Sick of Metro? How to bring Windows 8 apps to your desktop

Not everyone is a fan of Microsoft’s interpretation of how an operating system should look.

We’ve already detailed ways to ditch the new look Start screen by bringing back the older style, but some of the Window 8 apps will only run in the fullscreen Windows 8 style.

Or will they? A new app makes it possible.

Created by one group that has been working on Windows 7-like Start Bars for the new operating system – Stardock – ModernMix lets you break the Windows 8 apps from their fullscreen garden and snap them to your desktop quickly and easily.

The software, which is available now, includes some options to let you open the apps as windows if launched from the desktop mode, or open as the regular Windows 8 fullscreen look from the new Start screen.

Alternatively, it adds an icon (above) to the top right of every Windows 8-styled app to allow you to switch apps in and out of the fullscreen Windows 8 mode.

One potential use of this app is to bypass Microsoft’s restriction to only show two apps on screen at any one time by throwing multiple apps into separate windows on the Windows desktop (below).

The trial of ModernMix lasts 30 days, grabbing a $5 price when it’s over, so if you find it’s not working, you can always give up on it and uninstall. Given the concept, if Windows 8’s big screened style is pushing you over the edge, ModernMix is certainly worth a try.