Xabier Granja Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Build 2014 is coming soon and I've been thinking about the Windows 9 vision that will be showcased quite a lot. I haven't gone so far as to design full OS behavior like some have, I was mainly concerned with the predictable return of the Start menu and how it can be reinterpreted through the Modern UI design framework. You can see my attempt in my blog. Seems to me what I envisioned could keep desktop and modern users happy... and it feels like the most logical solution for Microsoft to adopt. What do you think? Opinions and ideas about what's to come are very welcome! jamieakers and Turk. 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stokkolm Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 I like your ideas. I never minded W8, but now that I have a Lumia and a Surface I'm very excited for them to merge the stores. It's stupid that I have to purchase games twice because I have two devices. Your mockups are pretty good too. Here's to hoping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zhangm Supervisor Posted March 24, 2014 Supervisor Share Posted March 24, 2014 It would be good form to post at least an excerpt and one screenshot here, rather than linking to your blog. MikeChipshop and Draconian Guppy 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draconian Guppy Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 from OPs blog: daniel_rh and Malechai 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swotm Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Great Concept !! (y) i Love It Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+LogicalApex MVC Posted March 24, 2014 MVC Share Posted March 24, 2014 Will be interesting to see how it shapes up... I find the Metro start screen concepts so busy. zhangm 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zhangm Supervisor Posted March 24, 2014 Supervisor Share Posted March 24, 2014 I find the Metro start screen concepts so busy. They should give an option to apply an aggressive blur to the Start background if a custom image is used. This tends to be necessary for wallpapers that have high contrast elements. +Heartripper 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dot Matrix Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 I'm predicting big changes for the taskbar in Windows 9, I also expect big changes to window management as well. I fully expect some form of snapping to become the default before long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PmRd Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Oh wow you put back the old crappy start menu and plastered the desktop with live tiles... 0/10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke777 Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cUJhaZ0Xq4#t=15 Sekyal 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dot Matrix Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Oh wow you put back the old crappy start menu and plastered the desktop with live tiles... 0/10 Did you even read what he wrote? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Warwagon MVC Posted March 24, 2014 MVC Share Posted March 24, 2014 They should just buy this company and be done with it +Dick Montage 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon H Supervisor Posted March 24, 2014 Supervisor Share Posted March 24, 2014 Oh wow you put back the old crappy start menu and plastered the desktop with live tiles... 0/10 if you look at the blog you'll notice he put that as a point saying "this will never happen" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaP Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Personnally i don't really wish the return of the start menu. The subtle changes made to Windows 8.1 made the start screen usable and pretty much as good as the old start menu. But i would like the start screen to be more customizable no doubt about it. I wish the start screen would be always visible. Like the windows to be displayed on top of it. Would like to be able to display the task bar on it (or the live tiles to be accessible to desktop apps). This would make imo a more seamless integration of the new UI to the old UI. Would be cool to be able to resize RT apps on non RT device too so they don't always run in fullscreen. Fullscreen is greant on a tablet but on a 2560x1440(1600) monitor it's awful and a waste of screen real estate imo. DConnell 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon H Supervisor Posted March 24, 2014 Supervisor Share Posted March 24, 2014 They should just buy this company and be done with it oh that app was finally finished, nice. will have to check it out when i get off work today :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+LogicalApex MVC Posted March 24, 2014 MVC Share Posted March 24, 2014 They should just buy this company and be done with it That looks pretty cool actually... I could see myself using that on Windows 8 if I were to move up to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xabier Granja Posted March 24, 2014 Author Share Posted March 24, 2014 It would be good form to post at least an excerpt and one screenshot here, rather than linking to your blog. Sorry! I didn't think of doing that since I created this for my blog. I see somebody else posted the images here though, thanks! I did just update the images since I didn't like that empty Mail tile, now it shows some email content that I think makes it more realistic looking. Doesn't change the basics of the original idea, though. I think this concept would be a nice middle ground between start menu/screen lovers, a way to keep the metro aesthetic (which, face it, is not going away anytime soon) while preserving the benefits of the desktop ways. Nothing is occluded, at least no more than the old start menu would, yet you get the benefits of the flatter and live Modern UI. I think this would be a win-win for all types of users. zhangm 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DConnell Member Posted March 24, 2014 Member Share Posted March 24, 2014 Sorry! I didn't think of doing that since I created this for my blog. I see somebody else posted the images here though, thanks! I did just update the images since I didn't like that empty Mail tile, now it shows some email content that I think makes it more realistic looking. Doesn't change the basics of the original idea, though. I think this concept would be a nice middle ground between start menu/screen lovers, a way to keep the metro aesthetic (which, face it, is not going away anytime soon) while preserving the benefits of the desktop ways. Nothing is occluded, at least no more than the old start menu would, yet you get the benefits of the flatter and live Modern UI. I think this would be a win-win for all types of users. The Screen/Menu hybrid looks good, but it could use a little more space between the tiles. One of the nice things about the Screen is that everything isn't all jammed together like in the Menu. White space improves legibility and scan-ability. Even just a few pixels more between elements might be good. Right now it feels a bit claustrophobic. But overall it looks like one of the best Win 9 concepts I've seen. But how would the tile menu interact with the Modern side? You focus entirely on how things work on the desktop, and that's only part of Windows these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sekyal Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Unsure why no one has yet commented on your video. I think it stays very true to the original design yet adds things that make total sense. Nice work, wish that was an add-on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Account no longer active) Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 This is what I call perfection - why strive to be different?: I find your Metro Start menu concept too fragmented. How about grouping items (ie. apps, files, settings)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McKay Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 This is what I call perfection - why strive to be different?: I find your Metro Start menu concept too fragmented. How about grouping items (ie. apps, files, settings)? Because now I've gotten used to the Start Screen, it would annoy be not being able to group my apps into categories. And most of my screen would be wasted searching for things and opening apps, considering most of my screen real estate is horizontal, not vertical. Or I go back to how I had Windows 7 with all my apps pinned to the taskbar. Some small changes I'd like to see, or made optional to maybe make the start screen less jarring, would be to see the desktop behind it? Right now you've got your desktop. When you press the Windows key you get this. I'd like this, maybe blur the desktop out, make it darker, but still see it? Like the Startscreen sits on a pane of glass? DConnell 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dot Matrix Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Because now I've gotten used to the Start Screen, it would annoy be not being able to group my apps into categories. And most of my screen would be wasted searching for things and opening apps, considering most of my screen real estate is horizontal, not vertical. Or I go back to how I had Windows 7 with all my apps pinned to the taskbar. I like pinning to the taskbar... but pinning too many apps, and the taskbar becomes cluttered, exactly as shown above, and the chances of mis-clicking on an app you don't want increases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim31 Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 The last perfect taskbar and start menu was Windows Vista.... the newer versions, big taskbar, big icons something i didnt like along with there libraries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McKay Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 The last perfect taskbar and start menu was Windows Vista.... the newer versions, big taskbar, big icons something i didnt like along with there libraries. You could easily get the taskbar in 7 and 8 to resemble Vista. Go into taskbar properties, change Taskbar buttons to "Never combine". Tick "Use small taskbar buttons". Presto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duoi Veteran Posted March 25, 2014 Veteran Share Posted March 25, 2014 It defeats the entire purpose of the Start Screen. The goal is two isolate two different users into two different environments, and it works pretty well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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