Switcher vs. Windows Flip

With all this new task switching goodness, you may be thinking that good old Windows Flip–the familiar Alt + Tab task switcher that dates back decades–is on life support in Windows 8. Not so fast. As it turns out, Windows Flip has some important advantages over Switcher, particularly for those who will be spending a lot of time in the desktop. And since Microsoft sees Metro and the desktop coexisting for the foreseeable future, we think it’s fair to say that Windows Flip has some life left in it indeed.

The key advantage of this interface is that it differentiates between multiple desktop applications as well as individual Metro‑style apps. So if you have Microsoft Word and File Explorer windows open on the desktop, and Mail and Calendar open in the Metro runtime environment, and then engage Windows Flip, you’ll see five items: Word, Explorer, Mail, Calendar, and Desktop. But in Switcher, you’ll see just three: Mail, Calendar, and Start. (This assumes you activate Switcher from the desktop.) There are no desktop applications–or even the desktop itself–available in Switcher if you use it from the desktop.

This means that Switcher isn’t of use to individual desktop applications at all, especially if you activate it while using the desktop. So Windows Flip will remain a frequently used tool for all desktop users in Windows 8.

That said, it is a bit curious that Start doesn’t appear in the Windows Flip task list. But keyboard users simply need to use the Windows key instead.