2.3 Using the Start Screen

     Now that you know some basic gestures and their corresponding mouse actions, you’re ready to start navigating around the Windows 8.1 interface, starting with the Start screen, previously shown in Figure 2.3. Use any of these actions to open the Start screen:

• Press the Windows key on the keyboard.
• Use the mouse to place the cursor at the bottom-left corner of the screen, and then click the resulting Start screen icon.
• Open the charms and tap the Start charm.
• Press Windows+Tab to open the Task Switcher and select the Start icon.

     To move around the Start screen on a touch device, simply swipe the display left or right to view additional tiles. Then, tap a tile to open its associated app. Or, in the case of the Desktop tile, tap the tile to open the Windows 8.1 desktop.
     You’ll find that tiles on the Start screen can be live, meaning they can dynamically display information. For example, after you add an account to the Mail app, it will show a preview of messages in your Inbox. The Weather tile is also live; it shows the current weather conditions (assuming your device is connected to the Internet). Other tiles show similar dynamic data. Figure 2.4 shows some examples of live tiles.

     If you’re working in an app or on the desktop and you want to return to the Start screen, the easiest method is to push the device’s Windows button. On a device without a Windows button (such as a PC with a traditional keyboard), press the Windows key on the keyboard. You can also click or tap the Start icon at the bottom left of the display (see Figure 2.5).