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Seeing as it's Friday, and you've already had some useful answers...
Tell your users to install one of the numerous third-party applications that gives them back the start menu, and then document as for Windows 7 :)
Sarah Blake
Technical Writer
Arieso Ltd
Office +44 (0) 1635 232470 | Fax +44 (0) 1635 232471 |
Email sarah -dot- blake -at- arieso -dot- com | Web www.arieso.com |
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+sarah -dot- blake=arieso -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+sarah -dot- blake=arieso -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Wroblewski, Victoria
Sent: 24 January 2013 19:12
To: 'techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com'
Subject: Documenting in Windows 8 - Click? Press? Select?
Has anyone out there had to start documenting anything for Windows 8 yet? It's starting to peek over the horizon with some of my projects, and I'm trying to see if there is yet any standard way of dealing with it.
If you've happily ignored everything about Windows 8, it's designed to work on both traditional PCs and also tablet devices. And they obviously forgot the uproar from a lot of technical writers back when the replaced the word "Start" menu with the icon - they've removed the start menu entirely.
While I'm okay with the idea that we may just have to tell user to open/access and application without direct instructions on how to find it via the Start menu (instead of "Go to Windows Start > All Programs > Application Name", just saying "Open Application Name") I'm struggling with how to document the user experience since it may not be a single experience - will they be using a tablet and used to "press/tap" terminology? Or a standard laptop with a mouse and clicks? Or even a touch screen enabled PC where they may be able to press/tap or use a mouse?
For my own purposes - the likelihood is going to be adding Windows 8 support to an application that used to be desktop-based only. And it's still looming on the horizon (but those things also tend to appear that way, and then approach you rather quickly).
I've done some searches and if Microsoft has provided any guidance on this, it's well hidden enough where I haven't been able to find it. (Curse you, MMS for making us all go the "click" route years ago and then changing the game on it).
So, anyone doing this yet? Or planning their approach?
- V
Victoria J. Wroblewski
Technical Writer
NEC Sphere Communications, Inc.
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