Recommended Posts

The next generation user interface of Windows 8 will be chromeless at core, Microsoft said during its Worldwide Partner Conference 2011.

Users that have been watching the evolution of Windows are undoubtedly well aware of the fact that the Windows 8 UI has suffered a major overhaul, especially when the operating system is running on next generation form factors such as Tablet PCs or slates.

Essentially, the old GUI, Windows Aero for example, although still in Windows 8, will be swapped for the new UI on non-traditional form factors. There?s no Taskbar, no Start button, no notifications area, and no desktop. Chromeless.

?Apps are certainly an important part of the Windows 8 plan. And when Windows 8 ships, developers will already know how to build great apps,? said Tami Reller, Corporate Vice President and CFO, Windows & Windows Live.

?The Windows 8 UI is chromeless, and it's clean, and apps can take up the entire screen. Every single pixel on the screen is there to represent your information. As an app comes to life, Windows quickly fades to the background. The apps are beautiful; they're designed for touch and work well with a mouse and keyboard, too.?

Reller is talking about the new HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript applications that developers will be able to build and have them run directly on top of Windows 8.

Read more at source: Softpedia.com

Edit:

Article UPDATED: Changes for clarity. The chromeless UI in Windows 8 refers only to copies of the OS running on next generation form factors.

Edited by Ci7
Link to comment
https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1012052-windows-8-ui-is-chromeless/
Share on other sites

I really don't know how I'm gonna take to the new UI experience. I'll probably get a touchscreen but I can see my arms aching by the end of the day! I can certainly see an advantage when paired with a mouse but not exclusive use of touch on a desktop. Tablet, purely touch for sure!

No taskbar or Start menu, no purchase. I have no interest in the tablet fad.

You can go to the full desktop by clicking the start orb. Not sure about for tablets though..

is not a tablet UI. Its a phone UI and it sucks

It's more of a tablet UI than iOS for what I can see. I feel iOS is just a simple mobile OS that have been ported to tablet. While Windows 8 tablet UI is much more designed with tablets in mind.

Does anyone really expect Microsoft to suddenly make almost 99% of today's applications incompatible or run in maximized mode only when Windows 8 retails?

Like they've done with Windows 7, any major UI shift is gradual with compatibility fallbacks. Take the classic Start Menu as an example. It was deprecated in Windows XP and continued to exist until Windows 7. That's almost eight more years for a menu that was no longer the default app launching mechanism since 2001.

Does anyone really expect Microsoft to suddenly make almost 99% of today's applications incompatible or run in maximized mode only when Windows 8 retails?

Like they've done with Windows 7, any major UI shift is gradual with compatibility fallbacks. Take the classic Start Menu as an example. It was deprecated in Windows XP and continued to exist until Windows 7. That's almost eight more years for a menu that was no longer the default app launching mechanism since 2001.

+1

Didn't Microsoft do the same with DOS? Through Windows 3.1 through 95, 98 and ME it was gradually moved further away from the user so no-one would suddenly notice and be flummoxed when support was dropped altogether.

The Start Menu will be with us for a few more product cycles, but it's card is marked and days numbered.

Okay. From the video's it looks like the Windows Phone 7 interface(or Zune), once exited from that it looks like Windows 7.. No big deal really and I dont understand why theyd say its Chromeless.. Wait is Aero even chrome? I thought it was transparent

Another thing, I wish Microsoft would be cool and not use numbers. Okay 95, 98, 98se?, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, now 8.. I wish you'd just use the god damn codenames as they sound better.. I love XP, Vista, Seven, but I wish they'd come up with more interesting names as the label. I feel like using just numbers is boring.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • Anybody that thinks flying cars were possible are idiots. Everyone would basically need a pilot licence, can you imagine how insane and dangerous that would be, people can barely handle driving on land safely right now.
    • Microsoft Edge 149.0.4022.80 by Razvan Serea Microsoft Edge is a super fast and secure web browser from Microsoft. It works on almost any device, including PCs, iPhones and Androids. It keeps you safe online, protects your privacy, and lets you browse the web quickly. You can even use it on all your devices and keep your browsing history and favorites synced up. Built on the same technology as Chrome, Microsoft Edge has additional built-in features like Startup boost and Sleeping tabs, which boost your browsing experience with world class performance and speed that are optimized to work best with Windows. Microsoft Edge security and privacy features such as Microsoft Defender SmartScreen, Password Monitor, InPrivate search, and Kids Mode help keep you and your loved ones protected and secure online. Microsoft Edge has features to keep both you and your family protected. Enable content filters and access activity reports with your Microsoft Family Safety account and experience a kid-friendly web with Kids Mode. The new Microsoft Edge is now compatible with your favorite extensions, so it’s easy to personalize your browsing experience. Microsoft Edge 149.0.4022.80 changelog: Fixes Fixed an issue that prevented QR code generation from working. Feature updates Intune MAM Protected Downloads. The protected downloads feature for Intune MAM will now save downloaded files to the Documents > Microsoft Edge > Downloads folder in OneDrive. Extensions monitoring in the Edge management service. The Microsoft Edge management service now allows admins to gain visibility into extensions installed across their managed users. From the extensions monitoring page, admins can see which extensions have been installed as well as manage user requests for blocked extensions. For more information, see Microsoft Edge Extensions Monitoring. Validate Edge builds early with enterprise preview. Enterprise preview provides a simpler way for admins to flight pre-release Edge builds to their users. To reduce friction and bolster usage, users will receive pre-release builds directly inside of their Stable Edge application. Admins can allow users to easily opt-out of the preview experience, using built-in rollback to switch between their pre-release and stable channels with ease. Microsoft 365 admin center users can configure the feature, view their flighting population, and receive personalized recommendations all in one place. For more information, see Get started with Enterprise Preview in Microsoft Edge. Download: Microsoft Edge (64-bit) | 193.0 MB (Freeware) Download: Microsoft Edge (32-bit) | 170.0 MB Download: Microsoft Edge (ARM64) | 188.0 MB View: Microsoft Edge Website | Release History Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
    • The machines are starting to fight back any way they can.
    • No news articles about the Arch Linux repo being majorly infected with malware?!?
    • Waymo recalls self-driving software after cars enter closed freeway work zones by Paul Hill Waymo, the self-driving car maker owned by Alphabet – the parent company of Google –, has recalled some of its fifth-generation Automated Driving Systems (ADS). It did so after some of its cars drove through closed construction zones. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the affected vehicles were capable of driving through a closed freeway construction zone and continuing to drive at speed. The listing on the NHTSA website says that Waymo is currently developing a solution to fix this issue, but in the meantime, freeway driving is being restricted. Waymo will update its ADS software so that vehicles can detect when they can avoid entering construction zones. According to the Safety Recall Report, on April 20, 2026, Waymo’s Field Safety Committee began meetings reviewing an event from April 11, 2026, and five events from April 19, 2026, where Waymo’s autonomous vehicles didn’t recognize and drove past ramp closure signs into the pre-planned freeway construction zones. This took place in Phoenix, Arizona. Separately, on May 18, 2026, seven Waymo vehicles entered freeway lanes with active construction in the San Francisco Bay Area by driving between cones that were placed to show the lane was closed. On the back of both of these events, Waymo restricted freeway driving until it could address the issue. In June, Waymo’s Safety Board reviewed the issue and additional information related to ADS performances around construction zones; then, as a result, it decided to conduct a recall. This development is not good for Waymo as it adds to a growing list of technical hiccups its cars have experienced. Ultimately, it will lead to more scrutiny from lawmakers around the world who will be more cautious about letting autonomous vehicles on their roads without tighter regulation. For readers in areas where Waymo operates, does this news make you more wary about stepping into one of these vehicles?
  • Recent Achievements

    • Week One Done
      Eurosoft10 earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Month Later
      Eurosoft10 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • One Year In
      Skeet Campbell earned a badge
      One Year In
    • One Month Later
      Sharbel earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • First Post
      BizSAR earned a badge
      First Post
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      599
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      190
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      79
    4. 4
      Michael Scrip
      77
    5. 5
      Steven P.
      69
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!