31 replies to this topic 1 votes

[AmazingRando]

I wanted to help overcome some limitations of mouse/keyboard interface while keeping everything touch friendly and new.






In the normal mode, the Start Menu will default at 4 or even 5 tiles high with the ability to adjust to go from one corner to the other. It will never get wider unless a search is done or you tap All Programs. Tapping "Apps" will take you to the Start Screen. Power and Settings buttons should be pretty obvious.

Any tile will have the ability to be "Pinned to Start Menu", as shown here with the weather, Maps and Skydrive Apps. Any tile shown that are not pinned will be based on what is open or has been open. Mouse wheeling or finger sliding/flicking will spin thru this list of tiles (in this example it shows Desktop and Calendar) of all your currently running tiles. The new tiles will slide up or down according to the scroll or flick direction. If no more than one App is currently launched whatever is shown will be based on frequency of use. This will eliminate the task switcher from the top left hot corner as well. This also gives you a quick view of live tile data (such as temperature) without compromising or covering your current work flow.

Also shown on this screenshot is Gadgets. They are not like Windows 7 and older gadgets. They are simply live tiles that can be pinned to your desktop screen and are covered up by any windows just as in prior versions of Windows with gadgets.

Thoughts?

Edited by Neobond, 20 November 2012 - 19:03.
fixed formatting and images

[+Brando212]

I was gonna come in here and say "why do we need another start menu program for 8"

but this is actually quite the interesting concept, and I'd say it has potential

[Neobond]

NOT BAD!


btw I fixed your post, did you copy it from somewhere?

[Obi-Wan Kenobi]

now THAT is awesome! makes me wish I had 8 and this mock up as a real start menu! impressive!

[thartist]

Someone code this sh*t!!! IMMEDIATELY!



Edit: Hmm... on second thought...

It looks immediately attractive and it gathers everything in a single place much unlike any start menu replacement i've seen, and it better integrates both worlds with a launcher for "Metro" too.

1) On a broader designer view, it doesn't fix the fact that you'd have 2 environments with 2 start menus.
I think the case that your design would suit best is if you're only interested in the desktop (which is also to worry because it's the "environment" MS seems to be relegating)

Why do i say this? Because yours is the only design that comes close to actually SOLVING the duality. If you could expand the size of the mockup a bit, it could REPLACE the start screen STRAIGHT from the desktop. THAT would be the ultimate solution.

If it's not asking much, go for it.

2) Your second paragraph is kinda hard to grasp. I guess you mean it's similar to current start menus, a pinned and recent tiles area which you can flick... makes the whole thing sound a little functionally cluttered, i have my doubts.

3) The Power and Settings buttons positions are kinda swapped?


Congratulations!

[Sszecret]

Not quite sure about the 2nd screenshot, but the first one looks pretty good. Nice work!

[Mr Spoon]

Windows 7 theme please!
That's super sexy.

[TheReasonIFailed]

I'm one of those people that don't miss the Start Menu so take this as you will but:

Screenshot #1: Yay, it's different and keeps with the flow of Windows 8
Screenshot #2: Nay, it looks tacked on and doesn't flow with the first screenshot.

How about just being able to allow for smaller tiles, so we can add up to 40 tiles in that first "Windows 8" start menu. In other words; take the Windows 8 "Start Screen" and shrink it down to a fourth or fifth of it's current size.

[Order_66]

I would actually purchase and use windows 8 if it looked like that and had the functionality to match, this is much better than the current state of colossal fail that windows 8 is at right now.

[Dashel]

I'd prefer just a WP7/8-esque menu personally. That could actually meet both sets pretty easily and resolution-wise, its pretty close to the classic menu size.

[AmazingRando]

thartist, on 20 November 2012 - 19:19, said:

Someone code this sh*t!!! IMMEDIATELY!



Edit: Hmm... on second thought...

It looks immediately attractive and it gathers everything in a single place much unlike any start menu replacement i've seen, and it better integrates both worlds with a launcher for "Metro" too.

1) On a broader designer view, it doesn't fix the fact that you'd have 2 environments with 2 start menus.
I think the case that your design would suit best is if you're only interested in the desktop (which is also to worry because it's the "environment" MS seems to be relegating)

Why do i say this? Because yours is the only design that comes close to actually SOLVING the duality. If you could expand the size of the mockup a bit, it could REPLACE the start screen STRAIGHT from the desktop. THAT would be the ultimate solution.

If it's not asking much, go for it.

2) Your second paragraph is kinda hard to grasp. I guess you mean it's similar to current start menus, a pinned and recent tiles area which you can flick... makes the whole thing sound a little functionally cluttered, i have my doubts.

3) The Power and Settings buttons positions are kinda swapped?


Congratulations!

I wholeheartedly agree with the issue of duality that the OS suffers from. Not saying one way is better than the other but the contrast between the two is far too jarring for most.

The scrolling tiles on the start menu in my mock up would be limited to non-pinned tiles. It's kind of hard to grasp my vision in a static image. I think I might try to make an animated mock up.

Looking at it now, I think you're right the Power and Settings buttons are backward.

[stockwiz]

first screenshot looks great. Integrate the start screen and desktop into one. Put the metro apps on the desktop screen. Pin any program to this new desktop, replace the old style icons with the new style box logos, give the option to change the size of the boxes to suit the size of the screen used.

Keep the start menu looking as it is, allow the ability to add more options such as control panel, or whatever. Allow the option to make the start menu bigger or wider if a person wants. Maybe move the quick launch icons to the right side of the screen, and make the taskbar bigger so the icons are easy to press.

I don't have a huge problem with the way things are now though. Push windows button, 'start menu' pops up. No biggie.

[lanru]

Nice concept .. I'm currently using Vistart as a Start Menu replacement.

[Dot Matrix]

AmazingRando, on 20 November 2012 - 19:00, said:

I wanted to help overcome some limitations of mouse/keyboard interface while keeping everything touch friendly and new.






In the normal mode, the Start Menu will default at 4 or even 5 tiles high with the ability to adjust to go from one corner to the other. It will never get wider unless a search is done or you tap All Programs. Tapping "Apps" will take you to the Start Screen. Power and Settings buttons should be pretty obvious.

Any tile will have the ability to be "Pinned to Start Menu", as shown here with the weather, Maps and Skydrive Apps. Any tile shown that are not pinned will be based on what is open or has been open. Mouse wheeling or finger sliding/flicking will spin thru this list of tiles (in this example it shows Desktop and Calendar) of all your currently running tiles. The new tiles will slide up or down according to the scroll or flick direction. If no more than one App is currently launched whatever is shown will be based on frequency of use. This will eliminate the task switcher from the top left hot corner as well. This also gives you a quick view of live tile data (such as temperature) without compromising or covering your current work flow.

Also shown on this screenshot is Gadgets. They are not like Windows 7 and older gadgets. They are simply live tiles that can be pinned to your desktop screen and are covered up by any windows just as in prior versions of Windows with gadgets.

Thoughts?

The second screenshot doesn't work. You can't touch 16x16px lists of icons. You just can't.

EDIT: Also, on second thought, this just doesn't work at all. On tablets, other portable devices, and my HTPC, the last thing I want to see is the desktop. Trying to save a desktop-only design isn't going to work.

[Davo]

Phenomenal job but "yuck" to the old style expanded Start Menu. I'm not even sure I'm talking about just the looks either.