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Windows apps created for Windows 7 and earlier are called Windows desktop apps.

      In general, working with a Windows app should be fairly intuitive. The gestures and actions you use to work with the Start menu and other Windows 10 screens are the same for apps. For example, to scroll up or down in the Maps app, just swipe up or down.

      Rather than focus on specific modern Windows apps, this section of the chapter focuses on actions and methods you use in general to work with Windows apps.

      Opening and using a Windows app

      Opening a Windows app couldn't be any easier. Just open the Start menu, locate the app's tile, and tap or click the tile. If you're working on a non-touch device, and you have a mouse with a scroll wheel, you can use the wheel to scroll through the Start screen's tiles. Then, just click the tile for the app you want to open.

      Unlike in Windows 8.x, which runs Windows apps only in full-screen mode, Windows 10 enables you to run apps in a window or full screen and change between full screen and windowed mode just as you can with a legacy desktop app. When Windows 10 is running in tablet mode, however, all apps run full screen. When running in a window, the apps display minimize, maximize, and close buttons just like a desktop app. Use these buttons to change the window state.

      How you work in a Windows app depends entirely on the app, but relies on the standard touch gestures and mouse actions described earlier in this chapter.

      NOTE

      The term Windows app refers to apps written for Windows 8.x or later versions. In this chapter, the term app refers to these Windows apps.

      Snapping apps on the screen

      At first, it may seem that you can view and work with only one app at a time when running in tablet mode because all apps run full screen by default. But, you can actually snap two apps to the screen at once and easily switch between them. You can even view the desktop and any running apps there side-by-side with an app, or snap a legacy app beside a modern app.

      To snap two apps to the screen, follow these steps:

      1. Open the two apps.

      2. Using the app's title bar, drag the app to the left or right side of the screen. Either action snaps the second app to the left or right of the screen. If the title bar isn't visible, slide down from the top of the display over the app to make the title bar visible.

Figure 2.6 shows two apps snapped side-by-side.

FIGURE 2.6 Two Windows apps snapped side-by-side.

You can snap a modern Windows app beside a legacy app, enabling you to see and work with a traditional Windows app on the desktop while also using a modern Windows app. For example, Figure 2.7 shows the Windows 10 Store app snapped beside Notepad.

FIGURE 2.7 Notepad and a Windows 10 app snapped side-by-side.

      To snap the desktop and a modern Windows app, first switch out of tablet mode (if the device is not already in window mode). Then, open the app in a window. If you want to work with a desktop app, open it from the desktop or Start menu. With either app in the foreground, drag the title bar of the other app to the left or right side of the screen to dock the app. You can drag the edge of an app's window to resize it as needed.

      Switching between apps

If you're an experienced Windows user, you'll be happy to learn that the methods you've used in the past to switch between apps are still available in Windows 10. For example, you can press Alt + Tab to view a list of running apps (see Figure 2.8) and select one to bring to the foreground. Continue pressing Alt + Tab until the desired app is highlighted; then release the keys to switch to that app. You can also press Windows + Tab or swipe in from the left edge to open the task view showing thumbnails of your running apps (see Figure 2.9). Click or tap on an app to bring it to the foreground.

FIGURE 2.8 Use Alt + Tab to switch between apps.

FIGURE 2.9 Use Windows + Tab to switch between apps.

      Closing a modern Windows app

      Closing a modern Windows app is easy, although you may not have figured it out on your own if Windows 10 is running in tablet mode. Just grab the app at the top and drag it down to the bottom of the display.

      This method isn't very intuitive, but it's the easiest way to close a app. When using a mouse, move the cursor to the top of the app until the title bar appears; then click and drag the app by its title bar to the bottom of the screen. When using a touch device, swipe down from the top to the bottom of the screen. The app should close.

      Getting to the Desktop

      Unless Windows 10 is running in tablet mode, the desktop has the same prominence as in Windows 7, which means that if you aren't running any apps in full screen mode, you see the desktop. If you can't see the desktop, you can simply minimize apps until it is visible. Or, you can click the right edge of the taskbar (to the right of the Action Center button) to minimize all apps.

      If Windows 10 is running in tablet mode, you can bring a desktop app to the foreground by tapping or clicking Task view in the taskbar and selecting the app. You can also use the Alt + Tab and Windows + Tab methods described previously in this chapter. If you truly need to view the desktop, for example to access a shortcut on the desktop, simply take the device out of tablet mode using the Action Center.

      Using the Taskbar

      The Windows taskbar remains a prominent fixture on the Windows 10 desktop and is visible even if you are running Windows 10 in tablet mode. The Windows taskbar deserves mention here, if for no other reason than that you probably want to pin apps to the taskbar so you can get to them quickly from the desktop.

Figure 2.10 shows the taskbar at the bottom of the desktop with a small selection of apps pinned to it. As in previous versions of Windows, you can open or switch to an app by tapping or clicking its icon on the taskbar.

FIGURE 2.10 The taskbar remains an important fixture in the Windows 10 interface.

      You can pin legacy Windows apps and modern Windows apps to the taskbar, as well as app resources such as File Explorer. To pin an app to the taskbar, open the Start menu or search for the app in Search, right-click or tap and hold the app's tile, and in the app menu, tap or click Pin to Taskbar.

      Wrapping Up

      Windows 10 melds the best of the modern Windows interface with the familiar desktop interface. With the return of the Start menu, you can open apps in much the same way as in Windows 7 and earlier. If you've become enamored of the Start screen in Windows 8.x, the Windows 10 Start menu, whether running as a menu or full screen, provides essentially the same capabilities and look-and-feel as the Windows 8.x Start screen.

      This melding of old and new is not limited to the Start menu. Windows 10 lets you run apps in either full screen or a window, just as you can with legacy apps. This capability makes it easier for people who haven't yet switched from Windows 7 or earlier to make the transition to the new Windows 10 interface.

CHAPTER 3

      Getting around the Windows Desktop

      In today's busy world, few people have the time to sit down and learn to use a computer. Many books and online tutorials don't help much because they assume you already know

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