Windows 8 not Metro enough?

By FMH
in The Fast Ring (Insider Previews)

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justmike

Posted
Posted

I have to agree with the op, if they're pushing the metro interface, they'd be better off fully embracing it with the classic environment, it'd gel a lot better.

Or separate it completely for the desktop, then they could go all-the-way on their tablet only version(s) ARM and other. But then they would have to come up with something that is much better than Windows 7 in some way. :/

Grand Master

Fourjays Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

I think the problem is Microsoft has taken the styling of the Metro concept and tried to apply it to Windows 7 quickly and cheaply.

I can't find the site at the moment, but there was an excellent article I read a few months ago, going over the full original Metro design concept - not just this tile rubbish that everyone has come to associate with the Metro name. The full concept was about task-specific UI design and layout, with fluid interaction (inspired by web design, and as seen on Windows Phone, Xbox, etc). Not just a graphic style as they seem to be trying to apply it to Windows 8. The ribbon is a good example of Microsoft's own confusion - it shouldn't be anywhere near Metro as they are competing concepts. I fear we are going to end up with (yet another) inconsistent mix of the last few operating systems while Microsoft tries to figure out just what they are doing.

EDIT: Found it. The concepts here are what I want from Metro. Not Windows 7 with a touch-screen start menu. If that means they have to ditch backwards compatibility and call it something other than Windows, so be it.

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Grand Master

Stoffel

Posted
Posted

I agree with the OP.

I've actually mentioned the same in a few comments on Win8 treads

they don't even need to do to much, just take a little chrome away, change the font and make the icons a bet more metro style

just so if feels like a smooth transition when you go from the beautiful start screen into the desktop.

Then again for all we know they are working on that and it will just be merged at the end or just before the RC.

Anyway I'm pretty excited for the CP, just to look at all the little improvements over the DP

Grand Master

PGHammer

Posted
Posted

I usually think dude is crazy but on this I think the dude has a point. It would be like... double the effort for Microsoft.

But look at how most folks react to the thought of ANY change in Windows - even a small one. A full-tilt change would be seen as heresy (in the religious sense).

I'm a guy that likes Immersive as a UI, and is using it in the WDP unchanged - and I'm on a traditional desktop. However, that is a far-from-majority view.

I think the problem is Microsoft has taken the styling of the Metro concept and tried to apply it to Windows 7 quickly and cheaply.

I can't find the site at the moment, but there was an excellent article I read a few months ago, going over the full original Metro design concept - not just this tile rubbish that everyone has come to associate with the Metro name. The full concept was about task-specific UI design and layout, with fluid interaction (inspired by web design, and as seen on Windows Phone, Xbox, etc). Not just a graphic style as they seem to be trying to apply it to Windows 8. The ribbon is a good example of Microsoft's own confusion - it shouldn't be anywhere near Metro as they are competing concepts. I fear we are going to end up with (yet another) inconsistent mix of the last few operating systems while Microsoft tries to figure out just what they are doing.

EDIT: Found it. The concepts here are what I want from Metro. Not Windows 7 with a touch-screen start menu. If that means they have to ditch backwards compatibility and call it something other than Windows, so be it.

And if Microsoft's developers did that, there would be a developer barbecue on the Redmond campus.

Developers are among the most vocal of the anti-Metro critics - and it's not because it's any harder to write applications to work in Metro.

However, all too many developers hate ANY change in how they do things - including writing applications.

Grand Master

Stoffel

Posted
Posted

So what happens if Windows 8 sale fails like Windows Vista? Are they going to still push Metro or completely scratch idea cause i know that Windows 8 sale is going to be terrible.

Here you are again....

Win8 will sell great, it's coming pre installed on every new pc sold from December on probably, so they will sell heaps

And hopefully people will like the tablets so it will sell on those as well

And great staying on topic for a change

Rising Star

muratoner

Posted
Posted

So what happens if Windows 8 sale fails like Windows Vista? Are they going to still push Metro or completely scratch idea cause i know that Windows 8 sale is going to be terrible.

i don't think it will be as bad as Vista but it's clear it won't reach windows 7 sales....unless they make Metro optional for desktops which is very unlikely

Grand Master

George P Global Moderator

Posted
  • Global Moderator
Posted

I think metro on the desktop will happen more in Win9 actually. For now they can't change the desktop UI too much or all the old apps will really look out of place. Don't forget the users who need to get used to things as well. Heck, MS has always made big changes over time instead of in one go. If/when we see WinRT support the "desktop" then you'll know that the change is coming for sure.

Hell, once we get a true WinRT version of Office then we'll know.

i don't think it will be as bad as Vista but it's clear it won't reach windows 7 sales....unless they make Metro optional for desktops which is very unlikely

I don't think that will be the case at all. Any loss on the desktop side for Win8 will be offset and even gained on the mobile/tablet side of the market in the end. ARM and x86 tablet sales will be solid IMO thanks to the new UI only adding to sales even while business might not use it (though tablet sales for business should be good as well).

Community Regular

techguy77

Posted
Posted

I think metro on the desktop will happen more in Win9 actually. For now they can't change the desktop UI too much or all the old apps will really look out of place. Don't forget the users who need to get used to things as well. Heck, MS has always made big changes over time instead of in one go. If/when we see WinRT support the "desktop" then you'll know that the change is coming for sure.

Hell, once we get a true WinRT version of Office then we'll know.

I don't think that will be the case at all. Any loss on the desktop side for Win8 will be offset and even gained on the mobile/tablet side of the market in the end. ARM and x86 tablet sales will be solid IMO thanks to the new UI only adding to sales even while business might not use it (though tablet sales for business should be good as well).

Why do you think that people will buy Windows 8 Tablet over iPad2 or Android which works well for them?

Here you are again....

Win8 will sell great, it's coming pre installed on every new pc sold from December on probably, so they will sell heaps

And hopefully people will like the tablets so it will sell on those as well

And great staying on topic for a change

That is very interesting thing you said. How many PCs actually Dell, HP and others sell nowdays? The numbers are rather shady. I see lot of more custom built PCs. Do you think that OEM will offer Windows 7 too like they did with Windows XP?

Windows 8 UI is rather radical change what people got used to. I always thought MS would take easy approach and that means, have only Ribbon interface as new change with Windows 8. In any case it looks like half work because with Metro UI elements so much inconsistency is created and duplication of lot of things. Eventually, MS will have to decide about whole Desktop future if they decide to stick with Metro which is more likely meaning Desktop and Metro cannot coexist in the current form. They are contradicting each other visually and at some other levels.

I am afraid that MS might take Apple approach somewhat by killing Desktop and locking user at Metro level who will be able to interact with folders and files only through appropriate application itself. Losing that freedom will make lot of people to look at alternative called Linux.

Collaborator

JonathanMarston

Posted
Posted

I agree that Windows 8 is not Metro enough. This is true of both the Windows 8 deskop, and the "Metro" start screen. Microsoft has lost the original vision and intent of metro. Metro was never about killing off gradients and shadows and making everything big, flat, blocky and "touch-first." It was never about tiles, and it was never about blocks of random color.

Windows Media Center, the Zune software, the Zune HD, and the future videos from Microsoft Research are the best examples of what metro can be. None of these look anything like Windows 8's "Metro-style" shell. Where these are beautiful, functional, and elegant, Windows 8 looks like programmer art. It's as if they said, "hey, WP7 is Metro, and it's touch, and it has tiles. That means tiles are Metro, so let's make everything in Windows 8 a tile and call it Metro!!!"

I will probably end up using Windows 8, and eventually learn to like (most of) it. It's just so far short of what it could (or really, should) have been...

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Community Regular

efjay

Posted
Posted

Why do you think that people will buy Windows 8 Tablet over iPad2 or Android which works well for them?

I wonder why people always claim only ipads and androids are legitimate options for consumers. And who says ipad and android users are the only target, there are millions of other people who have still not bought a tablet and could buy a Windows 8 tablet.

I am afraid that MS might take Apple approach somewhat by killing Desktop and locking user at Metro level who will be able to interact with folders and files only through appropriate application itself. Losing that freedom will make lot of people to look at alternative called Linux.

Wasnt aware that apple had killed their desktop and that Microsoft had stated they were doing the same. Either way, computing is evolving, the desktop will eventually be unnecessary but even then the notion that Microsoft will kill the desktop is unlikely and they will likely keep it around for legacy purposes.

Veteran

~Johnny

Posted
Posted

We don't really know how will metro work with non touch screen but if it's anything like Zune it will be terrible. If you have let's say have 100 music album and you want to browse them in Zune it is terrible.

How? All your artists are listed down the side, all your albums right there in the middle. You can literally just start tpying to search, or even switch over to album view :p I have over 300 albums in Zune and browsing is a complete breeze. Not that it matters because Zune doesn't follow the Win8 user experience guidelines.

Community Regular

techguy77

Posted
Posted

I wonder why people always claim only ipads and androids are legitimate options for consumers. And who says ipad and android users are the only target, there are millions of other people who have still not bought a tablet and could buy a Windows 8 tablet.

Wasnt aware that apple had killed their desktop and that Microsoft had stated they were doing the same. Either way, computing is evolving, the desktop will eventually be unnecessary but even then the notion that Microsoft will kill the desktop is unlikely and they will likely keep it around for legacy purposes.

I meant Apple didn't kill desktop but locked their users to do anything. Looks like MS is about to do the same by killing Desktop. I can bet you that in their stupid heads idea of killing Desktop is ON.

How? All your artists are listed down the side, all your albums right there in the middle. You can literally just start tpying to search, or even switch over to album view :p I have over 300 albums in Zune and browsing is a complete breeze. Not that it matters because Zune doesn't follow the Win8 user experience guidelines.

Yes, on left side is your selection and on right side marketplace but UI is so fugly and cluttered that is makes my eyes pop out. In order to use this interface i need to maximize it to my whole screen otherwise i am looking in similar unusable junk found in my Windows Phone.

Mentor

ArialBlue

Posted
Posted

OP's concepts look very bland and poor. They look old / MAC-ish and probably would be painful to use in the long run.

In the long run, getting rid of glass and having the classic desktop be more-so merged with METRO is a good idea (if it works ergonomically - Windows is not Ubuntu - Windows must make RATIONAL GUI choices which benefit people). Lets wait for Windows 9 for that.

Windows 8 signifies the transition of the GUI IMO.

If you get rid of the classic aero desktop, you will end up having alienated a bunch of users who are used to it. Besides the Classic Desktop in Windows 8 look more Windows 8-ish and generally BETTER.

I don't understand how a large corporation can get away with releasing an operating system with two conflicting interfaces for the desktop PC.

it is for backwards compatibility.

And so thatdweebs would stop screaming that they hate the new interface.

Community Regular

Auroka

Posted
Posted

Yes, on left side is your selection and on right side marketplace but UI is so fugly and cluttered that is makes my eyes pop out. In order to use this interface i need to maximize it to my whole screen otherwise i am looking in similar unusable junk found in my Windows Phone.

You're doing it wrong...

Don't type anything in the search box. Just start typing when browsing your music and watch the magic happen. :p

Mentor

subcld

Posted
Posted

its a middle ground between full metro and non metro to satisfy everyone taste i for one love it this way but i like the metro style more than the desktop style and to people just complain i suggest you use windows 8 consumer preview then judge it

Grand Master

McKay

Posted
Posted
Until someone can convince me there is something to be gained by going from 7 to 8 - its 7 FTW

Improved security, improved file transfer, better management of updates, will be supported for longer than 7, native USB 3 support, support for UEFI (Secure Boot), if you have a pendrive over 16GB you can carry your entire PC around with you and simply plug it into someone elses.

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