Windows 7: Start8 and ModernMix -- Windows 8's last, best hope for normality

Night Hawk · 12 Mar 2013

Here's one for the mix of 3rd party "make 8 normal again" 3rd party apps to consider.

Quote:

Start8 and ModernMix -- Windows 8's last, best hope for normality on the desktop

Summary: The users are revolting — it turns out that the mainstream market doesn't get (or want to get) Windows 8's clever new way of working. It's OK though, you can just undo it...

By Matt Baxter-Reynolds for Post-PC Developments

March 12, 2013 -- 13:37 GMT (06:37 PDT)

I was expecting to get quite a lot of flack for my last piece on Windows 8: "Will 90% of people always hate Windows 8." What I actually got was some of the most positive and insightful feedback that I've ever received for one of my articles. Maybe it was Grumpy Cat's influence — hey, we can all be a bit grumpy at times, right? There appeared to be consensus between mainstream and expert users: Microsoft appears to have misjudged the level to which it can make radical changes to the world's most popular operating system.

In his piece "How to make Windows 8 see normal," my ZDNet colleague David Gewirtz had two pieces of advice: avoid Metro-style apps, and restore the Start button using a third-party tool. If you had said to me six months ago that fudging in a Start button to Windows was a good idea, I would have said you were doing it wrong and that we could no longer be friends. I'm now suggesting that the baseline cost of Windows for home and business use should be considered to be whatever price Microsoft wants to charge you, plus around $5 for something like Start8 from StarDock. (This was the utility that David had in his piece, and I'll also talk about in this piece, however there are others.)

In this article, I want mainly to talk about ModernMix. This utility is also from StarDock and it stops Metro-style apps from running full-screen and runs them in floating windows.

In this candid moment, internet sensation Grumpy Cat is overcome with the positive emotions that are filling up inside of her as she experiences, for the first time, the wonder of running full-screen Metro-style apps as floating windows on the Old Windows desktop.

see full report

FuturDreamz · 15 Mar 2013

How well do they run?

Night Hawk · 15 Mar 2013

That wasn't available while I had the CP or RP builds of 8 to give it a full workout. I may give a whirl on the RP VM I still have on for reference there however since it looks like StarDock came up with something smart for a change that will make life a bit easier for 8 users! You should be able to have multiple windows open and then simply get the new full screen Start screen out of your face in a hurry which many will love!

Dallas 7 · 16 Mar 2013

Stardock enables multiple windows open?

z3r010 · 16 Mar 2013

I've just installed ModernMix (I already use start8) and I think it's a keeper, having metro apps open windowed is much better on my 6 screen system.

From what I can so far is you can only have one window open at a time, but I don't see a problem with that.

Dallas 7 · 16 Mar 2013

Quote: Originally Posted by z3r010

I've just installed ModernMix (I already use start8) and I think it's a keeper, having metro apps open windowed is much better on my 6 screen system.

From what I can so far is you can only have one window open at a time, but I don't see a problem with that.

Some people need or want that ability. A one window limit is a downgrade from Windows 7.

z3r010 · 16 Mar 2013

That's one more metro window that you could have on Windows 7

Indianatone · 16 Mar 2013

Quote: Originally Posted by z3r010

That's one more metro window that you could have on Windows 7

Very good point, but no one wants 8 if you look at the sales so far. I also can see if you have six monitors it not being an issue either. I have three but have 3 machines on with different stuff going at the time. Windows IS all about customization and that is what they have taken away in 8. No aero, huge horrible apps (except the map one that I love) no start menu and a infuriating system that is just plain awful to navigate. I do have 8, I have it on a virtual machine and have used it since the developer preview like most of us do on the site.

prospero · 16 Mar 2013

I tried the RC under VM for a while but found it a pain using keyboard and mouse.
Seems to me that MS are trying to force market change, mainly in their own interest with their own hardware. I'm sure W8 works well on phones, tablets and new generation laptops.
Meanwhile, as an older guy and a lifetime computer geek, I'll continue with Windows 7 on my tried-and-trusted PC.
MS don't seem to understand that a lot of people, businesses included, are still running XP. I think MS have jumped the gun on this one.
Windows 7 forever! At least for the next few years.

boohbah · 16 Mar 2013

running the trial, i had no trouble opening several apps and windows.

its a keeper, i no longer have to go near metro for the one or two apps i use. maybe more in future but not yet.
one thing is annoying though the mail app doesnt give live updates when minimized on the taskbar preview pane.
never mind trillian gives me updates anyhow.

Windows 7: Start8 and ModernMix -- Windows 8's last, best hope for normality

Start8 and ModernMix -- Windows 8's last, best hope for normality problems?