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Thread: Apps and things for windows 8

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    Senior Member Pob255's Avatar
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    Apps and things for windows 8

    Ok I feel dirty, but I've picked up a very nice 2nd hand samsung 530U-3C ultra book and it's got windows8 on it (no touch screen)
    I love the laptop not so sure about 8 though but I do want to give it a try.

    Is the whole apps/metro worth using or just not bothering with?
    I take it you have to create an account with microsoft to get any of the apps even the free ones.
    Any suggested free apps I should look at?
    What's the suggested browser for metro?

    Any other win8 specific things I should look at?

    I mainly plan to use it for office&internet, a few old games mainly via gog

    PS it is updated to win8.1 and I do love the performance so far even on a 1.8ghz i3 3127U, boot times are great although I know how much of that is win8 and how much is the ssd in Rapid Storage mode boosting it.

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    Re: Apps and things for windows 8

    Erm, re: apps, not all Metro apps have to come from MS Store, and it is certainly possible to install non-store Apps without an MS Account. It's not entirely straightforward, but it is possible. The only way I'm aware of is to use the Group Policy editor to enable installing Trusted apps. Then, the app needs to be digitally signed with a valid certificate that your PC has to recognise, and then you install manually with ....

    add -appxpackage <path and app name here, of appx file>

    However, you are removing the security layer, such as it is, of having MS check, to whatever extent that they do, that the app does what it says it does, and isn't malicious. So ... do you trust the developer?

    As for the Apps in MS Store, I'm not aware of any way of accessing the store without an MS account, and I'd be surprised if MS allowed that. You can access/install the apps with an MS account, then switch from MS to Local account afterwards, though MS (arrogant bleeps that they are) are making it less and less obvious how it can be done.

    Personally, I'm not bothered, because I want neither an MS account, or Metro. I don't want MS keeping track of my PC settings, or syncing anything with anything else, I don't use Hotmail, etc, and I do not, under ANY circumstances whatever, want any of my files or data stored on SkyDrive. Ever. I not only don t want to store stuff there, but want to be utterly sure it can never happen.

    This is one of the reasons I am not a Win8 fan.

    So I use W8, when I need to, under a local account not an MS account

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    Seriously casual gamer KeyboardDemon's Avatar
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    Re: Apps and things for windows 8

    You can add software that you would install in the usual way to the Metro screen, so if you installed Photoshop, Steam and Chrome as examples, each of those could be be pinned to the Metro/Start menu and then you can launch them by clicking on the tile. You can also pin some programs to the task bar in the standard desktop mode and create desktop shortcuts.

    On 8.1 when you move the cursor to the lower portion of the Start Menu you will see an icon of an arrow pointing down in a circle, click on this and it will show all applications installed on the PC, there will most likely be a trackpad gesture that allows you to get this list too but I can't remember what it is.

    As for apps, I did install a few when I first got 8/8.1 but I can't remember when I last used one. I do have the Kindle app but I use that more with my phone and iPad, I have the eBay and Amazon apps but tend to forget I have them when I need them and usually as my browser is always open when my PC is turned on it's no issue to just type eBay or Amazon into the address bar rather than hit the Start button on my keyboard, find the tile and launch the app.

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    Re: Apps and things for windows 8

    I love windows 8.1 but my experience at home on the 3 machines there and my work machine have been the same.

    Install 8.1
    Install ClassicShell
    Set to boot/minimize to desktop
    Set to autologin (except work)

    Never have to look at metro or its apps again (can even turn of UAC to break metro entirely if you want )

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    Re: Apps and things for windows 8

    I just used this bit of command-fu when I was playing around with it, to blow away all the metro apps, free up some disks space, and remove all that junk from desktop file handling: http://www.addictivetips.com/windows...-windows-8-rt/

    Slap on ClassicShell, and behold, something resembling what Windows 8 should have looked like from the start.
    Quote Originally Posted by Agent View Post
    ...every time Creative bring out a new card range their advertising makes it sound like they have discovered a way to insert a thousand Chuck Norris super dwarfs in your ears...

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    Re: Apps and things for windows 8

    Quote Originally Posted by aidanjt View Post
    I just used this bit of command-fu when I was playing around with it, to blow away all the metro apps, free up some disks space, and remove all that junk from desktop file handling: http://www.addictivetips.com/windows...-windows-8-rt/

    ....
    Now THAT I hadn't seen, and is truly useful. Many thanks, aidan.

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    Re: Apps and things for windows 8

    Quote Originally Posted by aidanjt View Post
    I just used this bit of command-fu when I was playing around with it, to blow away all the metro apps, free up some disks space, and remove all that junk from desktop file handling: http://www.addictivetips.com/windows...-windows-8-rt/

    Slap on ClassicShell, and behold, something resembling what Windows 8 should have looked like from the start.
    Will be doing that tonight, cheers!

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    Re: Apps and things for windows 8

    You're welcome, Gents.
    Quote Originally Posted by Agent View Post
    ...every time Creative bring out a new card range their advertising makes it sound like they have discovered a way to insert a thousand Chuck Norris super dwarfs in your ears...

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    Re: Apps and things for windows 8

    Quote Originally Posted by aidanjt View Post
    You're welcome, Gents.
    Hexus is a good place for that kind of help, but that one's a corker. As the saying goes "my hat's off to the Maestro".

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    Re: Apps and things for windows 8

    Never used any apps, just installed classic shell and forgot about it.

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