Windows Phone 8.1 Start Screen "backgrounds"

[Simon 177]

I like it. Looks like you're looking through a window... which is appropriate, considering that Windows no longer has "windows" in the conventional sense, on the phone or in the modern desktop UI.

[McKay 3,696]

Would be nice to have that option (i.e. the transparent tiles) on Windows 8, too.

 

I really like that concept mentioned earlier.

[George P 5,551]

I suppose it'd be best if they had both options or none.  I don't know why you'd just do it one way only like this or not at all.  Who knows though, we're still a month away from BUILD.

[vcfan 2,338]

[subcld 432]

i prefer the current way or at least a background with some transparency it wont take away the unique look/color for each app like images posted from 6tag, foundbit bing translator, photo app, bing weather ...etc,anyway its an option some people might like it its better than nothing at all !

[Jarrichvdv 152]

It's not enabled by default, and it can only please the small group of people who asked for this feature. It doesn't hurt to have this option...

[Dot Matrix 7,438]

Proof positive you can't please everyone. Use it or don't but MSFT is right not to add the option to change the black background. It creates too much of a mess on the Start Screen.

[LightEco 140]

I don't know why you'd be against adding this feature. If you don't like it, just keep the tiles as is. There's nothing wrong with giving people more options, especially if its off by default.

[jakem1 1,610]

I don't know why you'd be against adding this feature. If you don't like it, just keep the tiles as is. There's nothing wrong with giving people more options, especially if its off by default.

 

You could argue that it's a pointless feature and that it's a distraction for the WP development team. What features could have been included if time wasn't spent on this?

[dreamsburnred 14]

My one side says OOOHH NICEE. But then how are you going to tell apps apart? What if an app doesn't participate (like how coloured themes are).

[BajiRav 2,137]

There is no way this is real, this smells fake to me. :/ I don't mind having it as an option but far too many things will "break" because of this.

[mdtaUK 58]

There is no way this is real, this smells fake to me. :/ I don't mind having it as an option but far too many things will "break" because of this.

This is something Microsoft are working on, but it is experimental at this stage.  I would imagine the image will only show through tiles where the App developer has chosen to keep the app's Tile set to a TRANSPARENT BackgroundColor

[+Ryster 785]

You could argue that it's a pointless feature and that it's a distraction for the WP development team. What features could have been included if time wasn't spent on this?

 

Contrary to what you seem to believe, Microsoft's WP dev team consists of more than just 1 person.

[MorganX 1,044]

i prefer the background implementation in this concept better http://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1202753-my-little-wp-concept/ with the slightly transparent tiles. at least it's an actual background and doesn't look weirdly out of place like in this leak

 

They both have issues but I prefer this one. But it will be very dependent on the background chosen.

[subcld 432]

here is another photo posted by someone else on wmpoweruser 115 voters agreed background with transparency looks better than background within livetiles

http://wmpoweruser.com/new-pictures-of-wp8-1-start-screen-with-picture-backgrounds-looks-a-lot-better/

 

 

having both options should make everyone happy

[Order_66 948]

Weird and kinda cool. :) Hopefully it will let you change the text colour as well, so that the text can be readable with any set background image.

 

 

Yes changing text color would be sweet, I love the yellow look on my yellow 1520 but went with another color because the text was too hard to read.

[jakem1 1,610]

Contrary to what you seem to believe, Microsoft's WP dev team consists of more than just 1 person.

 

No kidding.  There's still a limit to what they can do and even a simple change will use valuable resources that could be spent on more useful features or faster deliveries.

[Knife Party 629]

I actually like this idea. Not bad.

[primexx 372]

how can that possibly look good in the wild? 3rd party devs have enough trouble sticking to good looking icons as it is.