11 winning alternatives to Windows 8’s built-in apps - packerangem1981
Windows 8 comes preloaded with plenty of apps for primary productivity and entertainment, merely they're not necessarily the best you tooshie do. We've already mentioned the apps you should download offse, just now we deprivation to contribution whatsoever fractional-party apps that you might like more what Microsoft includes in its basic Windows 8 installation.
None of the following apps is perfect, only the same holds true for the apps shapely directly into Windows 8—hence the point of this article in the first place.
People
Part contacts list, parting social media hub, Microsoft's People app is a central bucketful for all the personal associations you make via email, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Chirrup. Although this built-in app shares Facebook and Chitter updates, it's confusing in the way it jumbles together every your services.
Likewise, The great unwashe is definitely not a worthy Twitter client. And no worthy Twitter clients are available in the Windows Store yet. An official Twitter app is in the works; just until it arrives, we'll all accept to take in do with third-party alternatives.
Luckily, we make FlipToast, an app that commingles Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter in a relatively easy-to-use user interface. Among other features, FlipToast allows you to the like, tweet, retweet, share, deary, and office to the 4 services it supports. Its interface isn't immediately intuitive; but erst you start using it, you'll probably find it more hospitable than the Hoi polloi app. And just to make sure you stay a good admirer, FlipToast even has a birthday-reminder tool. You tail end find FlipToast along the Windows Store for free.
Television
Microsoft's Video recording app has a tear personality. It's a shopfront for purchasing the latest movies and Telly episodes, also a video recording instrumentalist for your own personal cognitive content. Unfortunately, when we tried it, shilling commercial content seemed to take anteriority, going numerous PCWorld editors wishing for a deeper, much robust picture-player app.
PressPlay is an excellent mutually exclusive for screening your local files. It supports great touch controls that allow you to adjust the loudness, commute the TV's position, and browsing videos with the flick of a finger. IT doesn't pass any videos for sale, but that's a satisfactory thing—and a thing best leftover to the app built into Windows 8. PressPlay is free in the Windows Store.
Messaging
Microsoft's Messaging app lets you quickly chat with anyone in your contacts or Facebook list, and it flatbottom supports video confabulate. That's great for communicating with the friends you have on those networks, but you'll probably want to jaw with people on myriad early services too.
IM+ facilitates messaging direct nearly every possible avail, from Facebook to ICQ. Information technology supports photo share-out, text messaging, and multiple accounts per service, making for the most comprehensive electronic messaging app we could find on the Windows Store, wholly for independent.
Calendar
The built-in Calendar app does exactly what you'd think IT would, but not much more. You can check the twenty-four hours's events, add an case with reminder options, and…that's roughly it. You tin utilise Microsoft's app to sync up your own personal Google calendar, but you're out of luck if you need to sync Google calendars that stimulate been shared with you.
That's why, as with the Send app (ascertain downstairs), we urge using the tried-and-true Google calendar as the alternative. You have to access IT via your web browser, of course, simply you'll be healthy to see all your schedules at once without worrying close to hacking the app. And yes, you can put Google Calendar on your Start screen: Just pin it to Start as you would whatsoever other URL, and pretend that it's an app.
SkyDrive
Microsoft's cloud-storage service boasts hooks into about every gimmick within the modern Windows ecosystem and beyond. You can accession SkyDrive file storage on a Windows desktop, a Mackintosh, a Windows 8 tablet, a Windows Phone, and even iOS and Humanoid devices. SkyDrive is also integrated into various Windows 8 and Windows Headphone 8 apps, granting you quick cloud access and sharing when you need it the almost. In fact, the untested Web-app translation of Microsoft Office is reason entirely to love SkyDrive.
Yes, SkyDrive is fantastic—but it doesn't sync with Dropbox, the once Diamond State facto leader in cloud repositing.
Move into All My Storage, a comprehensive app that brings unitedly altogether the big cloud over-memory systems, including SkyDrive, Dropbox, and Box. After you link your accounts, you can well research direct whol of them in one place. The app even comes with a built-in media instrumentalist to play local content surgery rain cats and dogs Dropbox media. Information technology's free in the Windows Store if you're willing to stick out some advertisements, but you'll also encounte a paid version for $3 that comes with cloud statistics and Thomas More themes, and does away with the advertising.
Photos
Photos is the central depository for all your photos and videos, whether you hold back them on SkyDrive, local drives, Facebook, or Flickr. Information technology's actually not a bad app, only exploring one's options is always nice, right?
Albums HD offers a great way to "save your memories in one place." The app allows you to store your photos in customizable albums and then dea them via slideshows that sport contrary transition personal effects. It even supports a Live Tile option thus that you can sight your photos from the Start screen. Albums HD is $1.49 on the Windows Store.
Medicine
Like the Video app, the Music app allows you to enjoy your music, as well as to preview and purchase all the newest and best music that Xbox Music features.
But if you're looking for an inclusive medicine player that doesn't try to sell you music (and if you're not a rooter of iTunes), sound out MusicBee, a omnipotent, free program for any music lover. Unfortunately, no new Windows Store app is available for it yet, but you can install the course of study just as you would any other Windows program (assuming that you don't take over a Windows RT gimmick, of naturally). MusicBee sports cracking tools for song tagging, as well as for determination local shows and upcoming music releases. You'll also witness a minimized music player, and various themes and skins.
If you are a fan of streaming music, stress Spotify (for those WHO know what they want to listen to), Pandora (for those who want to discover new medicine), and TuneIn Receiving set (for those World Health Organization love hearing to live radio).
Weather
If you wealthy person to call for yourself,"Sunglasses or an umbrella?" before you impart the house in the morning, Microsoft's Weather app is a great way to find the solvent quickly and accurately—well, at any rate equally accurately as weather anticipation can flummox.
However, if you neediness straight more in-depth information approximately the weather, look no further than AccuWeather's free weather app. Information technology supports streaming data via Live Tile updates; shows predicted weather patterns for time periods ranging from 24 hours to 15 years; and provides weather timelines at your redeemed locations. IT updates all 15 minutes to video display the most accurate atmospheric condition data, and IT also provides full-sieve Bing maps with radar selective information overlaid. Merely probably the coolest feature is the Lifestyle Forecasts, which allow for maven ratings for every hr of the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. based on how the weather volition sham certain outdoor activities and wellness risks.
News program
The Newsworthiness app provides all the top stories trabeate from Bing for different categories such Eastern Samoa U.S. news, world news, commercial enterprise, amusement, sports, technology, and politics. Information technology provides a decent overview of the most pop stories of the Clarence Shepard Day Jr., but it isn't particularly comprehensive.
If you're looking for a worthy disjunctive, consider the USA Nowadays app, which just received a major optic overhaul that's well organized and fab to the eye. It breaks down categories for news, sports, life, money, tech, and travel, and IT has options for each section that let you browse pictures, videos, and other content. It's easy to navigate, thanks to Windows-esque tiling, and every story comes with a captivating picture. Information technology even uses your position to update you connected your current local weather conditions.
Change of location
The Travel app highlights premier destinations across the orb through pictures, panoramic views, magazine articles, and position information. You tin read informed your deary vacation destinations, or even use the in-app Flights feature to look to airplane tickets. It's full of recommendations for attractions, restaurants, and hotels, as well as guides along what to act up erstwhile you've reached a young destination.
But you do take up options. For several great, free travel journalism, look zero further than Polo Travelmagazine in the Windows Stack away. The app itself allows you to download the monthly issue (for free), and stores it locally for future utilise. The issues takings a while to download; just erst they're done, you can enjoy a plethora of stories, pictures, and picture about alien places each around the world. Unfortunately, though, the magazine won't help you book your next trajectory.
Chain armor
Microsoft's Postal service app is intended to equal a central funnel for whol your email accounts, be they Gmail, Outlook, Hayseed, or whatever combination. Unfortunately, as with many of Windows 8's reinforced-in apps, Mail lacks tractableness and features. IT looks nice, simply it isn't the most recyclable tool in the tool around chest.
And so the juggernaut that is Gmail remains the go-to choice for mail. Apps are great, but some things still work best in the browser. Our best advice is to immobilize your bookmarker of Gmail to your Outset screen so that it has its have tile and can playact as an app with quick and easy entree.
Source: https://www.pcworld.com/article/455509/11-winning-alternatives-to-windows-8s-built-in-apps.html
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