WinMetro – Review

good
key review info
application features
  • No restart required
  • (3 more, see all...)

Customizing old versions of Windows to look like newer ones has been a long practiced activity and it won’t die anytime soon.

With the release of the modern Windows operating system, third-party developers had plenty of work on their hands trying to revive the old start menu and to mimic the new features as closely as possible.

IObit came up with its own version of Windows’ modern start menu, which presents a tiled view of the installed programs as well as of the pre-installed modern apps, some of them providing constantly updated information.

It is called WinMetro and comes absolutely free of charge. Obviously, it is designed for operating systems lower than Windows 8 (XP, Vista and 7, both 32-bit and 64-bit) in order to give you an idea about what switching to the newer OS might entail.

Getting it on the system is no tough job; just follow the instructions in the setup wizard and you’ll have WinMetro running in no time.

At the first launch there is a brief tutorial explaining all the areas in the new modern screen: one section is for showing the shortcuts of the most used applications, one for switching to a different account, while a third one shelters thumbnails of some apps provided by the developer.

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The looks are flat just like in Windows 8 and up, although those accustomed to the original will definitely notice a difference.

The mock modern menu can be easily accessed by using the Win+X keyboard shortcut or by moving the mouse pointer to the lower right corner of the screen. This reveals a sidebar (Win+C) that also provides access to a search function and the configuration panel of the application.

A tiled space appears, with what seems at first glance to be live thumbnails of some of the original apps present in Windows 8. They provide financial details, news, or information about weather.

Additional apps offer access to Facebook, Twitter, SkyDrive, or to the Bing search engine. Just like in the original operating system, once launched, they open in full-screen. However, more experienced users should notice that they are actually IE pages launched in Kiosk Mode.

This is not a disadvantage, because it still provides a pretty good hint at what the modern part of Windows 8 and up looks like.

WinMetro does not attempt to be a perfect replica of the Modern Screen, though, as the developer offers some additional options that Microsoft appears to add with the soon to be released Update 1 for Windows 8.1.

These are the power options for restarting and shutting down the computer. IObit also included the possibility to send the system into sleep mode.

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Also pinned in the tile view part of the desktop is the username of the account, with more options hidden a click away. Here you can quickly access the panel for making changes to the user accounts and an extended list of power options, which includes logging off in order to allow switching the user.

Configuring WinMetro is an easy task, since there is only a short set of settings available. These permit enabling the application to run automatically in the background when closed so that it can be called into view at any moment by simply using the assigned keyboard shortcut as well as setting it to start with Windows.

Additionally, the developer provides the possibility to boot straight into WinMetro instead of the regular desktop, a feature most users of Windows 8 found ways to thwart.

IObit’s attempt to impersonate the Modern UI with WinMetro is not without flaw. The change is not as smooth as the original interface, and there are less modern apps available. On the other hand, it does provide good insight into how the new interface might affect the user transitioning to Windows 8 and higher.

The sidebar’s search function does not work better than the default solution in the operating system, but it has some filters that segregate the pictures from audio and video files.

One interesting app is Photos, which does not work as its counterpart but functions as an image viewer for an assigned folder: a filmstrip is presented at the bottom of the screen and arrows to the right and left sides enable you to browse through the items.

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The Good

Installation is quick, and restarting the computer is not required for all the changes to take effect. The application provides the flat view environment and even mimics the live tiles.

The Bad

Tiles cannot be re-organized, and the automatic updates cannot be turned off. Another difference that sets it clearly apart from the original is the impossibility to customize the modern screen.

The Truth

Despite the ingenious method used to mimic live tiles, WinMetro is still a flawed copy of the original modern interface created by Microsoft for Windows 8 and above.

Furthermore, most users would find it rather impractical and unproductive. Even if its purpose is to give you a glimpse of what working on the latest Windows operating system would be like, it is quite far from truth.

user interface 3
features 2
ease of use 4
pricing / value 3


final rating 3
Editor's review
good
 
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