Windows Technical Preview  

1031 members have voted

  1. 1. On a scale of 1-5, 1 being worst, 5 being best. What do you think of Windows 10 from the leaks so far?

    • 5.Great, best OS ever
      156
    • 4. Pretty Good, needs a lot of minor tweaks
      409
    • 3. OK, Needs a few major improvements, some minor ones
      168
    • 2. Fine, Needs a lot of major improvements
      79
    • 1.Poor, Needs too many improvements, all hope is lost, never going to use it
      41
  2. 2. Based on the recent leaks by Neowin and Winfuture.de, my next OS upgrade will be?

    • Windows 10
      720
    • Windows 8
      20
    • Windows 7
      48
    • Sticking with XP
      3
    • OSX Yosemite
      35
    • Linux
      24
    • Sticking with OSX Mavericks
      3
  3. 3. Should Microsoft give away Windows 10 for free?

    • Yes for Windows 8.1 Users
      305
    • Yes for Windows 7 and above users
      227
    • Yes for Vista and above users
      31
    • Yes for XP and above users
      27
    • Yes for all Windows users
      192
    • No
      71


Recommended Posts

I would want the flat one too, if only they aren't lazy on it. I feel like they are making the UI totally simple and flat as an excuse for lazy design

Exactly .I am all for flat design but when done properly.

 

Google's material design and Apple's Yosemite are much better examples of flat done right and its such a shame because if i am not mistaken this whole flat look got introduced first by Microsoft in operating systems at least.

 

Start menu looks a mess in the previous screenshot not only because their flat design is dead simple but also because you can see x86 applications with their icons which have drop shadows inside a flat square. At least they seem to  be in the right direction with border less windows and some icons but lets hope they take some hints especially from Material Design.

I'm interested, and possibly off-topic, what makes you think it is 'lazy'?

Google even has clear guidelines for their own 'flat design' too. They are using shadow and perfect chosen colors to make design more natural and alive and it looks refreshing. Flat 3D Object look nice with Material Design. Even abstract material-inspired wallpaper look nice too. Try to search it

 

?

CMIIW I don't see any clear guidelines for Microsoft's Modern UI. Right now I feel like they just randomly picking color, flatten the object, and call it Modern UI. I just love tiles on Modern UI because it looks refreshing compared to icon.

Both are using slim fonts which I love

 

Not-so-perfect example for that

 

https://www.neowin.net/images/uploaded/2014/12/screen_shot_2014-12-11_at_1.14.56_pm_story.jpg

 

Later they are using gradient, I hope there would be some surprises for the design guidelines

 

Microsoft started the trend, Google managed to get it right. Right now it looks like Google copying Microsoft, but Microsoft has to fix these things before Google steal it, making everyone to think 'Microsoft copying Google's design'

Yeah that's what I'm talking about. I can't see how anybody would think that is a good looking UI. Why can't they concentrate on making the UI attractive? I don't see why they had to change the Windows 7 UI. The buttons were very cool to look at and click and the glass effects were very nice. For whatever reason, people seem to think that the flat, simple, single color UI is cool. I'm upgrading to 10 to have the latest and I like a lot of the features, but I think MS would make it much more popular if they spruced up the UI. Look at OS X. People were flipping out over how it looked and still emulate it to the day with the window graphics and dock. It has changed a bit over the years but it still has the same basic idea. While Apple jumped on the flat bandwagon, they still managed to keep the UI loking modern and beautiful.

Your entire post reads as, "I don't like how it looks, so Microsoft should change it so I'm happy!"

 

There is no such thing as "making the UI attractive," because beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What you like, someone else may not. Microsoft is never, ever going to make everyone happy and shouldn't try. What they should do is focus on making a clean, functional UI. What that actually looks like, I wouldn't know. I can tell you what I think it should look like, but it won't matter because someone else will think differently about it.

 

But you can always patch uxtheme.dll and run any theme you like. I think that's the best compromise.

any of you guys are having issues with the start menu on build 9926? I mean after i updated only one of my two accounts is able to open the start menu... ill try a clean install if theres no other way to make it work. any help appreciated 

any of you guys are having issues with the start menu on build 9926? I mean after i updated only one of my two accounts is able to open the start menu... ill try a clean install if theres no other way to make it work. any help appreciated 

Have you updated everything?

Exactly .I am all for flat design but when done properly.

Google's material design and Apple's Yosemite are much better examples of flat done right and its such a shame because if i am not mistaken this whole flat look got introduced first by Microsoft in operating systems at least.

Start menu looks a mess in the previous screenshot not only because their flat design is dead simple but also because you can see x86 applications with their icons which have drop shadows inside a flat square. At least they seem to be in the right direction with border less windows and some icons but lets hope they take some hints especially from Material Design.

And yet Material Design is, despite having a very tight style guide, actually inconsistently implemented across Google's own products. See https://medium.com/@CreativeTim/how-google-fails-at-implementing-its-own-material-design-44bbbf9f6c52

Arguably, a design language is not meant to be overly prescriptive so as to remove artistic/creative freedom, but prescriptive enough to enforce as many principles as are necessary to bring about some level of consistency/unification. The style guidelines have to walk this fine line, which I think neither Microsoft not Google have got truly right.

I really like Material Design, it's certainly the best thing that has happened to Android since I started using it (although I kind of miss 'holo' blue).

One thing I certainly would not describe Material Design as would be 'flat'. It is unapologetically not flat.

At the same time I really like Metro and think that when applied well is just as effective, and just as attractive.

  • Like 3

Id like it to be just the circle icon on the taskbar, and when you click it or say 'hey Cortana' the search window auto expands with the input field. That would be awesome and what I suggested to M$ 

It already does this. I have just the circle and I can click on it and type in the bar, or speak and it will work.

Not sure if this has been brought up by anyone yet (couldn't find it from what I looked at so far) but I have a comment/complaint about the Control Panel / (Metro) Settings screen.

 

Why are the two still in different locations? Shouldn't there just be "one" control panel where all the settings could be found? I know with this TP some elements are locked out but having to search through 2 different locations just to change some settings that have always been located within the Control Panel is annoying. They can certainly put settings for the apps, tiles, Cortana, etc within the Control Panel. I believe it would make navigating through the Control Panel much easier.

 

Just my 2 cents so far from messing with the TP. :)

They haven't migrated all the settings yet.

 

If anything, the migration will be AWAY from Control Panel, and into Settings.  (A similar migration - toward Server Manager - is taking place on the server side of Windows.)

 

Why "Settings"?  It's neutral, and will be across all platforms - from big-screen desktops to phones.  "Control Panel" doesn't fit a LOT of the hardware that Windows 10 will run on - and it certainly doesn't fit phones.

 

If anything, Server Manager is the prototype for Settings.  Server Manager is categorized by default, and uses the Modern Design Language throughout - yet it goes back to Server 2008R2.  The difference is that Server Manager is text-driven - Settings (and Control Panel, for that matter) - is icon-driven.

 

Even in its incomplete state, Settings is also far finer-grained than even Control Panel.  This is something that Windows 8 and later definitely need, given the changes introduced merely with Windows 8's Device Manager.  (That is, in fact, my biggest issue with Control Panel - it's not fine-grained enough.)

 

One of the few non-subjective complaints about Windows 8 is that it wasn't adjustable enough.  In fact, it's a complaint I agree with - and, unfortunately, a lot of the blame falls on Control Panel. (If you want to complain about a dumbed-down interface, switch Control Panel to Large Icon view - the default.)

  • Like 2

Your entire post reads as, "I don't like how it looks, so Microsoft should change it so I'm happy!"

 

There is no such thing as "making the UI attractive," because beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What you like, someone else may not. Microsoft is never, ever going to make everyone happy and shouldn't try. What they should do is focus on making a clean, functional UI. What that actually looks like, I wouldn't know. I can tell you what I think it should look like, but it won't matter because someone else will think differently about it.

 

But you can always patch uxtheme.dll and run any theme you like. I think that's the best compromise.

Yeah you're 100% right. I justified it hard to believe that anyone thinks Windows 10 is currently attractive looking. Maybe I have a skewed perspective because I'm a graphic artist, but I think a UI should have a really spiffy looking UI. I love much of what is robe in Linux such as KDE and Gnome. As for Windows, why couldn't MS offer a couple options of theme? Maybe a flat one for people who like a minimalistic look and another for people who like a more flashy look. I guess it probably won't happen though. I just thought they were brilliant with Vista/7 and I'm not sure why they are going boring.

Yeah you're 100% right. I justified it hard to believe that anyone thinks Windows 10 is currently attractive looking. Maybe I have a skewed perspective because I'm a graphic artist, but I think a UI should have a really spiffy looking UI. I love much of what is robe in Linux such as KDE and Gnome. As for Windows, why couldn't MS offer a couple options of theme? Maybe a flat one for people who like a minimalistic look and another for people who like a more flashy look. I guess it probably won't happen though. I just thought they were brilliant with Vista/7 and I'm not sure why they are going boring.

I agree that multiple themes should be offered. The default UI we have now, and something similar to Aero Glass.

By far of the ugliest in the GUI is the black and white - like if you click on Settings - WTF with just black and white ?  We invented color displays for a reason.

I am not saying anything earth-shattering when I say that I dont like the way many software companies have gone in the last year or so.

Even Foxit has changed the GUI of their beloved Foxit Reader, VMWare has some of it - everyone has changed to this watered-down, bland GUI - I dont like it at all.

My 2 cents -

ON TOPIC:   Anyone have Build 9935 ?   :D


Who cares it's only a date.

Well - it is a date in the future - I think that is reason to ask or point it out ?

"Who cares its only a date ?"  -- well that kind of answer can be applied to any question -

Was it a mistake ?  Were you trying to see if it would release some unforeseen updates ?

Were you trying to get some glitch fixed ?   Its a simple question...
 

that recycle bin icon is awful

I don't mind it, actually. Basically an opaque rendition of the Vista/7/8-era icon. I was expecting a square trash bin, but there are worse things they could have gone with.

I don't mind it, actually. Basically an opaque rendition of the Vista/7/8-era icon. I was expecting a square trash bin, but there are worse things they could have gone with.

i guess you get used to it over time nonetheless...

most probably not the final icons so I won't bitch too much about it

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Posts

    • Most boring game ever. Repetitive, empty, predictable, and full of cliches. Total waste of time and money, IMO.
    • Mafia: The Old Country expansion Man of Honor announced, brings back Salieri from original by Pulasthi Ariyasinghe During Summer Game Fest, 2K and Hanger 13 brought out a new Mafia: The Old Country trailer, revealing the game's first expansion. Named Man of Honor, this is slated to add two new chapters to the Enzo storyline that the game follows. There is an iconic character returning to the series with this expansion, with players set to run into Ennio Salieri, the future Don of the Salieri crime family. Fans of the original Mafia, or its Definitive Edition remake, may remember that name as one of the biggest characters in the storyline. This expansion is set prior to his rise to being the kingpin in the City of Lost Heaven. "Set in Sicily during the winter of 1905, Enzo Favara has proven himself a reliable soldier of the Torrisi crime family in the months since his initiation," says the studio about the new chapters. "Now, the Don entrusts him and Cesare with a delicate assignment of assisting Ennio Salieri, a man of honor recently released from prison and intent on reclaiming what is his." Working at Salieri's side, players will be heading into fresh environments as they return to the role of Enzo as a high-ranking soldato. The studio also promises brand-new weapons, fresh vehicles, and charms to collect in this expansion. Moreover, the expansion will add new content to the updated Free Ride mode. Alongside new collectibles and locations, this will add more challenges to beat alongside Salieri, which are described as runs that will "test the skills of even the most elite mafiosi." The Mafia: The Old Country Man of Honor story expansion will release on August 14, 2026, across PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. It will cost $10 for owners of the base game to jump into.
    • Try installing Logitech Options
    • Telltale returns with The Wolf Among Us, re-revealing the sequel and a new remaster by Pulasthi Ariyasinghe Telltale Games, the studio known for its episodic games from the 2000s, had a surprise appearance at the Summer Game Fest showcase today. The studio has gone through a collapse, an acquisition, and a revival but has largely gone silent in recent years. Today's sudden announcement was for the popular The Wolf Among Us series, with news about the sequel and a remaster dropping. Set after the events of the 2013-released title, the sequel will bring back Biby Wolf for a new adventure in Fabletown. This town of fairy tale characters is becoming unstable, with Snow White not being able to keep order as before. "When a brutal series of crimes threatens to fracture the fragile balance holding Fabletown together, Bigby Wolf, sheriff of Fabletown, finds himself drawn into a dangerous conspiracy that reaches deep into the city’s criminal underworld," says the studio. "As suspicion spreads across the city and powerful forces work against him, Bigby must uncover the truth and decide what kind of sheriff - and what kind of wolf - he is willing to become." At the same time, Telltale also announced The Wolf Among Us Remastered, bringing back the classic with a fresh coat of paint. This will include all five episodes from the original game plus over an hour of extra content that will offer behind-the-scenes videos, cast interviews, image galleries, and deleted scenes. The remaster will also have updated visuals and improved UI elements and accessibility features, alongside upgrades to the animations, audio, and frame rates. Telltale has been working on this project for almost a decade now, but if the new release schedule holds, fans will be able to jump into The Wolf Among Us 2 sometime in 2027. As for The Wolf Among Us Remastered, this is slated to release during this holiday season.
    • I use a Linux laptop every day. I have tried to switch to Linux on my gaming PC which has a 5070 ti. It was not a great experience
  • Recent Achievements

    • Rookie
      moog19 went up a rank
      Rookie
    • Mentor
      grik went up a rank
      Mentor
    • Dedicated
      JKR earned a badge
      Dedicated
    • One Year In
      CHUNWEI earned a badge
      One Year In
    • Conversation Starter
      FBSPL earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      488
    2. 2
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      270
    3. 3
      Skyfrog
      76
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      68
    5. 5
      FloatingFatMan
      63
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!