Reddit on Reddhub

Reddit has become one of my favorite social networks, and I owe that love all to Windows 8. I never knew about Reddit until I discovered the wonderful Reddit on Reddhub app. With Reddit you can read groups called sub-reddits about almost any topic you wish. I like the technology sub-reddit. Each article there points you to an interesting article or website and then you can read the group's opinions on your chosen topic. It's the closest thing I've found to the old Usenet newsgroups that I used to love so much.

Price: Free, but you can upgrade to Silver for $2.99 or Gold for $4.99.
Windows Store Link: Reddit on Reddhub

Comparing Shutdown In Windows 7 And Windows 8

I've been reading a lot of complaints about shutdown in Windows 8 being too difficult. These people say that they can't find out where to go to shut down their computers. Or they say that it takes too many steps to shut down with Windows 8. Frankly, I don't understand the problem. I do agree that shutdown is different than it was before, so you do have to learn it the first time or two. But it can also be even easier with Windows 8. Let's examine it a bit.


Number of steps it takes to shutdown your computer. This is for you mouse users.

Windows 7:  2 steps

1. Click the Start button to go to the Start Menu.
2. Click the Shut Down button. (or the more arrow to go to restart)
3. Click Restart

Windows 8:  3 steps

1. Click Settings on the Charms bar.
2. Click Power.
3. Click Shut down. (or click Restart)

First of all, you don't have to click Start to shutdown in Windows 8; you just have to go to the Charms bar. And before anyone says that going to the Charms is an extra step, going to the Start button would also then be an extra step.

What do we really see up there in our lists. Actually shutting down takes only two clicks in Windows 7, and it takes three clicks in Windows 8. From all of the complaints I've read, that's not the huge difference I was expecting. If you want to restart your computer then it takes the exact same number of clicks for each operating system.

You can also shut down your computer with each operating system by pushing the physical power button on your computer. It does indeed work that way. Pushing that button sends the shutdown command to Windows. That's one step! Not difficult at all.

So, in the end, I don't see what all the fuss is about. It takes just about the same number of steps to shutdown in either operating system. The only real hurdle is that you have to learn how to do it first. You have to learn how to shutdown in Windows 8, and you also had to learn how to shutdown in Windows 7. Do you remember that far back? I admit that I barely do, but I still had to learn it. And I just showed you how to do it for each operating system, so you should be all set.

I hope all of this educates a few people. Complainers are still going to complain, but this should give you the true answer to the shutdown question. Try it out for yourself and see how many steps you get.

Yellow Pages

You've heard of the Yellow Pages already, so you get the idea of just what this is does. It can be a lot easier searching through this little app than lugging around that fat Yellow Pages book throughout the house. Give it a try if you want easy access to the local businesses in your area.

Price: Free
Windows Store Link: Yellow Pages

Monster Island

Monster Island is a fun game where you get to choose from various monsters who throw smaller monsters at other monsters. That's a lot of monsters! There's a trick to all of this though. You have to aim at just the right spot to take out your adversary monsters. You also have to take out obstacles so your throws can make it to your adversaries. things get harder as you move through the levels. Trust me, you'll love it!

Price: Free
Windows Store Link: Monster Island

Format Converter X

Many people think Windows 8 apps are just little toys. Format Converter X is much more than that. You can use it to convert video or audio files to other formats. You can also use it to extract audio from video files. As you can see by the screenshot, there's not much to using this app. It's so simple anyone can use it.

Price: Free
Windows Store Link: Format Converter X

The Gunstringer

The Gunstringer is an endless runner action game with incredible graphics. You are a skeleton cowboy who races through 15 levels of Wild West locations. Avoid deadly obstacles and collect coins as you run at top speed. This game is incredibly fast and amazingly fun.

Price: $1.49
Windows Store Link: The Gunstringer

Multitasking With Windows 8 Apps

I've been reading the myth that you can't multitask with Windows 8 apps. That myth is completely false! I run more than one app at a time in Windows 8 every day. It's also pretty easy to go back and forth between apps with the app switcher in the left of the screen.

Whenever you open an app in Windows 8 it goes to the app switcher. That app will stay open as long as you don't let it sit there for too long. Most apps that are not on the screen in front of you will pause, but that's a good thing. Why would you want an app to keep running when you're not using it? It's right there and ready for when you come back to it. Windows 8 suspends and then shuts down apps for you if you have stopped using them. This is to save memory in the computer. But anything you are switching back and forth to will stay open for you to use as much as you like.

A good way I like to run two apps at a time is to open an app, such as Twitter, and then snap it to the side of the screen in a smaller window. Then I'll open up my web browser in the main window. I can then browse the list of tweets in Twitter and click on any good links I find to have them open up into the web browser. I can also do something like this with OneNote, Latermark, and many others.

Another thing I like to do is go to the Windows File Explore and find photo image files to browse. I'll click on the first one to open it in the Photos app. Then I can snap the Photos app to the side of the screen while putting the desktop Windows file explorer in the main part. Then I can click on any photo file to see it come up in the snapped Photos app. I can do something similar to this with the Music app and the Video app.

These are just a few of the ways that you can multitask with Windows 8 apps. Do you know of any others? Any tips are welcome. This should prove that Windows 8 apps do indeed multitask. So all of those doubters are wrong. Now go have fun running more than one app in Windows 8!