windows 8 Microsoft Drops Aero from Windows 8

[TheLegendOfMart]

I wouldnt complain so much if it looked nice like that instead of multicoloured mess.

[sanctified Veteran]

the thing is, your average user don't want elegance. they want bright easy to find colors

I know, I agree. I've never said that something like I'm asking for must be mandatory. I just want options.

[Dot Matrix]

This is GUI elegance at it's finest.

Agreed. That's a WHOLE lot better than the clown barf we're presented with now. :(

[Anthonyd]

yes, and the mouse over requires you to wait for the hover delay. which is still slower than just opening the start screen.

Live tiles aren't updated unless you bring the start screen and wait for few second, so it's slower.

[Dot Matrix]

the thing is, your average user don't want elegance. they want bright easy to find colors

People respond positively to aesthetics. I have a feeling part of people's reactions to the new Start Screen is "What the heck is with all these colors?"

[sanctified Veteran]

People respond positively to aesthetics. I have a feeling part of people's reactions to the new Start Screen is "What the heck is with all these colors?"

That's true. An interesting read about this can be found here:

http://www.amazon.com/Art-Visual-Perception-Psychology-Anniversary/dp/0520243838/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338138330&sr=8-1

[Dot Matrix]

[Order_66]

People didn't like the sidebar when it first came into Vista, this I remember, they hated the fact it took up the right side of the screen and "forced" you to use a wide screen monitor now. Just another example of how someones always going to hate something regardless

Let's see, you can easily turn off the sidebar in vista without using any 3rd party software to do it, unlike metro, metro is in your face as soon as the machine is booted and can't be avoided without 3rd party intervention.

Clearly the horrors of metro do not even come close to being compared with the sidebar in vista since the sidebar was easily turned off and made permanent.

[Order_66]

Just found this screenshot that presents something I think works better:

This is GUI elegance at it's finest.

Wow thanks for sharing that, I had no idea the metro interface could get any more ugly than it already is until now..

[guru]

Just found this screenshot that presents something I think works better:

This is GUI elegance at it's finest.

why couldnt they use this theme as default for Win8 ?

[Dot Matrix]

Let's see, you can easily turn off the sidebar in vista without using any 3rd party software to do it, unlike metro, metro is in your face as soon as the machine is booted and can't be avoided without 3rd party intervention.

Clearly the horrors of metro do not even come close to being compared with the sidebar in vista since the sidebar was easily turned off and made permanent.

The Start Screen is a hub/dashboard to your computer, it's a place to quite literally, Start.

[George P Global Moderator]

Let's see, you can easily turn off the sidebar in vista without using any 3rd party software to do it, unlike metro, metro is in your face as soon as the machine is booted and can't be avoided without 3rd party intervention.

Clearly the horrors of metro do not even come close to being compared with the sidebar in vista since the sidebar was easily turned off and made permanent.

The start screen is in my face as much as the start menu in Win7 is, which is not much at all. I've said it countless times, majority of people pin to the taskbar and don't go digging through the start menu like they used to. This isn't going to change, it's not going to change to me, the most I use the start menu for is to access one of the right side links (which I can now do through the new power user menu in Win8 instead so no change there) and for the few apps I'll run once a week or even once a month. So much for "horrors", like I said, people are blowing this out of proportion.

[Anthonyd]

The start screen is in my face as much as the start menu in Win7 is, which is not much at all. I've said it countless times, majority of people pin to the taskbar and don't go digging through the start menu like they used to. This isn't going to change, it's not going to change to me, the most I use the start menu for is to access one of the right side links (which I can now do through the new power user menu in Win8 instead so no change there) and for the few apps I'll run once a week or even once a month. So much for "horrors", like I said, people are blowing this out of proportion.

It's sad for you that you don't seems to understand the advantages of Metro apps & live tiles.

[George P Global Moderator]

It's sad for you that you don't seems to understand the advantages of Metro apps & live tiles.

I do, I have a WP device and love the live tile idea, the point is that since on my desktop i'm always in a number of win32 desktop apps and that I either have them starting up when windows starts and minimized to the systray or I start them directly from the taskbar because they're pinned there that I've stopped using the start menu in Win7 almost completely. Because of this and the taskbar still being the same in Win8 I don't see the loss of the start menu as a impairment to my "workflow" on the desktop. Will I use the start screen? Sure, I'll probably have metro apps as well but even moving between running desktop and metro apps hasn't changed, Atl+tab still works like it always has. My point is that the stance that the start screen has totally ruined the ability of you to work on the desktop has been greatly overblown.

[butilikethecookie]

It's sad that you guys don't realize Microsoft is trying to lock down Windows and shoehorn in a Phone/Tablet UI. I like my mouse, I like my keyboard, I like my non-touchscreen monitor, and I LOVE my start menu. Sue me. That "at-a-glance" ugly colored notification-piece-of-crap-one-window-only-****ty-multitasking-monster-we-call-Metro...is complete garbage on the desktop! Why don't you nincompoops understand that? Its like a constant p*ssing contest on this website! If all you do is look up porn and check Facebook/twitter then Metro is fine for you! Get a tablet! Leave me alone! Let the more hard-core nerds like myself and 95% of the damn world have what we want!

Here educate yourself:

The average person = Computer stupid

Metro UI = Job Security (I do IT)

Here come the trolls and harsh comments...

[HawkMan]

That's not an average person

1. he's not had the tutorial since it's not there on the CP

2. he's faking it, he's the son of a tech journalist who's been told to act ignorant, since the journalist in question is fairly anti MS.

meanwhile int he real world, regular dumb users are able to sit down in front of Win8 and just get it, right away, without training, far more intuitive and user friendly than the start menu.

[butilikethecookie]

meanwhile int he real world, regular dumb users are able to sit down in front of Win8 and just get it, right away, without training, far more intuitive and user friendly than the start menu.

So why couldn't my 70 year old grandma use it when I showed it to her...or my 20 year old girlfriend? (Both on Win7) After I showed them how to use it they said it was still a pain in the arse....

[xendrome]

That's not an average person

1. he's not had the tutorial since it's not there on the CP

2. he's faking it, he's the son of a tech journalist who's been told to act ignorant, since the journalist in question is fairly anti MS.

meanwhile int he real world, regular dumb users are able to sit down in front of Win8 and just get it, right away, without training, far more intuitive and user friendly than the start menu.

While I agree with your first point... I'd say you are wrong in your second point, he's likely just like everyone else, "how do I close this crap" and "where is the start menu". I was the same way at first. because from a desktop point of view it doesn't make sense that I have to grab the top of a window and drag it all the way to the bottom on my 30 inch 2560x1600 monitor, to close an app. When it would be MUCH easier for me just to click an "x" TBH...

[George P Global Moderator]

While I agree with your first point... I'd say you are wrong in your second point, he's likely just like everyone else, "how do I close this crap" and "where is the start menu". I was the same way at first. because from a desktop point of view it doesn't make sense that I have to grab the top of a window and drag it all the way to the bottom on my 30 inch 2560x1600 monitor, to close an app. When it would be MUCH easier for me just to click an "x" TBH...

In that regard though you don't have to really worry about closing winrt apps, the system does a good job managing that side of things for you.

[NEVER85]

That's not an average person

1. he's not had the tutorial since it's not there on the CP

2. he's faking it, he's the son of a tech journalist who's been told to act ignorant, since the journalist in question is fairly anti MS.

meanwhile int he real world, regular dumb users are able to sit down in front of Win8 and just get it, right away, without training, far more intuitive and user friendly than the start menu.

If you're talking about Chris Pirillo, he's not anti-MS. He does like Apple a lot, but he isn't anti-MS.

[sanctified Veteran]

Wow thanks for sharing that, I had no idea the metro interface could get any more ugly than it already is until now..

To each it's own. I think it looks more professional comparing it to the actual W8 screen.

[bogas04]

What is this topic about? The title is not following what's being discussed...

[MorganX]

so, instead of hitting the start button, you hve to find and locate the minimize button or the top edge to move the windows and move it or click the minimize, and then you have to move or restore it again, afterwards....

seriously, are you even thinking about this ? 1 key conveniently on the keyboard vs lots of mouse waving and clicking. even using the mouse on the bottom corner to open the start screen is faster and more convenient.

Actually it's not hard to fine, it's in the same place on every window and my hands are ALWAYS on the mouse whereas using the Windows key is not and routine movement while working on the PC. If I were to go that route, I would Windows Key-D twice and never leave the desktop environment, quick, faster, more effecient than bringing in the start page. The point is moot because Gadgets failed, but if you guy just want to argue efficiency you can't win. It's simply not more efficient to bring in the start page. Whehter you use shortcut keys or mouse, you are bringing in a new page, that is less efficient, all the time, than doing the same thing without bringing in a new page.

[MorganX]

In that regard though you don't have to really worry about closing winrt apps, the system does a good job managing that side of things for you.

Listen to what he's saying, I happen to agree: 'When it would be MUCH easier for me just to click an "x" TBH...'

This issue will go away if/when MS allows Metro apps to run windowed in the desktop environment.

[MorganX]

Just found this screenshot that presents something I think works better:

This is GUI elegance at it's finest.

I believe the desktop environment is more effecient than a full screen Metro environment. But, this is slick as heck. If Metro apps come in like this, it may be worth the extra effort. If Metro apps like this ever run in the desktop environment, MS will have a super hit on their hands. Is this just a mock-up? This is just the consumption end, but very nice. The creation end needs to be in the desktop environment IMO though.

If my health and fitness apps give me data back like this, while taking input from all my digital devices, Metro will be a hit. As I said, less effecient or not, Apps are what will really make the difference.