Stardock already offers a way to bring back the familiar Start menu in Windows 8 instead of the much criticized tile-based home screen. But if you'd still like to use "Metro" apps from Microsoft's Windows Store and can't wrap your head around having to run things like a calendar or email app either in full screen mode or as a snapped application to the side, with their latest utility you won't have to.

ModernMix allows you to configure how Windows 8 apps behave depending on where you launch them - Start screen or desktop. Options include launching apps in the standard full screen, a windowed full screen mode, or a smaller window so they can be minimized, moved around, and resized. They'll operate like regular desktop apps so you can have as many as you like open at a time and even pin them to the taskbar.

The app is currently in beta and costs $4.99, but there's a 30-day trial available