I recall being resistive (like most) to the Start Panel in XP. But after resigning myself to spending a bit of time understanding how it was supposed to do what ... I quickly discovered that I couldn't function comfortably without it. And I think the Start Screen will be much the same. Metro Annoyed the crap out of me at first. However, I have a Windows Phone and have always liked it because it is incredibly easy and intuitive to use. So with that thought in mind - and armed with a list of hot keys I typically use to navigate the Windows UI I took a run at Windows H8. 98% of what I was used to using/doing still worked just fine. Hm...
Having the All Programs menu spread out over a larger area is really quite handy for those times where one needs to find/launch a program that they (don't use frequently, and...) can't remember the name of. What is the easiest/fastest/best visual cue, the icon or the text?? Well... At my age it depends. Having the entire menu spread out over a large area makes it much easier to use all the above at once ... Especially if one finally doesn't have to contend with the target jumping around as the auto hide (/collaps) unused menu items isn't forcing one to remember where they're at in the search for an app of some kind, that does some sort of function, that hasn't been used in a year or so (ultra/hyper/zippy something...and wtf did the icon look like again?? Damn...). I've done this on my phone enough times - Damn there it is... - to quickly appreciate the functionality of the design.
So you can't see the desktop while searching with a single screen. Okay... Are you really looking at it while searching for program X when using the Start Panel now?? No. Either you know where you're going and what your after...and are hence back is seconds (hay if it's really that critical, then you wouldn't be getting side tracked looking for other stuff then would ya?)...or you having no clue what you're looking for and quickly end up with tunnel vision focus on the tiny area of the screen you're digging through. So if the search can be done faster, by using a better vantage point ... you will ultimately end up missing less, because you can be back at it quicker.
Hay, I actually considered getting out of IT completely, just so I didn't have to contend with the silly piece of shit. But before doing anything that rash ... I figured I'd have a go at trying to understand the enemy...and he's really not a bad guy now that we've properly met...
