Charms help users jump from one task to another in a second

Oct 2, 2012 19:01 GMT  ·  By

Charms represent a completely new feature for Windows users, so beginners may have a very hard time trying to get the most out of it. So let’s talk a bit about its purpose before jumping into technical details.

Basically, Charms have been implemented to allow users to access the commonly used tasks with just a single click, which means that it’s actually supposed to improve the workflow.

Some of the Charms features can also be accessed via keyboard shortcuts, but since Windows 8 is also touch-optimized in order to run on tablets and on touchscreen devices, you may also want to find out the other ways to launch it.

On desktop computers or on laptops, you can simply move the mouse cursor to the right top or bottom corners to launch the Charms bar. In addition, you can also press the Windows key + C shortcut or, in case you’re using a touchscreen device, simply swipe in from the right side of the screen.

Charms are pretty intuitive and, once you launch the bar for the first time, you shall easily understand their purpose. There are five different tasks at your disposal, namely search, share, start, devices and settings, each with its very own options.

Search is obviously designed to let you look for files on your computer and has exactly the same goal as the built-in Start Screen option. You can look for apps, settings, files or any other information stored on your computer faster, without the need to launch the Start Screen first. Press the Windows key + F to launch the search tool even faster.

Sharing is the tool that helps you share any bit of information via mail or SkyDrive, regardless of whether we’re talking about documents, pictures, songs or any other item. Click it and you’re ready to go.

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The Start button doesn’t launch a Start Menu, but instead it brings up the Start Screen and lets you access the live tiles and the other installed apps. The same menu can be easily launched by clicking on the left bottom corner.

The devices charm is the one that lets you easily control the connected devices, including second display monitors or any other external hardware. Once you click it, Windows displays a list of the connected devices and gives you the power to manage them without launching Windows Explorer.

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The settings charm has two different roles: first of all, it shows settings concerning the active applications, but also general computer options such as network connections, volume, screen brightness or power options. It all comes down to just a few clicks, so basic computer knowledge is all you need to successfully use Charms.

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