Windows 10 Bible. Shapiro Jeffrey R.

that you know some basic gestures and their corresponding mouse actions, you're ready to start navigating around the Windows 10 interface, starting with the Start menu, previously shown in Figure 2.3. Use any of these actions to open the Start screen:

      ● Press the Windows key on the keyboard.

      ● Use the mouse to place the cursor at the bottom-left corner of the screen, and then click the Start menu icon.

      To move around the Start screen on a touch device, simply swipe the display up or down to view additional tiles. Then, tap a tile to open its associated app. You can also use the scroll wheel on the mouse to move through the Start menu.

You'll find that tiles on the Start menu can be live, meaning they can dynamically display information. For example, after you add an account to the Mail app, the app tile shows a preview of messages in your Inbox. The Weather tile is also live; it shows the current weather conditions (assuming your device is connected to the Internet). Other tiles show similar dynamic data. Figure 2.4 shows some examples of live tiles.

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      On a touch device, swipe from the left edge of the screen to display the Task view, which you can use to switch among running apps.

Figure 2.4 Live tiles on the Windows Start menu.

      Using the Action Center

The Action Center (Figure 2.5), located at the right edge of the display in Windows 10, replaces the Charms bar found in Windows 8.x. To open the Action Center, click or tap the Notifications button on the taskbar just to the left of the time and date. Or, slide in from the right edge of the display.

Figure 2.5 Access settings with the Action Center.

      Where the Charms bar gave you access to settings, devices, search, and a handful of other functions, the Action Center integrates many of those features with system notifications. For example, using the Action Center, you can quickly switch between tablet mode and regular mode, turn on or off airplane mode, and access display and other settings.

Using the Action Center is fairly intuitive. Some of the buttons on the Action Center pane function as toggle switches that turn functions on or off. Examples include tablet mode, airplane mode, and rotation lock. Other buttons open the Settings app to enable you to change settings. For example, if you click or tap Display in the Action Center, The Display page of the Settings app opens (see Figure 2.6).

Figure 2.6 The Display page of the Settings app controls display settings.

      In addition to buttons for settings and modes, the Action Center shows system notifications, if any are present.

      Working with Windows 10 Apps

      If you're working on a traditional PC with Windows 10 installed, some (potentially many) of your apps will be “traditional” Windows apps. But, as more and more modern Windows apps are published, you'll no doubt have several favorites. On touch devices such as tablets and smaller handhelds, many of your apps will probably be modern Windows apps.

      NOTE

      The term modern Windows app refers to an app that is designed for Windows 8.x and later Windows versions. Formerly called Metro apps after the original name for the Windows 8 interface, modern Windows apps generally have a streamlined, minimalist appearance.

      In general, working with a modern Windows app should be fairly intuitive. The gestures and actions you use to work with the Start menu and other Windows 10 screens are the same for apps. For example, to scroll up or down in the Maps app, just swipe up or down.

      Rather than focus on specific modern Windows apps, this section of the chapter focuses on actions and methods you use in general to work with modern Windows apps.

Opening and using a modern Windows app

      Opening a modern Windows app couldn't be any easier. Just open the Start menu, locate the app's tile, and tap or click the tile. If you're working on a non-touch device, and you have a mouse with a scroll wheel, you can use the wheel to scroll through the Start screen's tiles. Then, just click the tile for the app you want to open.

      Unlike in Windows 8.x, which runs modern apps only in full-screen mode, Windows 10 enables you to run apps in a window or full screen and change between full screen and windowed mode just as you can with a legacy desktop app. When Windows 10 is running in tablet mode, however, all apps run full screen. When running in a window, the apps display minimize, maximize, and close buttons just like a desktop app. Use these buttons to change the window state.

How you work in a modern Windows app depends entirely on the app, but relies on the standard touch gestures and mouse actions described earlier in this chapter. To open a modern Windows app's application menu (see Figure 2.7) when running in window mode, click or tap the button in the upper-left corner of the app. Or, right-click in the app (or tap and hold on a touch device). The app menu offers options for the current app.

      NOTE

      The term “modern app” refers to apps written for Windows 8.x or later versions. In this chapter, the term “app” refers to these modern apps.

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      When Windows 10 is running in tablet mode, right-click the app or tap and hold to open an app's menu.

Figure 2.7 Use an app's menu to configure the app or set options.

Snapping apps on the screen

      At first, it may seem that you can view and work with only one app at a time when running in tablet mode because all apps run full screen by default. But, you can actually snap two apps to the screen at once and easily switch between them. You can even view the desktop and any running apps there side-by-side with an app, or snap a legacy app beside a modern app.

      To snap two apps to the screen, follow these steps:

      1. Open the two apps.

      2. Switch to the app you want to be “primary,” and size it to occupy most of the screen space.

      3. Using the app's title bar, drag the app to the left or right side of the screen. Either action snaps the second app to the left or right of the screen. If the title bar isn't visible, slide down from the top of the display over the app to make the title bar visible.

Figure 2.8 shows two apps snapped side-by-side.

Figure 2.8 Two Windows apps snapped side-by-side.

You can snap a modern Windows app beside a legacy