It’s no stretch to say that Computer energy customers aren’t united in their praise of Windows 8. The operating system’s modern-style Commence screen and its concentrate on touch-friendly apps has ruffled pretty several feathers among customers who just want their old desktops back.
But if you own a home-theater Pc, you may desire to place the hate on hold. Despite the fact that Microsoft clearly had tablets and touchscreens in thoughts when it designed Windows 8, the new look and new apps basically translate effectively to television screens. Windows 8’s contemporary side delivers an practically console-like expertise, offering speedy access to video apps plus a look that is a great deal prettier than an icon-laden desktop.
I’ve been applying Windows eight on my 3 year-old HTPC, a Lenovo IdeaCentre Q150, for about six months. The update has breathed new life in to the machine, especially for streaming video and music. Even though I still lean on the desktop for particular items, the modern side of Windows 8 has turned out to be a beneficial supplement.
When it comes to style, touchscreens and televisions have a lot in prevalent. On a tablet, you need big, touchable buttons, so you do not have to worry about pinpoint fingertip precision. Likewise, oversize screen elements are a all-natural match for televisions. They’re simpler to click if you’re utilizing an air mouse or possibly a multimedia remote, and they’re also simpler to see from far away.
Windows 8’s weaknesses on laptops and desktops turn into strengths on a home-theater Pc. On a television, you do not definitely require the old pop-up Get started menu, with its hierarchy of programs and folders. The modern Start off screen is definitely an improvement, spreading out all of your preferred media apps inside a single view. The Windows button on your keyboard becomes a potent shortcut as well, getting you back to your apps at any time. The fact that modern-style apps run full-screen rather than windowed is however an additional benefit on HTPCs; the environment is a lot more immersive when you’re picking out a video or listening to music.
The practical experience in Windows 8.1 is even improved, thanks to expanded screen-scaling alternatives for the desktop. Scaling was previously capped at 150 percent unless you dug deeply into custom DPI settings. In Windows eight.1, you could boost scaling each of the way as much as 200 percent by going towards the Screen Resolution settings after which clicking Make text and other items bigger or smaller sized. For Tv screens, this level of scaling finally tends to make 1080p resolution appear usable on the desktop.
That is to not say Windows 8’s interface is often a perfect fit on Tv screens. Despite the fact that most on-screen components are easy adequate to find out from afar, the app names on the Get started screen are tiny, as well as the text does not look to respond to screen scaling in Windows settings.
Also, unless you might have a multitouch touchpad or even a mouse wheel handy, you have got no approach to scroll in Windows eight apps devoid of utilizing the scrollbar at the bottom edge in the screen. Strangely, the Begin screen doesn’t have this problem-when you move your cursor beyond the edge with the screen, the menu scrolls in addition to it-but person apps do not allow you to scroll making use of only the cursor.
1 final interface nitpick: It will be good if Microsoft permitted you to use an Xbox 360 controller to navigate through the Windows 8 Begin menu and apps. This feature could be specifically beneficial for HTPCs with gaming muscle, as you wouldn’t need to rely solely on a front finish for example Steam’s Huge Image mode to move from one game to one more.