[OFFICIAL] Windows 10 Insider Program

[BajiRav]

What the taskbar looks like when it wants your attention for something (and new photos app icon/tile):

 

 

That Windows Files Explorer icon! :/

[Mugwump00]

I still expect to see changes to the taskbar itself, they should be working on letting live tiles work fully when pinned to it and not just turn into a static icon. We should also get the option to extend the tab previews we get from running apps on the taskbar to live tiles. In that event when I hover my mouse over a closed store app pinned live tile i'll see a tab preview of the live tile like it'd show up on the start menu/screen.

 

Exactly - I can't see how it will be cohesive any other way.  Currently I have a pinned Outlook, Outlook.com (IE) and Mail (Modern) icon.  The Modern one is inert.  It should be the 'Small' pinned-tile style at least, though it looks like they'll need to tweak the scale so to not bloat the Taskbar.

[neufuse Veteran]

Oh please don't tell me we are going back to the black taskbar..... I hated the color in Vista, and I will still hate it today...

[Mugwump00]

Oh please don't tell me we are going back to the black taskbar..... I hated the color in Vista, and I will still hate it today...

 

It's opaque and a heavily tinted blend of black and the current border/start menu colour, which is by default the 'highlight' colour of the wallpaper, or your personal 'Color and Appearance' selection.

 

The open-window marker - the underscore of the icon - changes as wallpapers change.  It's really quite good, assuming you have a black-bezel around your monitors.

 

It's very flat, unlike Vista, and 100* better for it.

[Sszecret Veteran]

Oh please don't tell me we are going back to the black taskbar..... I hated the color in Vista, and I will still hate it today...

 

Paul said on Windows Weekly that the colour of the taskbar is actually a much darker shade of the accent colour of the theme, so it's not necessarily black. 

[nosense]

Oh please don't tell me we are going back to the black taskbar..... I hated the color in Vista, and I will still hate it today...

You can still choose many different colors. It's just white isn't an option no more.

[Dot Matrix]

Oh please don't tell me we are going back to the black taskbar..... I hated the color in Vista, and I will still hate it today...

It's needed. The Windows 8 taskbar is too clear. Icons too easily get lost in the transparency.

[Guest]

It's needed. The Windows 8 taskbar is too clear. Icons too easily get lost in the transparency.

 

Which icons? Haven't had a problem with any icons since 7. And this is with bright sky-blue colour.

[Dot Matrix]

Which icons? Haven't had a problem with any icons since 7. And this is with bright sky-blue colour.

Neowin's icon gets lost quite easily worth any blue wallpaper, along with IE's.

[neufuse Veteran]

It's needed. The Windows 8 taskbar is too clear. Icons too easily get lost in the transparency.

but my black icons don't show up now!... </s> what I mean is don't have it only black, it needs to be changeable... in vista it was black no mater what

[TAZMINATOR]

but my black icons don't show up now!... </s> what I mean is don't have it only black, it needs to be changeable... in vista it was black no mater what

 

You can change theme in Vista so you can have blue, gray, black, or whatever in the theme... so you won't have a problem with it..

 

/smh

 

If you have a problem with black, then you can simply change it to alternative color of your choice as long as it's readable on the taskbar... 

 

That's the reason we have many themes these days that help people see better based on the colors and wallpapers.

 

If not happy, then move to Linux or Mac, simple..

[Kazama Levi]

I don't see how that has anything to do with live tiles, but okay.

 

Next argument: it was a bad idea...this is subjective and has no proof that live tiles are the issue

 

Moving on: 98% of desktop users use mouse as their main input... yes and Windows 10 addresses that, but how do live tiles create that problem?

I don't see why you're so terribly hung up on the live part of the tiles? It's the tiles themselves that are the problem, not the live part, which is an old hat. We already had live updating info with the gadgets in Windows Vista (one of the few things that were good about Vista).

Widgets could have any shape, and any color. As an example, here's a weather gadget:

Tiles are limited to ugly, clunky boxes and only have monochromatic icons, making them look a lot uglier. Here's the Metro tiles weather app:

That's a huge step backwards!

 

Let me look at your image 

 

1. Apps can be only ran as tiles and full screen--- Wrong I can snap up to 3 items on one screen, Windows 10 now runs them as windowed apps

We're not talking about Windows 10 here. Windows 8 can't do this.

 

2. Tiles are definitely re sizable and movable--  Why did you put this?

Look what I wrote. Tiles are not freely movable and resizeable, i.e. independently of each other.

 

3. Tiles should not overlap! What good is two icons on top of each other?

Why did you suddenly bring up icons?

Tiles are small windows. Windows 1.0 didn't have the functionality for overlapping Windows, all Windows had to be tiled. Only starting with Windows 2.0, you could have overlapping Windows. Now you'll probably argue that this was a seriously bad idea, which is why it was removed again in Windows 8.

 

4.Very edgy without round edges- what is the problem with that? Your screen is a square

*falls off chair laughing* :rofl:

If you're already bringing up such an Al Bundy logic, you should at least say, "Your screen is a rectangle." I've yet to see a single screen which is a square :rofl:

 

5. Monochrome designs != Windows 1 style

Monochromatic icons are Windows 1 style. If you would take Windows 1 icons and pass them off as Windows 8 or Windows 10 icons, no one could tell the difference.

 

7. Questionable choice of colors - this will probably change with Windows 10

 

We'll see.

 

"Dumbed down" is exactly what microsoft is doing, anything to do with metro is in fact "dumbed down", this fact is not even debatable, compare anything metro to its modern windows 7 counterpart and you will find the metro version to be lacking in features, flexibility and/or just plain hideous to look at.

Exactly. Just an example, compare the Vista weather gadget above with the greatly dumbed down and uglified Metro weather app.

[nosense]

I don't see why you're so terribly hung up on the live part of the tiles? It's the tiles themselves that are the problem, not the live part, which is an old hat. We already had live updating info with the gadgets in Windows Vista (one of the few things that were good about Vista).

Widgets could have any shape, and any color. As an example, here's a weather gadget:

Tiles are limited to ugly, clunky boxes and only have monochromatic icons, making them look a lot uglier. Here's the Metro tiles weather app:

That's a huge step backwards!

 

 

Metro 2.0 isn't even introduce yet....

[BannanaNinja]

 

I am confused about your Weather app tile comment. This is my Weather app tile...almost has all the same information! The only real difference is 2 days forecast vs 4 day. No reason they can't add that in the future. Gadgets were a huge security risk while tiles are not. Seems like a step forwards to me.

 

The reason we are so hung up on the live part is that you are trying to compare a gadget to a live tile and then ignoring the live part! The weather app tile will be in its live state and not in the state you posted. Most apps I have installed are live so I rarely see just the icon as the tile anyway.

[Quillz]

It gives a sensible, familiar layout, and relieves frustration.

These were the exact same arguments people made against the Start menu in 1995. How it was a mess and Program Manager was much better laid out, sensible and familiar.

 

For me, it's all about repetition. Windows 8 was a bit strange the very first time I used it, but once I understood the potential of live tiles, if you will, I found them to be a far better option than the older, static Start menu. It took me a while to find my ideal layout for tiles, but now I'm very comfortable with how things are setup.

 

I used Classic Shell for a time and do like the program, though. Having options, of course, is what makes Windows great.

[loremwilliam]

[vcfan]

Metro 2.0 isn't even introduce yet....

oh my god that is incredible

[Ian S.]

I don't see why you're so terribly hung up on the live part of the tiles? It's the tiles themselves that are the problem, not the live part, which is an old hat. We already had live updating info with the gadgets in Windows Vista (one of the few things that were good about Vista).

Widgets could have any shape, and any color. As an example, here's a weather gadget:

Tiles are limited to ugly, clunky boxes and only have monochromatic icons, making them look a lot uglier. Here's the Metro tiles weather app:

That's a huge step backwards!

 

We're not talking about Windows 10 here. Windows 8 can't do this.

 

Look what I wrote. Tiles are not freely movable and resizeable, i.e. independently of each other.

 

Why did you suddenly bring up icons?

Tiles are small windows. Windows 1.0 didn't have the functionality for overlapping Windows, all Windows had to be tiled. Only starting with Windows 2.0, you could have overlapping Windows. Now you'll probably argue that this was a seriously bad idea, which is why it was removed again in Windows 8.

 

 

We'll see.

 

Exactly. Just an example, compare the Vista weather gadget above with the greatly dumbed down and uglified Metro weather app.

 

• I'm "hung up" on the live tiles issue as that is what YOU say is the epitome of all of the problems.
• Live Tiles, like widgets can take on any color the developer wishes, including an image.
• How very thoughtful of you to turn your Weather live tile off then compare it to the "live" gadget, which by the way just sits there and can't open anything or provide a feed from your game achievements, store deals, etc.
• As others pointed out, a HD image is presented on the weather tile.
• Desktop icons are NOT freely re-sizable they have 3 presets small, medium, and large. We are not talking about file explorer icons, which are for files. 
• I bring up icons because what else is there to compare it to? Icons and Widgets... that is what you compare it to as well. 
• We are absolutely talking about Windows 10, that is what this thread is all about! "Windows Technical Preview" (please read before you post)
• I can absolutely move Start's tiles independently. They are not tied to their neighbors, just a clean grid. However in Windows Phone, the grid is more advanced (where you can leave gaps) I'm betting they will add an advanced grid for Windows 10
• Old DOS, pixelated, bitmap icons are Windows 1.0

 

 

*falls off chair laughing*  :rofl:

If you're already bringing up such an Al Bundy logic, you should at least say, "Your screen is a rectangle." I've yet to see a single screen which is a square 

• Why then may I ask is your profile picture square and your signature square? Because it makes sense and great use of space
• Anyone who is not blind can tell a difference between Windows 1.0 and Windows 8/10's icons

[George P Global Moderator]

Tiles can have any color/style you want, as the developer. Who said they're limited to monochromatic colors only?

[Guest]

Any chance of getting a bit more moderation here, especially for such useless posts? This is like the go-to thread for new 10 stuff, and it is really tiring to see the years-old discussion being brought up again, especially when they are started with so much misinformation.

[Mugwump00]

Any chance of getting a bit more moderation here, especially for such useless posts? This is like the go-to thread for new 10 stuff, and it is really tiring to see the years-old discussion being brought up again, especially when they are started with so much misinformation.

 

+1000 - just one place where 'it's broken if it has Metro/Tiles/..n't reversed everything from Windows 8..' would be nice.  The huge pic of virginal live tiles above is the last straw.

[Ian S.]

+1000 - just one place where 'it's broken if it has Metro/Tiles/..n't reversed everything from Windows 8..' would be nice. The huge pic of virginal live tiles above is the last straw.

A healthy debate on what Microsoft should do to fix Windows 10 in time for release is what this thread is for, as well as for news and posting leaked information and spotting hidden features. I agree stop with the posting of concepts that take up an entire half page especially when you just joined Neowin a couple of minutes before. Create your own thread.

That being said, small concepts are good if you want to indicate a change you would like to see.

Btw since Dean H. left, hopefully we will see a much improved IE feature set like rapid release, extensions, and themes for modern IE.

[TDT]

I am happy with the way Win 10 is going so far. I really can't complain, we're getting a lot more than we ever did from MS - upgrade via Windows Update, the start menu that everyone was bitchin' about, they listen to feedback, etc. Of course, even if MS does everything good, it will still not be enough for many users, because they seem to always find a reason to complain. And those that complain about a TECHNICAL PREVIEW are the worse. :angry:

 

P.S. I just thought of something. OSX is the "idiot friendly" OS (no offense to anyone, I mean it's made for any kind of user), Linux is for power users, no matter how they try to make it "user friendly", they can't dumb it down to that level. And Windows is somewhere in the middle, trying to please everyone. Tough job, no wonder that there will always be unhappy people...

[Dot Matrix]

<images snipped>

Eh? What are those from?

[BajiRav]

Eh? What are those from?

I think his take on adding gradients to live tiles. Doesn't look bad IMO but doesn't particularly improve anything.