Making the desktop more Metro in Windows 8

By efjay
in The Fast Ring (Insider Previews)

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Wyn6

Posted
Posted

I'd also like to see, if it's not too late, when you click the individual app thumbnails for the desktop, which appear in the preview pane, that it takes you directly INTO that app as opposed to the desktop. As it stands now, when you do that you have to then click the app to go into it. I think that would also go along way toward a more seamless integration.

I discovered that is does show individual running desktop apps and goes into a specific app if you click but only if you have the desktop snapped. That's great actually. But, I would like to see individual, running, desktop app thumbnails when you simply pull up the preview pane as opposed to JUST the desktop thumbnail.

Enthusiast

Josh the Nerd

Posted
Posted

It wont happen because according to Microsoft, Desktop is just another full screen App within Metro Start Menu therefore no Metro elements will enter Desktop.

Desktop won't include any Metro elements because it is a Metro app? Huh?

  • The_Decimator
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Grand Master

freak180

Posted
Posted

I hate hearing this. Th desktop is NOT an app. Its considered to be one but its not one.

Also, if it is an app, why cant I uninstall it? Why do some of the metro settings rely on the desktop to complete certain task? Such as task manager? or installing applications from a CD. Metro relies more of the desktop so I doubt the desktop is the app... Metro is consider to be an app itself. Basically a big folder that contains its own lil apps.

Grand Master

jakem1

Posted
Posted

I hate hearing this. Th desktop is NOT an app. Its considered to be one but its not one.

Also, if it is an app, why cant I uninstall it? Why do some of the metro settings rely on the desktop to complete certain task? Such as task manager? or installing applications from a CD. Metro relies more of the desktop so I doubt the desktop is the app... Metro is consider to be an app itself. Basically a big folder that contains its own lil apps.

Metro isn't an app, it's a design language. Saying Metro is an app is similar to saying that Aero is an app.

Proficient

The_Decimator

Posted
Posted

It wont happen because according to Microsoft, Desktop is just another full screen App within Metro Start Menu therefore no Metro elements will enter Desktop.

Even that logic doesn't say they shouldn't do it.

Community Regular

efjay

Posted
  • Author
Posted

There's a mention of an Aero lite desktop theme that is more Metro like in this article http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/31/windows-8-desktop-interface-kills-aero-for-metro-gets-with-the/ but I dont remember seeing it in the CP. Can anyone check their pc, at work ATM so cant check.

Grand Master

excalpius

Posted
Posted

You would think that Device Centre theme previously mention would get a look in come RTM. As far as Metro being shoved down people's throats, we had the superbar shoved down our throats and the show desktop bar also in Win7. I don't think there is anything wrong with the start screen. Infact there are only 3 things they need to address. Content (more metro apps/live tiles = less wasted startscreen space) Multi-Screen behaviour (Metro on 1 screen desktop on the others is a little lame) and Hot spot differentiation when Remoting from Win8 to Win8 in the Metro Remote Desktop App.

The difference with both of those previous items you mention is that these were BONUS options that were quite minor in the overall effect...and, I can't state this clearly enough, YOU WERE FREE TO JUST NOT USE THEM if you didn't want to.

Windows has always been about "six ways to skin a cat, pick yours". Adopting Apple's "my way or the highway" approach is fine for small screen touch devices but not for the desktop.

Grand Master

excalpius

Posted
Posted

I also really hope MS includes a Metro Theme for the desktop. It would create a much smoother transition from Metro to Desktop.

I'd MUCH rather be able to adjust Metro to fit my needs, not vice versa. For example, I'd like to be able to:

Run the Metro application as a window, so I can treat it as just another widget drawer and drag it wherever I want like I would any other widget/gadget.

Ditto with the "fullscreen" Metro applications, which are already a waste of space in many cases on much smaller screens, but on a 30" monitor? Give me a break...

Change the Metro application background (and widgets) to whatever I want, including and especially TRANSPARENT. This would allow the USER to choose if they want to make Metro look more like Aero or make the desktop more like Metro (as mentioned above).

Make the "invisible" core GUI operation gadgets VISIBLE by default. I'm sure there is an accessibility tweak for this, but new users, senior citizens, etc. are not going to know there is actually anything there to click on without something visible. It would also address issues with multimonitor and virtual machine/remote desktop users.

Veteran

bogas04

Posted
Posted

It wont happen because according to Microsoft, Desktop is just another full screen App within Metro Start Menu therefore no Metro elements will enter Desktop.

that's so wrong when we see its working , ending "Explorer.exe" task kills metro screen. Its all fake and lies

There's a mention of an Aero lite desktop theme that is more Metro like in this article http://www.engadget....-gets-with-the/ but I dont remember seeing it in the CP. Can anyone check their pc, at work ATM so cant check.

post-293012-0-37704800-1331286674_thumb.

This guy *maybe someone else , but idk where i read* says that they won't change UI of IE10 , and other desktop elements coz they want it to stay just like Windows 7 (kind of) so its easier for migration.

Win8 is just gonna add Metro to metro apps .

Collaborator

Ben Dyson

Posted
Posted

Would love to see more metro style applications on the desktop, such as these metro concepts; http://clindhartsen....allery/30645266 .

Mentor

Gaffney

Posted
Posted

I'm a fan of metro but the UI in the screenshot above isn't nice. Half metro and half not metro, what makes metro great is the fonts blending in great with the UI. You can't take the look of metro and stick a bunch of standard icons and fonts in it.

Hopefully there will be a few changes to that UI.

Veteran

migo

Posted
Posted

I'm a fan of metro but the UI in the screenshot above isn't nice. Half metro and half not metro, what makes metro great is the fonts blending in great with the UI. You can't take the look of metro and stick a bunch of standard icons and fonts in it.

Hopefully there will be a few changes to that UI.

Probably not for Windows 8. But I could definitely see those improvements making it in later. They need to get a working product out this year. Polish can come later.

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