When Lenka broke into a groovy number during the commercial breaks singing “Everything at Once” in the Windows 8 advertisement, it caught everybody’s eyes. Tech junkies rushed to the store to get their hands on a new system with Windows 8, while the others were satisfied to simply upgrade their old systems. Whichever category you may fall in, you will agree with me that Windows 8 brought in loads of remarkable experience and convenience with it (some may disagree, but then haters are always gonna hate!). The idea of being able to customize my personal computer’s start screen has always enthralled me. And that is what Windows 8 exactly lets you do! Here are some pointers on how to optimize your start screen.
Customization for Dummies
There are many apps available in the Windows Store which you can choose from. But some launches automatically while the others let you add only a specific kind of live tile to your start screen. To rise above these constrictions one can opt for Start Screen Unlimited which would let you customize your screen to your heart’s content.
An unwanted tile? Right click and unpin. Want to place certain tiles in close proximity? Drag and Drop. Want to make room between two groups? Done! But before this-Open PC Settings > Personalize> Start Screen. This will then get you started.
Effective Customization
It is your PC; you can customize the start screen the way you want. But the following would come in handy while you are at it.
Add quick menus
Make a cluster of things you tap on the most. Sleep, Hibernate, frequently use documents and the likes.
Get notifications on start screen
Tired of minimizing endless number of social networking tabs just to keep tabs on your notifications? Check Show taskbar on Start Screen
Check Show taskbar in modern Apps
Myriad of Search engines right on the screen
No more digging into one search engine to make your way into another! It’s right on your screen, key into the desired search engine.
Multi Level Menu
It’s easy to give into the temptation of trying to fit in a world of live pane on one screen. Sweat not! You can now have a multi level menu where you can fit in a universe of live panes.
The spoiler
Good things don’t come easy or for free for that matter. Start Screen Unlimited comes in two editions- Lite and Deluxe! For the former you do not have to part with a dime, while for the latter you have to invest a little. Good news is the Lite version is not that bad, it changes the look of your start screen substantially. The Bad news is all the rad menus are part of the Deluxe edition (mostly used for commercial purposes).
If you are a member of the Windows 8 clan then you would need Start Screen Unlimited!
