XPost: alt.windows-xp, microsoft.public.windowsxp.setup_deployment,   
   microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support   
   XPost: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general   
   From: kblake@kb.invalid   
      
   On Mon, 17 Dec 2012 08:11:49 -0500, knuttle   
    wrote:   
      
      
   > I don't have Windows 8, but I am in a situation where my computers are   
   > getting old and may need to be replaced.  In my investigations I have   
   > been told that the that horrible new interface can be turned off and you   
   > can use a XP like interface.   
      
      
   You call it a "horrible new interface." I'm not crazy about it either,   
   but in my view, calling it "horrible" is a big overstatement.   
      
   But more important, there is *no* need to turn it off. Windows 8   
   has *two* interfaces; the Modern/Metro Interface (which is probably   
   what you are talking about when you call it "horrible new interface")   
   and the traditional Desktop Interface. That traditional   
   Desktop Interface is almost identical to Windows 7's interface; the   
   biggest difference is that there is no Start Orb to click to bring up   
   the Start menu. But note that you can get the Start Orb back by using   
   one of several third-party programs, either free or very inexpensive   
   (Classic Shell at http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/ and Start8 at   
   http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/; my personal preference is   
   Start8, but they are both very good).  And going from one interface to   
   the other is very easy; there are several ways, but simply pressing   
   the Windows key is perhaps the easiest.   
      
   Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)