Re: Win8 Tiles, Shortcuts and multi-program applications.

[Glen Harvy]

Hi, Thanks Ian. Things are certainly hotting up in the new/updated MS program world. So far two people have explained how Win8 Application navigation works and now this so it is becoming clear that I wasn't clear in the first place. Probably my pathetic attempt at using ozzie colloquialisms and assumptions ...  <sigh>. It is IMHO, far to early to foretell if the general public will quickly adapt to the new navigation. Having only used Win8 RTM on my VM and only to test my own application, I'm certainly not qualified to make any educated guesses. I do know that the new navigation did not immediately impress me with it's ease but I readily accept we have a whole new concept in Win8 and I will have to change my ways as well as my program. I do however believe that until my application evolves and adapts to the changing times, my end users will appreciate what in effect is a two click start of either my Main program or any of its Secondary programs. This should be easy to achieve by creating a Metro Inspired application that does nothing else but open a full screen window with a tile/shortcut to each of those programs. If the new Metro Inspired application is pinned to the Start Screen (not the Start Menu) then the end user will only need to click twice from the Start Screen rather than type anything on the keyboard to start a Secondary program from the All Apps screen. Alternatively, they can use the new Metro navigation technique as I will support that as well. The creation of the new Metro inspired application should take me not much longer than a few minutes if you believe the sales pitch from DevExpress :-) Designing the Tiles background image  will take me days although perhaps Blend will come to the rescue. I hope the above clarifies my original post. I would appreciate comments as to whether you believe there is a need to even bother with implementing the above and/or if it will prove as easy to implement as it sounds? Thanks, Glen.