Neowin.net

One word: Avalon.

A few words: Will MS take full advantage of Avalon?

Avalon is what powers the pixel shader glass which we HAVE NOT got in a build to-date it was briefly previewed in build 5060 shown during the winhec keynote last year. THAT is the final UI

so even tho what we get will be called aero glass the second screenshot is a bit decieving.

i was expecting something better but oh well...

Umm, WindowBlinds 5 is cool and all but nothing like the real Glass experience. You should try it before you knock it. As seen in the December CTP, you can change the color scheme of the glass. The only thing I hope gets changed before release is the non-Glass theme for older systems. That one definitely needs some work (and some options). Glass, though, looks fantastic. I'm partial to the "Sky Blue" setting myself.

What is so much more impressive in the Mac interface then Windows XP or Vista? Please don't say the growing icons on the app bar. If you have every used a Mac you will know that thing is really annoying; which is why it is now turned off by default on new Macs. What else are you looking for?

A minimal interface that uses eye-candy to better productivity and ease of use instead of just being showy? Sorry, but that glass blur transparency effect is dumb, and doesn't "help you see what's behind your active window" at all like Microsoft touts.

App Bar or Quick Launch? If there's any real difference I'd be interested to know!

I still like the Mac's brushed metal texture on the windows, but honestly, those gel blue scrollbars looked eye-candy-ish when OSX came out and now look flat out ridiculously dated in my opinion. Even the brushed metal is "dated" but that is the nature of the beast, after all. Using Aero gadgets via DesktopX, Glass via WindowBlinds 5, ClearONE skin for WinAmp, and glass-like docks for ObjectDock, I'm working with a very nice Aero/Mac hybrid that suits me better than either interface would alone. And with my PC, I can do that.

jagedEdge, how is having applications shrink into and grow out of that bar at the bottom of the screen is any less showy?

""A minimal interface that uses eye-candy to better productivity and ease of use instead of just being showy? Sorry, but that glass blur transparency effect is dumb, and doesn't "help you see what's behind your active window" at all like Microsoft touts.""

agreed++;

The glass effect is just special effects and has nothing to do with "what is behind the window." Remove the glass and you can see what is behind it a LOT better.

""App Bar or Quick Launch? If there's any real difference I'd be interested to know!""

The Dock (as it is called by Apple) has 3 roles in the UI of the OS:

1. Provides "Quick Launch" features, as is obvious.

2. Provides application management features. Opened applications get triangles under them to show you that it is opened. Command clicking on an opened application gives you access to all the windows opened under that application and other common things (hide, hide-other, quit, force-quit).

3. Provides window management features. Windows are minimized to the dock where a graphic represents the window that is opened as well as a name.

The dock's zoom effects is mostly just eye candy. However, especially in the case of minimized windows, zooming can help better distinguish minimized windows from the same application.

I find that the Dock + Expose make a much more powerful combination in program and window management then the windows task bar. I normally have too much open for the windows task bar to be very useful.

Shadrack you cannot win an augment such as that. The differences between the interface of OS X and Windows are more a matter of personal taste. I have used both, and I am not talking about a glance at the computer store mind you, but weeks and weeks of use, and I find Windows to be a better interface. I know people who have also used both and prefer the Mac interface, but I don't fault them or try to tell them they are wrong. I have my reasons why I prefer Windows, but don't see any point in bringing them out now.

As for this new interface; it is very much like the existing Windows interface, which I like, with a few minor improvements. I really don't care much about the eye candy other then the novelty of seeing what the new graphics model is capable of, but the real productivity improvements and feature enhancements look great so far (yes, I am a beta tester), and I am really looking forward to the final product.

it is personal taste. I will give you that. Perhaps I like Mac more right now because I've used Windows all my life and I'm subjected to the use of Windows at my work. Comming home to something different is nice.

I do like designing web sites on it more then Windows. You get the Unix with the eye-candy. heh, winning combo imo.

If there is one thing the OSX interface is nto, it's minimal. claming it is is ignoring what minimal is.

Luna is more minimal that OSX.


what is bets is pretty much personal preference though, but I find the MAC interface totally useless. quicklaunch and the taskbar is far superior and faster to use.

"those gel blue scrollbars looked eye-candy-ish when OSX came out and now look flat out ridiculously dated in my opinion"

There's an option to make the scrollbars graphite in color, along with the "traffic light" window buttons. That's how I've had mine pretty much ever since I upgraded to OS X.

Now that's a good point. (Anyway, it looks pretty good)

Yes, it could have turned out to be another Windows ME

ANYTHING is a step up from XP, those big buttons and titlebars, it's like OS for retarded (no offense to anyone).

I like the black. It's very cool. Anyway, I haven't used Vista in a few weeks, but I thought you could change the color....

They need to fix the all black window border when an application is maximized. Going from semi-transparent to opaque black just_feels_strange.

Yeah, whats with the opaque Black when maximised? same sort of thing even happened in 4047 (in a way)

yeah, hate, Hate HATE that!

I like it that way. When I maximize an app, I really don't want to see my desktop anymore.

That I think is an best example of the worse UI ever.

Yay!!
Watever the look, it will b vista. Go Vista!!!

Yeah.. I don't like it mainly because most apps "work area" is a light color. Notepad is white, Word is white. GOOGLE is white (and neowin is light blue). I just don't think it fits aero's darkness

I hear ya. They were proven wrong and don't want to hear about it.

They can't do anything revolutionary yet, they have to wait till leopard is out before they find some new ideas for inspiration, give it another year and a half and you will get your wish, just be patient funny vids for you lot http://homepage.mac.com/olepigeon/.Movies/real_vista_episode_1.mov http://homepage.mac.com/olepigeon/.Movies/real_vista_episode_2.mov

<snip. never mind, forget stirring up flames. let's just say I don't like those videos.>

Last edited by rm20010 on 09 Jan 2006 - 23:38

looks at evo_spook... thinks "must... not... feed... trolls..."

I havent read this. Maybe coz its not that intelligent!?

hah, i actually enjoyed the videos.

True. The Vista Start Menu looks very awkward in Classic. Classic Explorer is also messed up. Not a problem for me as I personally like the interface, but if Microsoft leaves out the option to revert to the 'classic' look (like in XP, how you could revert to the classic Start Menu) that'll piss off some long time Windows veterans.

Why go back in time to Classic? We are moving forward in software design/development so something new must be exciting.

Why? 1. because not every computer has a good and upgradable video card. 2. I happen to like the old windows look, I just change some colors. 3. I like my computer to work for my apps, not for the eye-candy of the OS. Just my point of view.

OK fair enough - 1. I agree on you with that because my video card only gave me basic during the short period I used Vista. 2. That's fine, but I think the glass (that you can change the colour of) would be more comfortable on the eye. 3. I think that the translucent borders around your applications workspace allows you to concentrate more on that one area, than on the whole application window itself. As for the eye candy - I reckon it just looks cool and can be a nice way to show off your computer. Thats just what I think.

If your computer can't handle the basic theme with no glass effects (read: basically what windows XP uses), then odds are it candle Vista at all. So then what's the big deal?

Yes, MS has confirmed this, so hold your horses.

Here ya go... The FIRST Alpha: http://winsupersite.com/reviews/whistler_preview.asp Beta 1, with Watercolor: http://winsupersite.com/reviews/whistler_beta1.asp Build 2410 (still Watercolor): http://winsupersite.com/reviews/whistler_2410.asp Beta 2: http://winsupersite.com/reviews/windowsxp_beta2.asp RC1: http://winsupersite.com/reviews/windowsxp_rc1.asp

Would you care to elaborate on your opinion?

that's no opinion...that's just a flame. I'll take my own highly modified Aero Glass before I'll touch the clean but dated brushed metal look of Aqua with its horrendously goofy-looking blue gel pack scrollbars. Those bars looked silly when Aqua came out and they've only shown their "eye-candyness" age in the interim. I loved the Dock idea though, so kudos to Apple for throwing that into the creative hopper.

maybe, maybe not, but anyway, there is GRAPHITE look, much cleaner

I know that, but the OS and UI should look good [b]OUTSIDE THE BOX[/b], we shouldn't have to hack it around and make it look better, that means the OS is already weak. It should look [b]GOOD by DEFAULT[/b].

ya, I agree it gets annoying when you don't get good themes