Microsoft Windows 8 is not hard to learn to use on a desktop computer once you get used to it in my experience. But, using shortcut keys like Windows Key + C which brings up the charms sidebar could make Windows 8 easier to use for searching for files, programs and settings.
In my experience, I only use a few shortcut keys, and the arrow keys like left, right, up and down + the enter key to more quickly use Windows 8 keys without moving my mouse’s cursor much.
List of Windows 8 shortcut keyboard keys which are most useful
Windows logo Key + D launches the classic desktop.
Windows logo Key is used to launch and minimize the Windows Startscreen which is the Windows 8 launcher.
Windows logo Key + X launches a context menu which have shortcuts to search, control panel, run, and many other useful programs, and settings.
Windows logo Key + Tab lets you switch between different opened Modern Apps opened in the full screen desktop.
Windows logo Key + C launches the Charms Bar which has shortcuts for searching, sharing, start screen, devices, and settings for Windows 8.
Windows logo Key + Q launches the All Apps, and App and desktop program search engine.
Windows logo Key + I launches the settings sidebar.
ALT + Tab lets you switch between opened programs in the classic desktop.
ALT + F4 Closes programs in both the modern, and classic desktop, and when all programs, are close, and you are in the classic desktop, you can use ALT + F4 to shutdown Windows by launching the shutdown program for Windows 8.
Mouse gestures for Windows 8 to help you use it.
Moving your mouse to the top left of your monitor, and swiping down will show you what apps you have open in the modern user interface, and you can right click on the thumbnail images to close the apps.
Left Clicking on the bottom right of the desktop switches Windows 8 between the classic and modern desktop if both are open.
Swiping down from the top right or uo from the bottom right will bring up the charms bars and the clock.
To close an app in the modern touch screen user interface, you need to put your mous on the very top of the app, and hold your left mouse button, and drag down. Higher resolution monitors let you pin full screen apps to the right or left by dragging them to the left or right side.
To Pin regular non- maximize desktop programs to the left or right, drag the window to the very left, or right of your desktop.
You can also pin desktop programs to the Taskbar, by right clicking on the shortcut for the program on the classic desktop, and picking pin to taskbar from the right click context menu.
In the modern desktop, you can right click on an empty space on the modern desktop with no icon, and click the All Apps button on the bottom right than right click on the desktop app you want to pin, and pick pin to taskbar, or pin to start.
The All Apps section is where you go to uninstall Modern desktop apps which you downloaded from the Windows 8 App Store, or to launch add remove programs to uninstall programs which you installed from the internet, CD, or DVD.
Removing Shortcuts which you do not use, and pinning shortcuts which you use most of the time to Windows 8 Startscreen can make using Windows 8 easier. You can use the arrow keys on Windows to move to the shortcut for a program which you want to open, and press enter to launch it.
The Scroll Wheel on your mouse can scroll to the left and right of modern apps in the startmenu, so you do not have to use the scroll bars.
Once you memorize, and learn how to use Windows 8 Shortcut keys, mouse gestures, and the different settings like pinning and re-arranging shortcut tiles in the Startscreen, using Windows 8 can be as easy or more easy than previous desktop-only versions of Windows like XP, Vista, and 7 which has a startmenu.
Windows 8 is also compatible with a lot of free and paid third party startmenu programs like Classic Shell, Pokki, Start8, and more which turns Windows 8 into Windows with the Start button which was present from Windows 95 to Windows 7.