According to Paul Thurrott, Milestone 3 (build 6780) was shipped to Microsoft employees and close partners on the week of September 7, 2008. Microsoft hopes to distribute this build at PDC 2008. Described as visually and functionally similar to Windows Vista, some bundled applications in Milestone 3 now use a ribbon interface similar to that of Office 2007.[



Source: The ol' wikipedia.

wikipedia is not a news source, take anything you read on their with a grain of salt, i could go on there edit it and say it was due yesterday

wikipedia isn't a source

the source is: http://windowsitpro.com/windowspaulthurrot...-windows-7.html

while it says that M3 looks like vista it also says "As previously reported, Microsoft has tasked the team that created the ribbon UI with updating the Windows shell as well."

that suggests that there will be changes at some point.

What about this then, http://news.softpedia.com/news/Windows-7-B...008-93394.shtml
Beta 1 in December.


And this about the M3
http://windowsitpro.com/windowspaulthurrot...-windows-7.html

Oh goody! The excitement of a new version of Windows starts.

cant wait , i will be win7 private tester if posible

ribbon everywhere in Windows = more people switching to Mac lol

I won't be one of them. I can't wait for the whole "menu bar" to finally be rid of.

it is not that bad

the only thing is keeping me away from office 07 is backward combit.

come on Tabbed windows explorer

Sure. I wouldn't mind playing with Windows Beta's too.

You'd be surprised, out users at my company are taking to it well.



There's a free Office 2007 compatibility pack that works with Office XP and 2003 as well as you can specify Office 07 to save in the old format.

+1

Although I can't easily imagine Notepad with a ribbon bar.

Both me and my gf don't like it (she hates it more than I do....I'm kinda meh about it) and my sister doesn't like it either

Really? What's there not to like about it? It's a very intelligently-designed way of organizing an overwhelming amount of options into a simple, intuitive interface. I mean, it was kind of annoying when I first started using it, because I couldn't find my commands (used to the old organization method), but I adapted very quickly using this one simple rule:

"Forget what you know from previous versions, and look in the most obvious place for the command to be located."

Boom! Every time, the button was right there. Use Office 2007 more. I've yet to meet a single person (other than the brand-new converts) who disliked the ribbon.


However, I do not believe the ribbon is necessarily the answer for an OS. It works very well in Office and AutoCAD, but is completely over-the-top in other, smaller apps (*cough*PowerArchiver*cough*). A ribbon in Windows Explorer is completely more than is neccessary. In fact, I can't think of a single OS-bundled app that would really benefit from the ribbon.

I do, however, hope that the GUI team who designed the ribbon can innovate a proper OS-specific GUI with the same organization and intuitiveness of the ribbon. In short, I can't wait to see what they're cooking up.

The only "problem" with the ribbon is that it's still a very new interface design that many people aren't really used to. However, as office 2007 becomes more mainstream, the ribbon will become more familiar.



You can save standard Office 97-2003 office files in Office 2007.

This has probably been mentioned before but for people still getting used to the new ribbon UI there is a office labs beta add-in that adds a search box in the ribbon and lets you find specific tools easier. I have it installed and it works pretty good.

is there a way to make office 97-2003 the default format btw

cause i don't went it to look like a crap w/2007 format in university <they use office 03 @computer labs>

Sure, open up word and click the orb on the top left. Click "word options" on the bottom of the panel and go to the "save" section. There should be a drop-down box called "save files in this format". Just chose .doc from the list. You can do the same thing with excel and powerpoint.

Good news, that means M3 will leak end of October for us to play with! LOL!

I hate the ribbon UI, but I've been using Office since 97, and I don't like big changes so that's probably why. I know many find it useful but I find it cluttered! I can't wait to see how the new office looks, if any different.

Although it's no longer strictly a bundled application (it's part of Windows Live Wave 3), the upcoming version of Windows Movie Maker will use a ribbon interface:

http://www.liveside.net/main/archive/2008/...ith-wave-3.aspx

Presumably that's the kind of thing we're going to get with Windows 7.

They're going to take Windows Movie Maker out of Windows now, with Win7. It'll be part of the Windows Live group of programs and a free download. This is also good since they can now update it more and not every 2-3 years when a new windows version is out.

They're also talking about maybe taking Windows Mail out, which needs to go anyways. Replace it with the much better Windows Live Mail (though I personally use Outlook 07).

The good news is that m3 is said to have had lots of performance work done to it.

I just can't stand the ribbon interface it's completely unnecessarily bloated. I use Office 2007 on both my computers because it's required for a couple classes. Yet I still prefer to go back to Office 2003 or Open Office for my everyday use. They keep things slim and sleek with menus. Not to mention they don't use that ugly blue theme that's in Office 07.

i think a ribbon is a great idea, im getting tired of the menu bar.

ugh i cant stand the ribbon, and yet im always up for changes, something about it just doesnt click right

I love the ribbon, I also set it to hide until I click on a tab which saves even more space. Menus are a mess with all the stuff MS has packed into Office.

The ribbon takes up too much space, I hated it in Office 2007, when I'm trying to work on a document I want less UI in the way, not more. Some simpler version like tabbed groups of commands, or even the IE7 menus would work better.

Screenshots of M3?

Here is a list i compiled for Barry Goffe one of the program managers over at MS that was in charge of Windows Vista Ultimate Extras.....so im thinking some of these ideas can be migrated into Windows 7.....

Im going to compile a list of ideas that should be added into the Extras wishlist:

1. Microsoft Fabric from MS Research or Madotate.

2. Plugin to Add a drive in Explorer that is directly connected to Skydrive.

3. An IRC Client written in WPF

4. An SSH Client written in WPF

5. Plugin for Windows Live Photogallery to get Mantle view, Docked view, and Flip3D view.

6. Larger Live Previews for Documents, and Media files.

7. GUI written in WPF for Volume Shadow Copy

8. Give Powerusers Manpages on Powershell and how to write scripts to manipulate the system faster. (Instead of searching sites have it integrated into windows help and support)

9. Give users more documentation on how to create gadgets faster and easier. (Instead of searching sites have it integrated into windows help and support oh and make help and support look more like IIS7 manager. )

10. Lite Advanced Source Code Editor that has every feature imaginable from writing scripts for Powershell to having the right tools for writing code for gadgets. (For the people that dont want to install the Visual Studio packages)

11. Scientific calculator that works for programmers, engineers, and statistical analysis.

12. Make a Live.com Community for developer collaboration, poweruser collaboration, and end user collaboration moderated by Head Program Managers to get a better perspective of what the Windows Userbase is really thinking. (An IRC Server with channels would be nice.)

13. Optimize the Windows Sidebar code. ( Seriously you guys botched on that one)

14. Dictionary, come on guys this is needed.

15. Systemwide spellchecker.

16. Give us some themes for Windows Media Player 11/12/13 ect...

17. Have Microsoft hire the developer of Locate32. ( The Indexing engine in Vista is OK but needs work, I disabled it and use Locate32, its seemingly faster and instant, this is just something to look at)

18. Live Font Previews. (not really something that is in die or need but its nice to have )

19. Integrate a Notes System onto the desktop with Windows Calender and other Office applications. (Curently Im using Stickies and hott notes, as for hott notes only thing I like is that I can hide the notes and bring them back with a hotkey and get a blacked out screen with just the notes, I'd combine the stickies with hotkeys and a blackout screen like the one you get with a UAC warning whenever you use a hotkey, now that would be cool. )

20. Make a XPS Viewer App. ( Come on guys you can get this in easy) ...its already made but when i posted this it was'nt

21. Something I like to use alot lately is WikiPad, mainly to take notes and organize them. I know OneNote is great but lacks features. Have a look at WikiPad its just an idea.

22. Windows Error Log viewer with detailed views and explanations. (This would be for powerusers )

23. Integrate Windows Cardspace/User Account/Live/Hotmail and Auto-Complete system wide so when you have to input things there automatic. (Of course with Security in mind include a strict password and a 4 digit pin at logon of Windows if you want to use CardSpace, so if you want the Windows to know your going to login with CardSpace enabled at the login you'd input the 4 digit pin. Everytime there's a form to fill it'd be automatic and be inputted by the information provided when the CardSpace account was created.)

24. Hire the developers of CoreForce its a firewall based off of PF. ( Very robust firewall best of all its based on PF riddled with features.)

25. Screensaver maker. (This could be useful for students and presentations )

26. Themes for Windows DVD Maker. ( Or give us the tool to make the menu's ourselves.)

27. Plugins for Windows Movie Maker. ( You guys know you could've added a ton more features to this, its too bland.) I know Windows Live Movie Maker (Wave 3)

28. An integrated File Wiper, DOD compliant. (I know there's sdelete and cipher but it'd be nice to have it directly integrated into explorer or the recycle bin. )

30. TripleDES Encryption options for files. Or give us options.

31. Multi-Desktop support. (This should have been included already come on guys get with the program.) I know about the system internals app.

32. Individual Powershell console written in WPF. ( Transparency would look hot here. Tabs would work too.)

33. Update DiskCleanup so it takes care of the winsxs folder.

M3 already? Anyone know of any significant changes in the new release?

Oh yeah, should the " What we know so far on Windows (Codenamed) 7" topic, needs updating?

Ribbon takes up too much space? I think you can't go more minimalistic than this...

Click to view attachment

Well mostly still looks like vista from that sceenshot, apart from that ribbon ofcource. What about "the taskbar that no one suppost to talk about"?

Oh yes the hype!

Followed by the spectacular disappointment.

You can enable Autohide in Office 2007 applications that use Fluent and it works just like Classic drop down menu interfaces.

screenshot of paint with a "ribbon" in windows 7 ms 3, for those who haven't seen it yet.

http://www.uxevangelist.net/

oooooooOoOOooOoooohhhh

Pretty!!!

Wow, I never realized that even Paint could use it pretty well

It actually looks really nice, I like the blue office theme a lot so I think it can really make things look at bit more unified. I'm interested to see how they implemented the ribbon in wordpad.

+1

That.. screenshot looks great! Now I'm getting excited over Windows 7.

It still looks unnecessarily bloated to me. Sure with menus it opens other windows and such, but why have a massive toolbar when you only need a couple things. This is why I like Paint in Vista (and older). It kept things simple because that's what paint is, a simple image editing program. I have absolutely no need for the crop, resize, rotate, brushes, shapes, brush size (this doesn't even make sense since it's not next to brush style), and the many options for colors. I say use the old style of buttons, but make it modular where you can add what buttons you need and remove those you don't.

Just because of the ribbon bar in Paint? That's about the only upgrade Paint had since Windows 3.0 or so. I still wish MS could give money to the Paint.NET dev to include it in Win7 and update it with the ribbon bar.

And like I said, the ribbon bar is going to be a pain on the small Netbook LCD 1024x600....

You have as much real estate in '07 as you had in '03. Plus, you can change the color theme of '07.

Something tells me you didn't give Office '07 more than a cursory, "I already hate it" glance.

If you want to be relevant in the "real world" (you know, where those "job" things are), get used to Office '07 - we're all using it, and couldn't be happier.

He has posted a screenshot of wordpad on W7 now too.

I Just saw it, looks pretty nice. I noticed he said it's currently not compatible with the new file formats for office 2007. I wonder if they will include that before it ships or keep it separate so it doesn't interfere with word.

mmm.. wordpad looks nice too, but sliders are same like now

No, No. But what it does mean to me is that Microsoft is finally updating 10+ year old Windows Applets. It's just good to see them do something, anything with Wordpad (which blows currently) and MSPaint (which is a dinosaur).

Agree on Paint .NET. Although I wish that Paint .Net would get a ribbon UI, that would make it really cool and fast more usable IMO.

Calculator needs an update, too - especially the icons. Ancient!

Totally. Also needs a multi-line display so it's easier to track complex formula.

i want to see more of the ribbon through windows 7 like something like explorer integration use of it and other applications like calendar and such just more ribbon

Like Windows Movie Maker and Windows Mail, Windows Calendar will not be in windows 7. They're all moved to Windows Live.
You can find the calendar in the new Windows Live Mail beta.