ModernMix lets you run Windows 8 apps as desktop apps

Jos

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Stardock already offers a way to bring back the familiar Start menu in Windows 8 instead of the much criticized tile-based home screen. But if you’d still like to use “Metro” apps from Microsoft’s Windows Store and can’t wrap your head around having to run things like a calendar or email app either in full screen mode or as a snapped application to the side, with their latest utility you won’t have to.

ModernMix allows you to configure how Windows 8 apps behave depending on where you launch them - Start screen or desktop. Options include launching apps in the standard full screen, a windowed full screen mode, or a smaller window so they can be minimized, moved around, and resized. They’ll operate like regular desktop apps so you can have as many as you like open at a time and even pin them to the taskbar.

modernmix metro windows

The software also remembers app window sizes so that they launch in the same place every time. You can use the F10 key or a little widget in the top right-hand corner of Windows 8-style apps to switch between modes.

modernmix metro windows

ModernMix along with a few other customization tools from Stardock like Start8 and Decor8 appear to be challenging Microsoft’s vision of sharing a single interface design language across all its computing devices, but they are definitely welcome options for those who want to live in the desktop world.

The app is currently in beta and costs $4.99, but there's a 30-day trial available for those who want to test it out.

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Yet another third party app to make Windows 8 behave like a real desktop OS... well, good for the software developers then.

Having to rely on third party apps still doesn't make Windows 8 an appealing choice for business purposes though. I am interested to see Microsoft's next OS offering purported to be geared for business use.
 
Avioza took the words out of my mouth. It's absolutely ridiculous to have to rely on 3rd party apps to make an OS do what people want it to do.
 
Avioza took the words out of my mouth. It's absolutely ridiculous to have to rely on 3rd party apps to make an OS do what people want it to do.
Depends what your expectations are. I use Windows 8 Pro with the default customization options and I have no desire for any additional functionality added by 3rd-party solutions.
 
Be interesting to see how all this will affect the development of the next version of Windows. A large amount of people obviously do not want all that Tile BS or at least want the choice built into the OS. I use the Stardock StartMenu app and have turned on the Microsoft Consumer Improvement application so I am sure my computer is sending Microsoft info that shows I am not buying into the Tiles and Store.
 
Avioza took the words out of my mouth. It's absolutely ridiculous to have to rely on 3rd party apps to make an OS do what people want it to do.
Depends what your expectations are. I use Windows 8 Pro with the default customization options and I have no desire for any additional functionality added by 3rd-party solutions.


It's people like you who give Microsoft the wrong impressions of what desktop users really want. If you have no desire for any additional functionality in Windows 8 Pro, you could have bought a tablet. But you can always use the excuse that you couldn't afford one, hence, we all fall down.

Thanks God Windows 8 market percentage is ridiculously though. So in spite of people like RH00d purchasing Windows 8 so they can watch YouTube and update their Facebook accounts. Ah the simple life. Microsoft might still consider doing something in the next release of Windows 8 to show they care about desktop users. And if not, thats cool. Im out. It's pretty simple.

Market share of less than 3% actually gives me some hope. I think desktop users are having an impact.
 
I like windows 8, I like being able to snap my app to the side (cool), and I actually like the tiles, but dang it, I don't want MS telling me what I do or do not want. I especially do not want my full 1080P screen occupied by a single Metro App.

ModernMix is a good idea. Hopefully Microsoft will undo the Metro mess in Windows Blue release.
 
Avioza took the words out of my mouth. It's absolutely ridiculous to have to rely on 3rd party apps to make an OS do what people want it to do.
Depends what your expectations are. I use Windows 8 Pro with the default customization options and I have no desire for any additional functionality added by 3rd-party solutions.


It's people like you who give Microsoft the wrong impressions of what desktop users really want. If you have no desire for any additional functionality in Windows 8 Pro, you could have bought a tablet. But you can always use the excuse that you couldn't afford one, hence, we all fall down.

Thanks God Windows 8 market percentage is ridiculously though. So in spite of people like RH00d purchasing Windows 8 so they can watch YouTube and update their Facebook accounts. Ah the simple life. Microsoft might still consider doing something in the next release of Windows 8 to show they care about desktop users. And if not, thats cool. Im out. It's pretty simple.

Market share of less than 3% actually gives me some hope. I think desktop users are having an impact.

I'm also using win8 without any 3th party apps... and I consider myself a power user. Right now, I'm running 2 SketchUp instances, shaderlight rendering, AutoCAD and Firefox with 8 tabs...

What's wrong with win8? No start menu? Idc, I just pin what I need to the taskbar, it's 1 click faster. And the tablet interface? Just swich to desktop mode and it's gone... Get over it already!

And ofc additional functionnality is welcome, but you can't ignore an OS just because some 3th party apps gives you additional features. It's like ignoring firefox just because you have to rely on extensions to customize it...
 
Posted elsewhere by me:

Most of what people dislike about Windows 8 is not a problem once you understand what Microsoft is trying to do (they've done a terrible job explaining how to think about the changes). Putting the cursor into the lower-left corner of the screen and left-clicking brings up the Start Screen (making that thumbnail a Start Button) and right-clicking brings up the power menu (a big improvement over previous versions of Windows).

The Start Screen itself is a big, beautiful, and fluid Start Menu; typing from the Start Screen to find programs, files, and settings is quick and convenient; mouse and touch gestures work great; and keyboard shortcuts are powerful (the Windows key is your friend). The OS is more responsive than 7.

But MS should not have bifurcated the interface. If they had to, they should have included the ability to run Metro apps windowed and legacy programs full-screen (metro-style) as an option.

-Santiago Matamoros
 
OS has the same issues as Windows 7 don't be fooled. Sure the Memory Pool can use more memory and network is a bit quickly. But this is how it's going to be with Windows 8 and what's coming up . Windows 7 users will slowly moving into these OS but not like they did with Windows 7.

I don't like running overlays on OS as these features should have been already implemented. When they are like this you always have some sort of issues down the road.
 
When you have 2.7% marketshare (and climbing), you'll never be able to please anyone. Having options and customization is nice, see: Windows 8. I like the Modern UI, even on non touch devices. Some don't. That's fine.
 
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