[OFFICIAL] Windows 10 Insider Program

[Ian S.]

Wow, we're actually seeing some "Metro'd" icons, notably This PC. Microsoft might actually finally be getting around to updating all the out-of-place icons.

 

Also, those hi-res pics clarified some UI questions I had. It's clear now there is a 1px border on windows (other pics let me to believe windows were borderless), but you can see the title bar widgets have been moved to the up and right, because there is no longer a 1px line around the red close icon, like there was in Win8. I can also see now that the title bars are centered in relation to the actual window, which seems different from how Win8 did it (where it was centered in between window elements, like icon boxes and widgets).

By title bar widgets do you mean the window controls?

 

Yes, Windows "9" is looking cleaner by the minute.

 

I think that it is funny how the Drive appears under This PC and by itself in the hierarchical pane on File Explorer (still think they should rename it to Files). 

[Quillz]

By title bar widgets do you mean the window controls?

 

Yes, Windows "9" is looking cleaner by the minute.

 

I think that it is funny how the Drive appears under This PC and by itself in the hierarchical pane on File Explorer (still think they should rename it to Files). 

Yes, in Windows 8, it seems the title bar text is centered in between the title bar widgets, which I consider things like the icon box on the left, the window controls on the right, etc. But they appear to have changed this in Windows 9 to centering based on the actual width of the window. Super minor nitpicking, but I prefer the latter approach.

 

I agree... If they took the time to rename it from Windows Explorer, just simplify it more and call it "Files" or just "Explorer." And that is bad behavior that you pointed out. The way I see things, everything local should be underneath "This PC," such as hard disk drives, CD/DVD drives, Libraries, etc. The only things that should be on the same level as "This PC" would be network computers, network drives, etc. (I almost want to say call network PCs "That PC" or "Those PCs" and organize them the same way).

[HawkMan]

Wow, we're actually seeing some "Metro'd" icons, notably This PC. Microsoft might actually finally be getting around to updating all the out-of-place icons.

 

Also, those hi-res pics clarified some UI questions I had. It's clear now there is a 1px border on windows (other pics let me to believe windows were borderless), but you can see the title bar widgets have been moved to the up and right, because there is no longer a 1px line around the red close icon, like there was in Win8. I can also see now that the title bars are centered in relation to the actual window, which seems different from how Win8 did it (where it was centered in between window elements, like icon boxes and widgets).

 

Incorrect, at least on 8.1. just checked with device manager, title is centered on the window, until you make the window to narrow then it snaps to centered between the widgets, but that's because of room.

[neo1911]

The new icons look like Windows 95 era. The UI should be inviting and pleasant. 

 

Hoping to see some sweeping changes in final release.

[Ian S.]

The new icons look like Windows 95 era. The UI should be inviting and pleasant. 

 

Hoping to see some sweeping changes in final release.

Really?

 

This:

 

 

 

Looks like this?:

 

:huh: ...

[Josh the Nerd]

This must be an older build (no new Desktop icon) showing off Windows Features dialogue. High Res pic though.

 

It actually is there. The icon for the Desktop location under Favorites (where the new icon is) is always different from the Desktop folder under This PC.

[George P Global Moderator]

So we're already in the 984x builds it sounds like, interesting indeed.  I don't expect to see too many changes from now till the 30th but who knows when they're going to actually lock the build down as the TP and not add things to it?  I thought they'd have done so by now with one of the 983x builds but that doesn't seem to be the case, they could take this right up to a few days before they release the preview to people.

[Ian W]

Really?

 

This:

[snip]

 

 

 

Looks like this?:

[snip]

 

:huh: ...

I am not seeing it either. Even Windows 95 tried to provide some visual effects. If you look closely you can see shadows for certain icons, which are not even present in the new icons in Windows 9.

[Quillz]

Incorrect, at least on 8.1. just checked with device manager, title is centered on the window, until you make the window to narrow then it snaps to centered between the widgets, but that's because of room.

Interesting to note. If that's the case, I imagine behavior will be the same on Win9.

 

For quite some time I was trying to figure out how Win8 was doing title centering. (As you can tell, I've got a lot of time on my hands.)

Really?

 

This:

 

 

 

Looks like this?:

 

:huh: ...

At least in 9x's defense, all the icons looked like they belonged together in the OS.

[HawkMan]

 

At least in 9x's defense, all the icons looked like they belonged together in the OS.

 

I think that's just because we're used to them. 

 

the monitor, keyboard and mouse are all entirely different icons for example, not of them match each other in perspective position or size, though size would make no sense to scale either way but. Then you have the modem, which again, doesn't match the perspective of any of the others, only two icons that match is modem and add new hardware. 

 

So the only thing that makes them "match" is because first we're used to it, and they use the same dithered pixel style for shading, when they are shaded, which again, not all are...

[Sszecret Veteran]

This must be an older build (no new Desktop icon) showing off Windows Features dialogue. High Res pic though.

 

 

 

That border around the active window (Windows Features) kind of reminds me of Office 2013. I like it. 

[George P Global Moderator]

It's getting kind of funny and tiring, to read the complaints about lack of new icons for everything, the fact they started changing some already indicates they're going to change more if not all by the end.  And the start menu having the same color background as your taskbar, I like the idea of that, why not?    Some people man, never happy.

[jza]

I am glad that they are bringing the Start Menu back, but to my eye it looks very unappealing. It's a big step backwards in terms of aesthetics when compared to the menu in Windows 7.

[Mugwump00]

That border around the active window (Windows Features) kind of reminds me of Office 2013. I like it. 

 

Hopefully the next iterations of Windows and Office will look like they're part of the same UI-overhaul cycle, for a change.  The Office team have been a step ahead for several generations now.

[PGHammer]

Hopefully the next iterations of Windows and Office will look like they're part of the same UI-overhaul cycle, for a change.  The Office team have been a step ahead for several generations now.

The Windows and Office cycles typically did NOT match up because they were in different groups within Microsoft (same applied to the desktop and server groups within Windows until Jim Alchin came along).

 

The only cases where Windows and Office released in the same cycle were Windows/Office 2000 (and even then, despite ME releasing in the same cycle, it didn't really match either) and the current Office 2013 and Windows 8.1.

 

Unlike Apple (which is more homogenous), Microsoft has never been.  (A major part of that LACK of homogenousness - even, if not especially, between Windows and Office - is due to the two userbases having a massive divide - mostly between consumers and enterprises.  Look at the differences just from XP to 7 between what non-enterprise customers want, and what enterprise customers want.

[George P Global Moderator]

Well, now that we know that the next version of Office will have a real dark theme then maybe odds of Windows finally letting you set white as the title bar font color will be possible.  And really, even now with 8.1U1, the metro apps have white text with a black bar so I don't see why it's not doable.

[Ian S.]

The Windows and Office cycles typically did NOT match up because they were in different groups within Microsoft (same applied to the desktop and server groups within Windows until Jim Alchin came along).

 

The only cases where Windows and Office released in the same cycle were Windows/Office 2000 (and even then, despite ME releasing in the same cycle, it didn't really match either) and the current Office 2013 and Windows 8.1.

 

Unlike Apple (which is more homogenous), Microsoft has never been.  (A major part of that LACK of homogenousness - even, if not especially, between Windows and Office - is due to the two userbases having a massive divide - mostly between consumers and enterprises.  Look at the differences just from XP to 7 between what non-enterprise customers want, and what enterprise customers want.

There are a couple of pros about a homogeneous release cycle.

 

Apple gets huge amounts of build up in anticipation

 

However,

A normal company with that type of life cycle would get no press coverage all year. (Apple obviously for some reason is exempt and everything about Apple is reported on)

 

Apple does have a ton of leaks

 

The lifecycle gets old and Microsoft has many more products than Apple has, so a homogeneous lifecycle is almost impossible.

 

It leaves Apple years behind in innovation and releases.

[Ian S.]

More Color options

 

 

 

[Ian W]

More Color options

I am hoping that Microsoft retains the first three images in the second row, and the first image in the third row as desktop backgrounds for Windows 9. Those images are my favorite in Windows 8.x.

[notchinese]

So can you set the start menu to a fixed color?

[bandit_liberty_rumble]

I'm curious ? does anyone actually enjoy that look? (not a rhetorical question)

[notchinese]

If they let me specify the color - yes.

[George P Global Moderator]

The color is whatever the taskbar color is, the fact it can also change automatically depending on your wallpaper is nothing that new.  The taskbar does that in Win8/8.1 right now if you set that option on.

[Stokkolm]

So can you set the start menu to a fixed color?

Seems like it's set by your theme, except unlike the Taskbar you don't get any transparency on it.

[Dot Matrix]

More Color options

 

 

 

 

These look better than what was on the homepage the other day, but all in all, this feels like a downgrade from the Start Screen in Windows 8.1.