Windows 8 has a completely redesigned user interface, it uses a new tile-based start screen which replaces the traditional start menu that was used in previous versions of Windows
When you first turn on your computer this is the screen you will be presented with (after you log-in if you have a password) - from here you can launch your applications, change settings or access the traditional desktop view
Each tile shown represents a different application and will show relevant information such as weather forecasts, number of unread emails etc
If you have recently installed any new programs then a notification will appear down the bottom left hand corner telling you how many new applications have been installed - and these will be shown with "New" next to them on the Apps screen
Clicking on (or touching) the tile will open up the chosen application which now runs full-screen to make full use of all screen space
To navigate this screen you can click the slider at the bottom to move left/right, or if you have a touch enabled device you can swipe from side to side
Clicking the  icon displays a menu where you can change your account picture, lock or sign out of the computer
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Clicking the icon shown below (or swiping upwards if you have a tablet) shows the Apps view which lists all programs installed on the computer
From this view you can right mouse click (or click and hold if using a tablet) to show an options menu, which amongst other things allow you to pin the program to the main start screen or taskbar
Any recently installed applications will be shown with New next to them on this screen i.e.
You can also click the arrow ˅ next to Apps at the top of the screen to choose whether to view by name, by date installed, by most used or by category
Clicking the icon shown below (or swiping downwards if you have a tablet) takes you back to the main start screen
If you prefer the Apps View rather than the normal Start Screen, then you can set this as your default view
To do this go to the Desktop, right mouse click on the Taskbar (as shown below) and choose Properties
Choose the Navigation tab at the top, then select the option "Show the Apps view automatically when I go to Start" as highlighted below and click OK to save your settings
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Right mouse clicking (or clicking and holding if using a tablet) on one of the start screen tiles will display various options, allowing you to remove (unpin) the item from the start screen, to uninstall the program, resize the tile or to turn off the live updates shown on that particular tile
The Customize option allows you to name a group of tiles:-
You can rearrange the tiles by dragging them around with the mouse (or with your finger) - they can also be dragged across into separate groups to help you organize your icons:-
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You can personalize the start screen by changing the background image and colour scheme
To do this access the charms bar by moving your mouse pointer to the bottom right corner (or swiping in from the right of the screen if using a tablet) - then select Settings from the menu that appears
You can then choose Personalize from the menu shown
You can then choose a background image and change the background colour and accent colour
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