There’s no denying that Windows 8 makes huge concessions to the touch screen interface in the form of the Metro UI style. This is, for the most part, the biggest hurdle to adoption for many potential customers and the reason why the Consumer Preview is so vital to Microsoft’s success at this point. What is frequently at the heart of these complaints, however, is not what it seems to be on the surface. Yes there are some people who simply object to the change in aesthetic necessary to make a more inclusive operating system, but claims that the keyboard and mouse combination has been disregarded ring less true after a bit of close inspection.
The important thing to remember, and that I believe Microsoft shows some interesting insight with regard to, is that the keyboard and mouse have to be taken as a unit. For the most part in Windows you can accomplish anything you want with mouse alone, but in these cases the touch screen will generally be quicker and more functional anyway. For anything more substantial you will always have a keyboard on hand. Unlike the versions of Windows we have been using for years, though, Windows 8 requires a bit more engagement from users who might otherwise relegate their larger input device to typing tasks.
The biggest disservice that the company has done itself with regard to Windows 8 is the failure to properly document keyboard functionality. Sure, just about anybody would stumble onto the Windows Key -> Start Menu connection, but beyond that there is much more. The Windows Key + X combination brings up a list of the most important tools in the system all in one place, for example. Windows Key + PrtScr will take screenshots without use of any intervening programs for the first time in Windows history. There are many more, all using the Windows Key, that make the keyboard at least as important as the mouse and speed up interaction significantly over previous versions of Windows for any user willing to put in a little time getting used to the new options.
While it won’t stop complaints from people who just plain hate the idea of their familiar, comfortable interface being changed to allow Tablet PC compatibility, this is an obvious nod to the “power user” segment that will be an important part of whether Windows 8 achieves wide acceptance in the desktop market. The touch screen as an interface only allows for the replacement of the mouse alone in any practical sense. Getting this kind of fast, powerful interaction from the machine is simply not possible without a keyboard and that might well be what developers had in mind to keep people interested.
Here’s a larger list of keyboard shortcuts courtesy of CNET:
Charms
Win+C: All charms
Win+Q: Search charm
Win+H: Share charm
Win: Start charm
Win+K: Devices charm
Win+I: Settings charm
Search
Win+Q: Search apps
(tip: an even easier way to search apps is to just begin typing from the Start screen)
Win+W: Search settings
Win+F: Search files
Apps (Metro)
Win+Z: Get to app options
Win+.: Snap app to the left
Win+Shift+.: Snap app to the right
Alt+F4: Close an app
Desktop
Win+D: Open Desktop
Win+,: Peek at desktop
Win+B: Back to desktop
Other
Win+X: Open system utility settings menu
Win+PrntScrn: Take screenshot and save to Pictures
Win+Tab: Open switch list
Win+T: Preview open windows in taskbar
Win+U: Open Ease of Access Center
Win+Spacebar: Switch language and keyboard
Win+Enter: Open Windows Narrator