Office 2013 Interface - Really? This is The Best They Can Do?

[Scorbing]

Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse on the Microsoft Windows 8 world...

Take a look at the new Office 2013. This is a screenshot of Microsoft Word 2013 and Outlook 2013, the final version. My question on my mind is: What kind of drugs were those designers doing when they did this? I got a headache from looking at this for over 5 minutes. This is ridiculously white. Too bright for the eyes and no way to change it to anything acceptable, except for a light gray or dark gray, which are not darker at all and don't make things any better.

[Detection]

You can change from white to dark / grey, but not a massive improvement, I agree, its bland and painful on the eyes

[devHead]

I've got mine set at dark grey, and it's fine on my eyes.

[hagjohn]

Looks fine to me.

[torrentthief]

Light grey is decent for me, i would prefer an option inbetween light grey and grey though.

[grayscale]

The default white is definitely a pain in the eyes but the dark gray is fine for me. I wish they had an even darker one to further separate tha background from the page itself.

[Max Norris]

Personally, I can deal with the serious lack of contrast, but I agree with the OP, 2010's just looked a lot nicer overall and is easier on the eyes. But what's killing 2013 for me is the terrible font rendering, and killing off hardware acceleration to "fix" it isn't an option.

[tsupersonic]

I hate the amount of white color used in the interface. Seriously wants to burn my retinas. I miss the black theme of Office 2007/2010.

[Scorbing]

You can change from white to dark / grey, but not a massive improvement, I agree, its bland and painful on the eyes

Getting rid of Aero was a mistake. At least Aero was pleasant. This is their excuse to get rid of Aero:

"Microsoft's most panned OS. Harris has relatively little to say beyond describing the Aero as having the "appearance of highly rendered glass, light sources, reflections, and other graphically complex textures." But he does add this: "This style of simulating faux-realistic materials...looks dated and cheesy now, but at the time, it was very much en vogue."

Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-57437562-92/microsoft-opines-vista-was-cheesy-drops-aero/

Cheesy he said? Did he really said that Aero looks Cheesy? or I'm I seeing things? How wrong is that. Aero looks ten times better than this new UI garbage they stuck on us. What is the matter with that dude.

[Scorbing]

I think this (outlook 2010) was much more nicer to look at and pleasant to the eyes than the new 2013 version.

I am seriously itching to go back to Office 2010. This is getting to me.

[Rigby]

I agree, Office 2010 looks so much better. I hate how they are making everything flat and colorless now.

[ccoltmanm]

I think 2013 looks better. Preference I suppose. I use Word and Outlook everyday in a classroom setting. Word is defiantly easier to make notes and handouts for students on.

[Scorbing]

The new Office 2013 looks like something out of the Windows 95 era. So ugly.

[benthebear]

I think this (outlook 2010) was much more nicer to look at and pleasant to the eyes than the new 2013 version.

I am seriously itching to go back to Office 2010. This is getting to me.

I agree. At risk of sounding the rabid Windows 8 defenders, I think the new Office is visually a big step back. It looks like something I would install and use in 1996, but I guess old is new and new is old. Aero Glass was looking a bit long in the tooth, but I was a fan of the refined version of it in the DP and RC. But I really like the Whistler-like thing they have going now. :)

[lomas]

I'm using Office 2007 at the moment, upgrading to 2013 isn't cheap either...

[bandit_liberty_rumble]

I agree. At risk of sounding the rabid Windows 8 defenders, I think the new Office is visually a big step back. It looks like something I would install and use in 1996, but I guess old is new and new is old. Aero Glass was looking a bit long in the tooth, but I was a fan of the refined version of it in the DP and RC. But I really like the Whistler-like thing they have going now. :)

With a few modifications, Office 2013 would fit right in with the Whistler look.

[Eins.MY]

I have no problem with Office 2013, in fact I think it looks better and more beautiful than 2010

Outlook 2010 was horrendous, Outlook 2013, imho, is classy

[Max Norris]

As much as I agree the flat sea of white isn't pleasant to look at, not sure why people keep saying it looks like something from the mid 90's. Office 95 at least had contrast. :D You could use that sentiment arguing against LibreOffice, sure. But 2013? Not really. Personally 2013 looks wayyyy better than 95, but still prefer 2010 overall which is "just right" for me.

[Scorbing]

With a few modifications, Office 2013 would fit right in with the Whistler look.

Care to share your modifications and how you did it?

[bandit_liberty_rumble]

Care to share your modifications and how you did it?

Sorry, it's only photoshopped. :blush:

[Luis Mazza]

Microsoft is on it's way for a massive downfall. It would be sad to look at this if it was not their fault... But it is.

:s

When I saw this screen capture of the early betas, I thought they were kidding. Apparently, they're not.

[Scorbing]

I'm going back to Office 2010. This white is driving me crazy. I have a bad headache right now. I can't deal with this. This is horrible.

Epic fail Microsoft. Sorry, but this UI really sucks.

[Luis Mazza]

As much as I agree the flat sea of white isn't pleasant to look at, not sure why people keep saying it looks like something from the mid 90's. Office 95 at least had contrast. :D You could use that sentiment arguing against LibreOffice, sure. But 2013? Not really. Personally 2013 looks wayyyy better than 95, but still prefer 2010 overall which is "just right" for me.

This is called GOOD TASTE AND 'RETRO-METRO':

[Scorbing]

"Windows 8 is trying to be all things to all people, and thus failing to be good at anything in particular, we hope to release software that will make Windows 8 more usable for desktop users, but I?d prefer if Microsoft had a more coherent strategy in the first place."

Brad Wardell, the CEO of Stardock

[Luis Mazza]

Microsoft can't be that stupid. I am sure they have got to be reading the complaints of the public in regards to this new UI on their products. They have got to do something about it because this is horrid.

Many of the heads on Microsoft are there for years. And they were successful until now... That's dangerous because they start to feel like special beings, super, or whatever... They were lucky and they were almost a monopoly. When you live a monopoly you don't have a culture of how to deal with adversities inside the company (like Apple did), then things start to get really dangerous. That's what is going on right now.

[Scorbing]

Many of the heads on Microsoft are there for years. And they were successful until now... That's dangerous because they start to feel like special beings, super, or whatever... They were lucky and they were almost a monopoly. When you live a monopoly you don't have a culture of how to deal with adversities inside the company (like Apple did), then things start to get really dangerous. That's what is going on right now.

(Y)