The settings dialog, on the other hand, is the one that could convince you that it's time to dump Internet Explorer and go for UC Browser HD. It's pretty similar with the one available in Internet Explorer, so nothing new here. The so-called tool bar, the one holding the address bar, the search box and the back/forward and home buttons, is placed at the bottom of the screen and can be easily accessed by swiping up from the bottom of the window. Obviously, you can add any website to the Speed Dial, but it only supports a maximum of 9 different entries. This means that you can't hide it and there's no option to do this in the settings menu. Selecting any pre-defined site brings up a few choices, letting you launch it in the background, add to bookmarks or add to speed dial.Īt the same time, the top of the screen provides access to the tab bar which, as compared to Internet Explorer Metro, is a bit smaller and stays on top all the time. Sadly, there's absolutely no option to edit these bookmarks, so you can't insert new entries in the aforementioned categories. In addition, you can access some pre-configured bookmarks in a wide variety of categories, including news, life style, video and music, sports, shopping, and entertainment. Once you launch the app, you're greeted by the speed dial screen that gives you the option to load a specific website with just one tap. It's not as refined as Internet Explorer, but it still boasts a very appealing interface that makes browsing a real breeze.
Just like all the other Metro apps aimed at the Windows 8 platform, UC Browser HD looks great, that's for sure.
So UC Browser, the famous mobile browser, finally completed the transition to the PC world and is now available with a freeware license for the first adopters of Microsoft's new operating system. While Mozilla and Google are currently working on Windows 8 versions of Firefox and Chrome, respectively, UCWeb moved a lot faster and published its very own app in the Windows Store. Truth is, the Metro/Modern flavor of Internet Explorer works like a charm, but there's no doubt that users need alternatives. When it comes to Windows 8 and RT tablets, on the other hand, users' options are pretty limited, as Microsoft is struggling to promote the touch-optimized version of Internet Explorer. UC Browser is clearly one of the most popular mobile browsers out there, along with Opera Mini and a few other applications that easily dominate this particular market.