我不喜欢Windows 8中的(Windows 8)开始(Start)屏幕的一件事是它不显示时间和日期，就像(time and date)桌面(Desktop)上的任务栏那样。我希望微软(Microsoft)提供了一种在动态磁贴中添加时钟的简单方法。幸运的是，有很多应用程序可以填补这一空白。更好的要花钱(cost money)，但也有一些免费的替代品可供考虑。在本综述中，我测试了最新的免费应用程序，并尝试确定在开始(Start)屏幕上显示时间的最佳应用程序。这是我发现的。
更新：(UPDATE:)综述已更新，包括来自我们一位读者的出色应用建议。
瓷砖时间
Tile Time是一款免费的应用程序，它还提供一些您必须付费的高级定制。它是为数不多的真正提供工作实时磁贴来显示时间的应用程序之一。
如果您使用免费版，您可以自定义前景色和背景色(foreground and background colors)、字体大小以及您想要数字时钟还是模拟时钟(digital or analog clock)。如果要自定义显示时间的字体或显示的时钟类型，则需要付费购买完整版。这些定制被认为是“专业功能”。
另一个缺点是，您无法将其设置为使用分配给磁贴的默认颜色(default color)，具体取决于您为“开始(Start)”屏幕选择的Windows 8主题。(Windows 8)这应该在即将发布的版本中添加的功能列表中。
总而言之，它运行良好，令我惊讶的是，在所有免费时钟应用程序(clock apps)中，即使您不付费，这款应用程序也提供了最多的自定义功能。
阿斯帕里翁时钟
Asparion Clock应用程序在动态磁贴中显示时间并提供一定程度的自定义。
但是，使用它有点笨拙。您可以从预制的动态磁贴模板列表中进行选择，并自定义其中显示的数据。但是，您不能更改磁贴的颜色。你被绿色困住了。
除了这个烦恼，它做得很好。
钟
时钟(Clock)是另一个基本的 Windows 8 应用程序，它在动态磁贴中显示时间。但是，不能以任何方式自定义该图块。如果您不喜欢它显示时间的方式，您将需要选择另一个应用程序。
但是，它确实有一些有用的功能。当你打开它时，它会显示一个模拟时钟(analog clock)和一个日历。您可以将它们捕捉到屏幕的一侧，并在使用计算机时查看这些数据。
该应用程序还包括秒表、计时器和闹钟功能(timer and alarm features)，这些功能有时可能很有用。
时钟瓷砖
Clock Tile是一个基本的应用程序，它在动态磁贴中显示时间和日期(time and date)。
没有什么可配置的。打开它时，它显示相同的日期，但字体更大。
另一个缺点是该应用程序不能很好地运行。有时，它只是停止在其活动磁贴中显示时间，并且您无法重新启动它。
简单的高级时间瓷砖
Simply Advanced Time Tile是一款具有讽刺意味的应用程序。没有什么先进的。它仅在无法以任何方式自定义的动态磁贴中显示时间。
当您打开它时，它会显示日期、时间，仅此而已。没有什么可配置的。看着它，它似乎是前面提到的时钟瓷砖(Clock Tile)的几乎完全相同的克隆。我希望它的开发者没有窃取这个其他应用程序的代码。
如果您不喜欢它的动态磁贴，您将需要选择另一个应用程序。
世界时间
世界时间(World Time)应用程序可以显示多个城市的时间。在其动态磁贴中，它显示您添加的前两个城市的时间。
当您打开它时，它会显示您添加的所有城市的时间。
但是，它有一个问题：它没有考虑夏令时，最终显示错误的时间。🙂
此外，它不允许您以任何方式自定义其动态磁贴。然后，有时它的实时磁贴根本不显示时间。这是一个根本无法正常运行的应用程序。你应该避免它。
BH时钟瓷砖
BH Clock Tile是一个非常狡猾的应用程序，效果不佳。
首先(First)，它说它以两个小的活动图块显示时间。不幸的是，事实并非如此。该应用程序会显示您首次启动该应用程序的时间，仅此而已。那个时间根本没有更新。
然后，当您打开该应用程序时，它会加载带有漂亮亚洲女士的照片，向您展示时间。
如果你点击它们，你会被带到一些显示其他图片的奇怪亚洲网站。此外，在加载应用程序时，它有时会出现故障。屏幕变黑，看起来它在后台做一些狡猾的事情。(something dodgy)它没有用恶意软件感染我的系统，但绝对没有让我相信一切都好。你应该远离这个应用程序。
数字活瓷砖时钟
另一个有用的时钟应用程序是Digital Live Tile Clock。它只能用作数字时钟，但它可以很好地用作数字时钟。
首先(First)，它是免费的。没有额外费用。您首先设置您希望时钟的外观。然后，单击或点击(click or tap) 替换磁贴(Replace Tiles)。这会根据您所做的设置生成新的图块。但是，除非您单击或点击设置动态磁贴(Set Live Tile)按钮，否则动态磁贴不会更新。
它的第一个版本有一些错误，不允许时间总是显示在开始(Start)屏幕上。然而，它已经更新，现在它工作得很好。
注意：(NOTE:)我们要感谢我们的读者 - williamwclee - 与我们分享这个应用程序。这是一个很棒的发现。
优胜者(Winners)- Tile Time 和 Digital Live Tile Clock 应用(Tile Time & Digital Live Tile Clock apps)程序
如果您阅读了我对所有可用免费应用程序的发现，您就会知道对于这个简单的任务只有两个很好的应用程序：Tile Time和Digital Live Tile Clock。Tile Time还具有显示模拟时钟(analog clock)的优点。
我对适用于Windows 8(Windows 8)的时间应用程序质量低下感到失望。我希望更容易找到一个我不需要付费的好应用程序。我希望事情会随着时间的推移而改善。同时，如果您发现其他可以在Windows 8 开始(Start)屏幕上显示时间的好应用程序，请不要犹豫，通过下面的评论表分享它们。
How to Add a Clock Showing the Time on the Windows 8 Start Screen
One of the things I do not like aboυt thе Start screen in Windows 8 is the fact that it doesn't show the time and date, as the taskbar does on the Desktop. I wish Microsoft had provided an easy way to add a clock in a live tile. Luckily there are quite a few apps available to fill this gap. The better ones cost money but there are also some free alternatives to consider. In this roundup, I tested the latest free apps and tried to identify the best app for showing the time on the Start screen. Here's what I found.
UPDATE: The roundup was updated to include a great app suggestion from one of our readers.
Tile Time
Tile Time is a free app that also provides some premium customizations for which you have to pay. It is one of the very few apps that actually provides a working live tile to display the time.
If you use the free version, you can customize the foreground and background colors, the font size and whether you want a digital or analog clock. If you want to customize the font used for showing the time or the type of clock being displayed, you need to pay for the full version. These customizations are considered "Pro features".
Another downside is that you cannot set it to use the default color assigned to your tiles, depending on the Windows 8 theme you chose for the Start screen. This should be on the list of features to add in an upcoming version.
All-in-all, it works well and it surprised me that, out of all the free clock apps, this one provides the most customisation even when you don't pay for it.
Asparion Clock
The Asparion Clock app is shows the time in a live tile and provides some level of customization.
However, working with it is a bit clunky. You can select from a list of premade live tile templates and customize the data shown in them. However, you cannot change the color of the tile. You are stuck with the green color.
Except for this annoyance, it does its job well.
Clock
Clock is another basic Windows 8 app that shows the time in a live tile. However, that tile cannot be customized in any way. If you don't like it way it shows the time, you will want to pick another app.
However, it does have some useful features. When you open it, it shows an analog clock and a calendar. You can snap them to the side of your screen and see this data while working on your computer.
The app also includes a stopwatch, timer and alarm features that may prove useful at times.
Clock Tile
The Clock Tile is a basic app that shows the time and date in a live tile.
There is nothing to configure. When you open it, it shows the same date but with a larger font.
Another downside is that the app doesn't work too well. At times, it simply stops showing the time in its live tile and there's nothing you can do to get it started again.
Simply Advanced Time Tile
The Simply Advanced Time Tile is an app with an ironic name. There is nothing advanced about it. It only displays the time in a live tile that cannot be customized in any way.
When you open it, it displays the date, time and that's it. There is nothing to configure. Looking at it, it seems like an almost exact clone of the Clock Tile mentioned previously. I hope that its developer hasn't stolen the code of this other app.
If you don't like its live tile, you will want to pick another app.
World Time
The World Time app can show the time for multiple cities. In its live tile it displays the time for the first two cities you added.
When you open it, it shows the time for all the cities you added.
However, there is one problem with it: it doesn't take into consideration the daylight savings and it ends up showing the wrong time. 🙂
Also, it doesn't allow you to customize its live tile in any way. Then, there are times when it's live tile doesn't show the time at all. It is an app that doesn't function well at all. You should avoid it.
BH Clock Tile
BH Clock Tile is a very dodgy app that doesn't work well.
First of all, it says it shows the time in two small live tiles. Unfortunately that is not the case. The app shows the time when you first launched the app and that's it. That time is not updated at all.
Then, when you open the app, it loads pictures with pretty asian ladies showing you the time.
If you click on them, you are taken to some weird asian website showing other pics. Also, when loading the app, it sometimes malfunctions. The screen goes black and it looks like it is doing something dodgy in the background. It did not infect my system with malware but it definitely did not give me any confidence that all is OK. You should stay away from this app.
Digital Live Tile Clock
Another useful clock app is the Digital Live Tile Clock. It works only as a digital clock but it works great as one.
First of all, it is free. There are no premium extras. You first set how you want the clock to look. Then, click or tap Replace Tiles. This generates new tiles according to the settings you made. However, the live tile won't be updated unless you click or tap also the Set Live Tile button.
Its first version had some bugs that did not allow for the time to be always displayed on the Start screen. However, it has been updated since and now it works great.
NOTE: We would like to thank our reader - williamwclee - for sharing this app with us. It was a great find.
The Winners - the Tile Time & Digital Live Tile Clock apps
If you read my findings about all the available free apps, you know that there are only two good apps for this simple task: Tile Time and Digital Live Tile Clock. The Tile Time has the advantage of displaying also an analog clock.
I was disappointed by the low quality of the time apps available for Windows 8. I was hoping it was easier to find a good app that I would not have to pay for. I hope things will improve with time. In the meantime, if you discover other good apps to show the time on the Windows 8 Start screen, don't hesitate to share them via the comments form below.
