Windows 8.1 - Modern UI app swipe-down gesture changed + explanation

[GoodBytes]

On the side of the internet that not very many people visit (Microsoft's Channel9), in the show Defrag Tools, they talks about the changes done to the Windows 8.1 Modern UI and how you close them up.

 

In Windows 8.1, when you swipe down a Modern UI app, it doesn't close them anymore as they did with Windows 8.0, but, rather, puts it in Suspended state.

 

The app will NOT be visible on Alt+Tab, or the Back Stack (the app switch thingy when you do Win+Tab on Win8), but will be there on the Task Manager marked as suspended. To really close it, beside killing it from the Task Manager, is to do the close swipe action but, hold it at the end for a sec, where it will do a flip action/animation, indicating that the app has closed, and you let go then. Alt+F4 doesn't kill it either, just puts it suspended.

 

But what if the program miss behaves, or freezes or something.. how can we quickly re-launch it? Microsoft thought of that.

If actually close an Modern UI app, by simply swipe down quickly, and you open it after as your second action, Windows 8.1 will assume that the app had a problem, kill it, and start a new process of it, and not restore it from suspended state.

 

Why? All this?

Well, as Larry Osterman explains, Microsoft made a survey, and found that people closes modern UI apps because they are done with it, for now, then just don't want to see it. But if they want it back, well they'll resume where they left off, making start faster as well.

 

But I need RAM? You say! Well, if you actually need the RAM, much like how SuperFetch works, the RAM will be freed before you actually need it. So, it will start closing suspended Modern UI apps before you actually really need the RAM so that you don't have any problems with low RAM or suing the page file. As we can see from our current system with SuperFetch that, ndeed, we see no performance loss, or issues and Windows does an excellent job at this. Suspended apps doesn't use the CPU at all, just RAM.

 

Source (video): http://channel9.msdn.com/Shows/Defrag-Tools/Defrag-Tools-59-Larry-Osterman#time=22m37s

 

If you are interested, The first part of the video, for ~7-8min, Larry Osterman, talk about the some of the challenges that he faced in working a small segment of Windows OS, and you guys can get a feel how freaking complicated making an an OS is, especially trying to support all hardware, even from OEMs, and how challenging it is to get things as we have today. Kinda explains the price of Windows, and why Microsoft only hires the best of the best and extremely talented people in the industry.

[cDNA]

Very interesting, i cant wait to see users feedback about that.

[KieranThePCGuy]

Very good read, I personally think Windows 8 is a great OS. I've had no problems with it what-so-ever. Looking forward to 8.1

[GoodBytes]

What will be interesting, is when people, here specifically, will complain how Windows 8.1 is consuming more memory after usage, despite "closing everything"and freak out.

Well we will know at least why, and why they should not worry.

[jrfox87]

Very interesting. I never ever touch the modern ui stuff on my desktop machine but I find myself becoming more and more curious about trying out a Surface 2 to properly use the modern ui.

[GoodBytes]

Very interesting. I never ever touch the modern ui stuff on my desktop machine but I find myself becoming more and more curious about trying out a Surface 2 to properly use the modern ui.

You should have it a spin. What I highly recommend:

 -> Music app (especially Win8.1 version of it) - Free music streaming of 30 million songs (has a few ads, but hey it's free. You can get unlimited download and streaming no ads, if you pay 10$ per month, and get to enjoy it with the Zune desktop software, which is great for non Win8 PC's that you may have, or if you use more the desktop mode on your PC).

 -> Weather app

 

As for external apps

 -> News Bento (free)

 -> NextGen Reader is apparently awesome RSS reader, it's 2.99$ though.

 -> Netflix

 -> OneNote (for when you are on the Surface 2)

 

Just For Fun:

 -> Microsoft minesweeper. You have probably noticed that the Windows games are gone from the Win8. Well they are on Modern UI apps, and they are availible for download.

minesweeper, has an adventure mode.

 -> Pinball game is back, with Pinball FX2

[mgsstar]

Like how it suspends the app but I have many apps that support Metro UI and the boot times for apps are pretty quick so it isn't really important to me imo. Can't wait for Windows 8.1 to release for the new features.

[stevv]

I was hoping somewhere in the video they would say "so for the tweakers... you can change the behavior by... powershell...".  

 

Swipe down to close and remove might cause other UX (user experience) issues... but it seems the only way to get rid of an app from the App Switcher (left swipe in then out).  Something especially useful if you click on the wrong app or trying out different apps... or simply want to "clear it up".  That said, last app task switch (swipe from left) is awesome... but once you have more than 3-4 apps... it becomes swiping frenzy. Windows desktop task manager set the standard better than any other OS out there... how can they leave it out (I mean in the modern ui)?   Hope 8.2 brings a better App Switcher/manager.  

 

I Other than that, I just setup a desktop Dell 27" touch all in one machine for a customer and showed her how much better win8+touch is,  even in desktop.  Like navigating a giant excel chart.  Reading articles on in IE desktop (the zooming and scrolling much more intuitive and smoother than mouse).  Oh... the google maps and earth.

 

I think it's time I replace all my monitors with touch screen.  Seriously.

 

 

You should have it a spin. What I highly recommend:

 -> Music app (especially Win8.1 version of it) - Free music streaming of 30 million songs (has a few ads, but hey it's free. You can get unlimited download and streaming no ads, if you pay 10$ per month, and get to enjoy it with the Zune desktop software, which is great for non Win8 PC's that you may have, or if you use more the desktop mode on your PC).

 -> Weather app

 

 

 

That's about the only two apps I use on my non-touch laptop haha.  I just tried the Fresh Paint app with a cheap pen+tablet and it works pretty well (has pressure sensitivity recognition... though quite a bit more pressure needed than other software like photoshop).

[totjup5]

That is literally the most retarded thing I have ever read. I don't want to have my windows pc be a fucking iphone. LET ME JUST CLOSE MY DAMN PROGRAMS!

[GoodBytes]

That is literally the most retarded thing I have ever read. I don't want to have my windows pc be a fucking iphone. LET ME JUST CLOSE MY DAMN PROGRAMS!

They are closed. If you actually need the memory, it will give it to you.

 

I think it would be neat for desktop applications. That would be better than RAMDisk, as the program is still fully loaded on the back. It will be like restoring a minimize program.

 

Of course, I doubt this happen, as I am sure that this will break many programs and games, and result in complications that devs will need to manage themselves, as with Windows 8 Apps (Modern UI app), WinRT manages everything. MAYBE possible for C# programs, as it works like Java. But I doubt C/C++.