programs section of the Control Panel and then select the applica- tion and click Uninstall (or Uninstall/Change).
Know This Tech Talk
desktop application: A traditional-style application designed to run on Windows 8 or earlier, running on the Windows desktop in a resizable window.
maximized: A window that fills the entire desktop.
menu bar: The thin bar near the top of the window that contains a series of words. Each word represents a menu name.
minimized: An open window that doesn’t appear on the desktop except for an icon on the taskbar.
restored: A window that isn’t maximized.
ribbon: A multitabbed toolbar containing buttons for the commands you can run.
snap: A feature that enables you to tile two Windows 8 apps side by side.
window: A rectangular area onscreen that contains a particular application, file listing, or message.
Windows 8 app: A tablet-style application designed specifically for Windows 8.
Windows Store: An app that enables you to browse, select, and install new
Lesson 3
Customizing the Start Screen and the Desktop
✓ Customize the Start screen.
✓ Work with desktop shortcuts.
✓ Customize the taskbar.
✓ Set display options.
2 . How can I pin a folder location to the Start screen?
Pin your hopes on page ... 74
3 . Can I rearrange the content on the Start screen?
Sure you can. See page ... 77
4 . How do I pin shortcuts to the taskbar?
Check that out on page ... 72
5 . How can I change the desktop wallpaper?
Plaster up a new picture by consulting page ... 82
6 . Why would I want to change the display resolution?
That info is displayed on page ... 89
7 . Everything’s so tiny on my screen? How can I make the text larger?
Expand your knowledge on page ... 90
W indows 8 works pretty well right off the shelf, but to take full advantage of it, you’ll probably want to make some adjust- ments. These may include pinning shortcuts for your favorite programs and locations to convenient spots like the Start screen and the taskbar, and adjusting display options to make the desktop easier to see and more fun to look at. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to customize Windows 8 in a variety of ways to make it your own.
Customizing the Start Screen
The Start screen (ideally) provides quick access shortcuts to the applications and locations you use the most. In its default configuration, it contains short- cuts to things that Microsoft thinks you’ll use the most, but that’s not really the same thing, is it? Therefore, you’ll probably want to ditch some of the tiles on the Start screen and add some others. You may want to resize some of the tiles too, and rearrange them.
Pinning and unpinning an app
Do you find yourself constantly browsing to a certain folder, or running a certain app that’s not already on the Start screen? Give yourself a break. You can pin a tile to the Start screen for any installed application or any folder and then use that tile to jump right to that folder or application.
To pin an app to the Start screen, first locate the app on the Apps list. (To get to the Apps list, start at the Start screen, right-click, and click the All Apps icon on the command bar that
LINGO
To pin an item to the Start screen is to create a tile for it there. You can also pin items to the taskbar on the desktop, as you will learn later in this chapter. To unpin an item means to remove its tile or shortcut.
appears.) Then right-click the desired app and choose Pin to Start from the command bar. To unpin an app from the Start screen, right-click the app’s existing tile and click Unpin from Start from the same command bar.
In the following exercise, you will pin a shortcut for Notepad to the Start screen, and then unpin it.