Microsoft Windows 8.1 Features

Microsoft Windows 8.1 New GUI Feature

The startup screen of Microsoft Windows 8.1 is changed from a classical desktop screen with a taskbar to a Start Screen with apps and a collapsed charms bar on the right side. In fact, the Start Screen is a tab screen of the Startup Screen. TheStartup Screen has another tab screen called Apps Screen. The classical Desktop screen is only designed as an app application. When one or more apps are opened, a hidden start button will be activated at the bottom left corner. If one or more apps other than the active app are opened, a collapsed app switching list together with a start button at the bottom will then be available on the left side which is activated by a hidden app button on the top left corner. The hidden button can also be used to activate  the latest closed app or the first app of the apps list.

GUIs of Microsoft Windows 8.1

The GUI of Microsoft Windows has five typical types of interfaces

• Startup Screen: The host-resident interface of Windows 8.1 
  • Tab screen 1: Start Screen is a customized collection of applicationss
    
  • Tab screen 2: Apps Screen is a collection of all available applications
    
• App Screen: The app interface of Windows 8.1 for holding app applications
  • Tab screen 1: App Screen is a transparent container and is not listed in the app list. The blank transient App Screen
    
• Desktop Screen: A classical desktop interface of Windows 8.1 for holding win applications
  • Tab screen 1: Desktop Screen is the classical blank desktop with all win applications are minimized and is designed as an app application for accessing icons on desktop easily. Since the Desktop Screen is always the last Desktop Task, the Desktop Screen can be quickly triggered by "<Alt><Shift><Tab>"
    
  • Tab screen 2: Desktop Task is a collection of triggered desktop or window applications in Desktop Screen. e.g. Paint Win Application in Desktop Screen
    
• App Application: An application program wih a modernized user interface. e.g. Photos app application
  
• Win Application: An application program with a classical user interface. e.g. Paint win application
  
• Hot Charms Corners: The two hot corners at right edge. Swipe in mouse pointer from the upper or lower right hot corner to activate the Charms Bar.
  
  • Charms Bar: A collection of functional tasks. Point mouse pointer to the upper or lower right corner and then move the pointer up or down respectively to trigger the task list for selection.
    
• Hot Apps List Corners: The two hot corners at left edge. Move mouse pointer to the upper or lower left hot corner to activate the App List and the corresponding Hot Button.
  • Hot Start Button: Move mouse pointer to the lower left hot corner to activate the Hot Start Button if one or more apps are opened. The Start Button is used to switch the active screen between Start Screen and the first App applcation in the App List.
    
  • Hot App Button: Move mouse pointer to the upper left hot corner to activate the Hot App Button if one or more apps other than the active app are opened. The Hot App Button is used to switch the active screen to the first App applcation in the App List.
    
  • Apps List: A collection of App applications. Point mouse pointer to the upper or lower left corner and then move the pointer up or down respectively to trigger the apps list for selection.
    

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