PC Training & Consulting Weblog

While we wait for real information about Windows upgrades, I want to note a few changes I’d like to see in the near future.

The Start screen should have three default groups: Preferred, Newly Installed, and Recently Used. These groups would appear in that order from left to right on the Start screen and would each have a heading and unique background color (customizable?). You could drag any tile into Preferred and arrange those tiles any way you like. Newly Installed, immediately to the right (or left? customizable?) of Preferred would contain tiles for apps as you install them, with most recently installed tiles appearing first You could drag those tiles out of that group to other groups or unpin from Start. Recently Used should be self-explanatory; tiles for the apps you have used would appear here, sorted from most recently to least. The first time you use a tile in Newly Installed, it would move to Recently Used (and out of Newly Installed). If you never install a new app or always use the ones you do install, Newly Installed won’t show except immediately after an installation. (If there are no tiles in a group, it is hidden.)

This arrangement insures that users will have immediate access to their newest, preferred, and recently used apps without having to do anything at all.

During installation of an app, let me specify (or create) the group to add it to with Newly Installed as the default, as well as first or last position in a specified group. If I drag a tile to trigger the new group function (the thick bar on Start), pop-up a list of existing group headings plus New/Blank; again, ask First or Last.

I would also allow sub-groups (not applicable to New or Recent). Selecting a particular type of tile in a group would open that sub-group (hiding the rest of the Start screen). The rough model for this is something like stepping through levels in the file picker or app categories in the Store, but with otherwise normal tiles for apps. I might have a Projects group on the Start screen. When I select the Windows 9 tile, the Windows 9 sub-group opens with tiles for documents, websites, etc, and nothing else on screen.

Groups would have a property controlling the number of tiles visible. Set a group count to 5 and if there is a 6th tile, you have to select the More button, which would expand the group (slide wider?) to show all in that group.

Sub-groups and tile limits would be available only if you want them. They would help me organize my workspace but cause no inconvenience for those who ignore the options.

I’d like to change the behavior of the Page Down key on the Start screen. Instead of continuous scrolling, which results in tiles half-on or off both edges of the screen, let each Page Down line up the next group along the left edge of the screen. I see Preferred. Press Page Down, now I see Newly Installed. Press Page Down, now I see Recently Used. Press Page Down again for my first custom group, etc.(I don’t mind how things line up or get cut off on the right, I’m trying to control the appearance of each group.) For an illustration of this effect, open the News app and page down. Each section of News lines up on the right. Start should work the same way. (Store does with with Page Up, but aligns the right edge of a group with the right edge of the screen on Page Down.)

Finally, for now, when I launch an app and return to the Start screen, return me where I was at launch, not the leftmost edge of Start. I know how to get back to the left; I shouldn’t have to work my way back to the right.

Feel free to add your own wish list or suggestions for Windows development in the comments.

As I noted in Part 1, there will surely be an update to Windows 8. That update is nicknamed “Blue” and should be on machines before the end of 2013. How significant the Blue update will be remains to be seen. In turn, the extent of changes will determine what I do. At the least, I will blog about Blue. I expect to write something a little longer with some useful details as I determine what you might need to know about Blue.

More than likely, an upgrade that is significant enough to call Windows 9 will be generally available by the end of 2014. (You decide whether to taste the pinch of salt or throw it over your shoulder.) In addition to blogging, I expect to write something longer with useful details.

You don’t need to worry about this stuff — yet. However, I wonder how best to make a decent living doing what I love to do, which is to explain things to people. My gut tells me that big printed books are no longer the best way to deliver instruction and guidance. In many respects, blogs are better. Sometimes video demos are good. Shorter, cheaper ebooks may work. What I wonder is: what will you pay for? What is the best way to deliver the content to you and collect the reasonable money from you? You may answer in comments or by email to mark@mjhinton.com. Thank you for your time.