Apps you buy from Pokki are automatically pinned to the taskbar, though you can unpin them.

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Making Windows 8 work like Windows 7 by keeping the Taskbar visible whenever the Modern UI features are running.

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The Taskbar contains only icons for Internet Explorer, the Explorer file browser, and Microsoft's free email, photo and moviemaking programs.

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The system tray, to the right of the Taskbar, contains only the bare minimum of items, such as the network and battery indicators.

WSJ: Microsoft Gives Windows a Clean Sweep

The first place to look for programs to nix is the system tray, the row of tiny icons next to Windows' clock in the bottom-right of the Taskbar.

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Makes the new Start screen and Windows 8 Apps run over the desktop, which gives you access to the taskbar and start menu like in Windows 7 and XP.

FORBES: Make Windows 8 Look Like Windows 7

That means it supports Windows 7 Jump Lists (for quick access to your music controls and playlists from the Taskbar), Previews letting you glimpse and control media by hovering your mouse over the Zune button on the Taskbar, and Aero Snap auto-resizing of the Zune software window.

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Now in its nineteenth version, though, it's finally getting a desktop, making it look and function a little more like a traditional OS. When you sign in for the first time, you'll see an expanse of wallpaper, with a row of apps pinned to the bottom of the screen -- not unlike the Taskbar in Windows 7.

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Windows 95 featured the first appearance of the Start menu, taskbar, and minimize, maximize, and close buttons on each window.

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Aero gave the appearance of highly-rendered glass, light sources, reflections, and other graphically complex textures in the title bars, taskbar, and other system surfaces.

FORBES: Microsoft To Drop Aero From Windows 8 User Interface

Microsoft has confirmed a Start button is returning to the desktop mode's taskbar of its Windows 8 operating system.

BBC: Microsoft 'U-turn' sees Start button back on Windows 8