A Tour Of Tiles: Internet Explorer 10, News, Stocks, And Weather
The new Metro interface isn’t just about infusing good looks. Microsoft is gunning for a more "immersive" experience, and that starts with Internet Explorer 10. Think of this as a dedicated full-screen implementation of IE on the desktop (F11). The controls are distilled down to the basics, as Microsoft wants you to focus on the webpage and not its interface.
Frequently visited pages are listed in a column when you start to enter an address, and you can “pin” favorites to a tile grid. While this interface is clean and easy to use, Adobe Flash Player is missing, and Microsoft doesn’t plan to include it as part of the Metro interface.
There are also dedicated apps for News (RSS feeds), Stocks, and Weather. For example, in the News app, clicking on an entry takes you to a short story summary. Once you click on that tile, you’re automatically forwarded to the webpage in the Metro version of IE 10. Moving back to the News app requires clicking on the left side of the screen, and you can return to the initial News screen by hitting Esc.
The Stocks app should be an easy win if you need to track business news. Breaking stories are displayed in tiles similar to the News app. Clicking on a entry opens that URL in the Metro version of IE 10. Once you add a stock symbol (right-click), the main splash screen cycles all of the symbols within the Stock tile. If you need to track an individual stock, you can pin a tile to the screen dedicated to a given symbol.
Integration is key here. When other programs in Metro access Internet Explorer, each URL is opened in a separate tab.
The Weather app falls more into the category of eye candy, rather than utility. Add the cities you want to track (right-click) and enjoy watching clouds move across the screen or waves lap onto a stony beach.