The Windows 8 Thread

[ng93]

The new logo looks pretty bad TBH, I was hoping for a WP7 style one (basically monochrome version of W7's logo). But at the end of the day it's only a logo, so if everything else is good it's not really a problem.

Also anyone else think the Windows 1.0 logo looks spookily similar to metro?

 

[unwashed potato!]

Pinch and zoom is on there for normal use.

I'm assuming big solid bars at the side make it easier to see, for partially blind?

ok.

i guess but then with pinch to zoom you could have terrible vision and it not matter as you don't need to see the side bars. perhaps the reason is to encourage fingers at the side of the screen so that when you zoom you aren't blocking the view, or thinking about it this current method is a bit more structured so you know if you find it hard to ead a page, zoom in 4 times etc, where as pinch to zoom is harder to get just right every time so quickly

 

[MR.B]

ok.

i guess but then with pinch to zoom you could have terrible vision and it not matter as you don't need to see the side bars. perhaps the reason is to encourage fingers at the side of the screen so that when you zoom you aren't blocking the view, or thinking about it this current method is a bit more structured so you know if you find it hard to ead a page, zoom in 4 times etc, where as pinch to zoom is harder to get just right every time so quickly

The magnifier has pinch and zoom on the scroll bars (pinch a scrollbar to zoom in/out or just tap the + and - icons). You cant zoom in on Metro on some areas, you can sometimes only zoom out, and i'm pretty sure you cant zoom in on the desktop at all, so this is why the magnifier is there because it will work for literally everything. The magnifier is also mostly designed for thumb use, not fingers because MS found this was more natural.

And i like the new Win 8 logo... but Windows Phone 7's is better.

 

[MR.B]

nor the new windows UI. I think it will be a great UI for home use, but Im not so sure on the productivity at work side of it. I fine Windows 8 is a fantastic evolution fo the start bar and cannot see Metro really helping my work!

Metro isn't for serious work anyway.

I do web design, 3D rendering/modelling, programming and graphic design, yet in a whole days work i use the Start menu about 0.01% of that time, if at all. Everything you need is already on the desktop, and MS have made many improvements to the desktop in Win 8 that will help work flow or give better performance (or both, like with Storage Spaces). The one thing i use the Start for is search, and Metro IS easier for searching, being as it displays results full screen with larger easy to recognise icons while also showing me a lot more results, as the higher the resolution your monitor is the more results it shows (150 on my monitor vs a handful on the cramped messy Start menu). Searching works exactly the same too - while on the desktop just hit the Win key and start typing.

 

[PhillyDee]

Might give it a go, I have a spare laptop. At least this way I can see what the future is going to be like

 

[MR.B]

Wait for the Beta though (29th feb) Lots of stuff is missing in the current Dev Preview.

 

[V F]

And yes, the OSX GUI is starting to look dated. Too much flashy chrome everywhere. Whereas Windows is going the opposite direction by reducing chrome as much as possible. Especially Metro, which can be said to be "chromeless"! Windows has a more minimalist GUI than OSX.

What chrome? and how is it too flashy? it's more elegant than flashy. Everything is quite flush.

 

[Photek]

it's more elegant than flashy

Yes i completely agree

I mean how is shiny icons, reflections, gradients, chrome, icon complexity rather than simplicity, fancy yet useless and overly long animations, wood and metal textures at all flashy??

BTW it is still 2001 right? I hope Apple start using some Photoshop lens flare effects... they're also the in thing right now!

 

[No-One]

Chris Pirillo has a point. MS say that touch is coming to desktops but nobody is going to sit there with their arms in the air for a long time?

Steve Jobs said a couple of years ago:

We’ve done tons of user testing on this, and it turns out it doesn’t work. Touch surfaces don’t want to be vertical.

It gives great demo but after a short period of time, you start to fatigue and after an extended period of time, your arm wants to fall off. it doesn’t work, it’s ergonomically terrible.

Putting a touch UI in a point and click environment will be just like when MS tried tablets years ago by putting a point and click UI on a touch device

 

[robinbredin]

No-One

Chris Pirillo has a point. MS say that touch is coming to desktops but nobody is going to sit there with their arms in the air for a long time?

Steve Jobs said a couple of years ago:

We’ve done tons of user testing on this, and it turns out it doesn’t work. Touch surfaces don’t want to be vertical.

It gives great demo but after a short period of time, you start to fatigue and after an extended period of time, your arm wants to fall off. it doesn’t work, it’s ergonomically terrible.

Putting a touch UI in a point and click environment will be just like when MS tried tablets years ago by putting a point and click UI on a touch device

He is right in what he says. But cut his arms off, to gag him.

 

[Deleted member 77746]

I think Chris is right though but on the other hand look what Apple have done. Their iOS experience is nearly the same on all devices.

 

[ng93]

The way Metro is being implemented means it works fairly well with a keyboard and mouse for basic usage. I think the problem will be when all the consumers move over to tablets and convertibles, and it's only the creators who use desktops, as currently, apart from the start and search screens, Metro is useless for any kind of serious work. I just hope Microsoft realise this and don't try to force it on us in Windows 9.

Yes i completely agree

I mean how is shiny icons, reflections, gradients, chrome, icon complexity rather than simplicity, fancy yet useless and overly long animations, wood and metal textures at all flashy??

BTW it is still 2001 right? I hope Apple start using some Photoshop lens flare effects... they're also the in thing right now!

It's just a different style. I know plenty of people who prefer OS X and iOS to Metro, and plenty of people who prefer Metro to OS X and iOS. Just because you don't like it doesn't make it flashy and out of date.

 

[MR.B]

MS say that touch is coming to desktops but nobody is going to sit there with their arms in the air for a long time?

Not this again! MS have said they dont expect people to sit at a desktop and hold there arm out for ages. You'll get arm ache within 5 minutes. This is obvious though, you dont need to do testing to know that. MS always intend to support mouse + keyboard, they know it's better for certain things. MS's own developers have also mentioned that using touch for their work, for things like Visual Studio and programming, it would be much worse.

But... touch will be there if you ever need it, because there are quite a few specific areas where a touch based desktop or all-in-one monitor can work. For instance in public, wall mounted, for very young children as a learning device, for presentations, or say in the kitchen on the wall and you could use it to look at recipes while cooking.

Although i'm sure some manufacturers will try selling all-in-one touch based monitors to people who dont even need it, because people will still buy this stuff until the novelty wears off (like 3D TV's) just like the bottom left device in this leaked Fujitsu roadmap...

... liking to look of that detachable slate on the right

 

[MR.B]

It's just a different style. I know plenty of people who prefer OS X and iOS to Metro, and plenty of people who prefer Metro to OS X and iOS. Just because you don't like it doesn't make it flashy and out of date.

Hmm well i've been designing graphics for about 10+ years, including website, software and app UI's. When i started all the things that Apple still currently use (which Photek mentioned and made me LOL because it's very accurate!) were the "in thing" back then, so i used to do it myself. If you look at OSX it's hardly changed since release in 2001. If some people still like it, thats fine, but it's a dated style and things have improved since then.

 

[Glaucus]

LoL, as said MS are not getting rid of keyboard and mouse. windows still works with them and works extremely well. They haven't ditche M&K or crippled them.
It will be augmented with touchscreen.
And actually I would use touchscreen on desktop as a home user.
Browse Netflix films, swiping side to side is so much more natural. Or media playback software those sorts of things. Even more so on laptops and laptop/tablet transformers.
However switch to office and it would be back to K&M not only are they more precise, you won't get arm ache.
What's really interesting is the eye tracking software combined with touch capabilities.

 

[PermaBanned]

Hmm, i'm confused - is metro actually going to be the UI of Windows 8? Or is it something you can turn on and off?

 

[Glaucus]

Hmm, i'm confused - is metro actually going to be the UI of Windows 8? Or is it something you can turn on and off?

For desktop there's both. It's not meant to be turned off, you just switch between the two.
ATM I use desktop, due to lack of metro apps (can't wait for beta and the app store), however there's no need to keep switching between the two once your in desktop view.

On multiple screen systems you get one desktop, one metro.
However this is how it's currently implemented, so subject to change.

For home use for most people. As long as software is in app form. Then desktop is pointless. For developers and work. Desktop is still vital.
However unlike othere's. I don't see any reason why big working type software can't be designed in metro with full functionality. However that will take years.


Eventually metro will replace tradition desktop completely, my guess would be windows 10.

 

[ng93]

Eventually metro will replace tradition desktop completely, my guess would be windows 10.

MS will have to make some serious improvements if they want to do that, Metro in it's current form would be hell to use on many of the apps I use day to day.

Edit: ninja! Still though, to change complex software enough that it fits with the Metro style but maintains it's usability would be nigh on impossible. Can't wait until more details on Office come out to see whether MS have figured this one out.

 

[Glaucus]

MS will have to make some serious improvements if they want to do that, Metro in it's current form would be hell to use on many of the apps I use day to day.

Not really. They would just dined old fashioned menu. Rather than the slide out widget bar.
Best thing would be for apps, to detect mouse/keyboard and modify layout accordingly. So if only touchscreen, reduced ability touch centric. If K&M are plugged in, full version. But metro over the next few version will evolve a fair bit I expect. But w10 is 6years away and another two version. So plenty of time for evolution. Conquer the home/play market first and slowly add more and more stuff to metro.

 

[ng93]

Not really. They would just dined old fashioned menu. Rather than the slide out widget bar.
Best thing would be for apps, to detect mouse/keyboard and modify layout accordingly. But metro over the next few version will evolve a fair bit I expect.

I'm thinking more the sheer amount of on screen information, buttons etc. You can't get rid of it without messing up useability, and considering that metro is all about a clean minimalist interface, you can't really keep it either.

Edit: yeah, plenty of time for some changes to happen. If MS can figure out how to make the full version of office and visual studio metro without losing useability, then it may open the doors for abobe, autodesk etc. to do the same.