Windows 8 Mock-ups

[Salty Wagyu]

I'm sorry, but Metro looks too basic and bland. It also looks like something that would have been created before Luna came on the scene in Windows XP.

[Bengal34]

[snip]

I like it. The concept looks really well done and I think that they have something nice there in their media center idea. The only thing that bugs me in it is the search bar at the top. It's redundent. If you hit the windows key you automatically target the search box in the start menu.

Other than that I'd really like to see something like that but toss in some multiple desktop support ala Linux that you could swipe through just like an android phone or win+shift+left/right.

Also, the given Espose action like OSX that we've already seen demoed with the new touch mouse.

[remixedcat]

I liked that concept as well it was slick, glassy and classy. felt like using a luxury product. metro feels like economy class product LOL.

[floopydoodle]

My mockup:

This is amazing, and pretty much what I would like to see in Windows 8. The inclusion of Aero Glass makes it look prettier and more Windows 7-like.

People have to understand that the rounded corners and glassy orbs look is going away (Leave that gaudy UI style to Apple, I say). There's already alot of hints of this. Just look at IE9.

Metro is definately the way they're going. It doesn't mean it's going to look like Zune or WP7 though.

[Gaffney]

This is amazing, and pretty much what I would like to see in Windows 8. The inclusion of Aero Glass makes it look prettier and more Windows 7-like.

People have to understand that the rounded corners and glassy orbs look is going away (Leave that gaudy UI style to Apple, I say). There's already alot of hints of this. Just look at IE9.

Metro is definately the way they're going. It doesn't mean it's going to look like Zune or WP7 though.

If that mockup was a skin for windows 7, I would probably be using it.

[remixedcat]

It's an improvement. Still too plain for me.

[George P Global Moderator]

The only big change they'll do UI wise is for any tablet mode they have planned. As for the kb+mouse desktop Aero UI, it'll probably see minor changes, maybe some more customization options but nothing big, not yet anyways. MS might take the step and update/change windows explorer this time around, if you think about it they've been changing the UI in steps, first with the start menu, then we got glass and some menu /control panel updates etc and finally win7 brought the big taskbar change. So I expect another logical step, and with the UI change in IE9 I think Windows Explorer might be next.

[alisalem]

Yesterday, I installed Office 2010 and I'm really impressed by the UI. I'm not talking about the Ribbon, but mainly the graphics of the UI. I think it's one of the most consistent UI's Microsoft has ever made. Why wouldn't Windows 8 make use of that?

[tonka3287]

Do you think if the OS goes full Metro, we'd not have a desktop? Nothing to skin? No wallpaper??? I hope not :( I want them to go back to the Longhorn style and bring in the awesome sidebar we saw in 2003's concept. THAT my friends, is a DREAM OS. Remember it???

ill remember seeing that video way back, was super excited, till the real thing came out lol, what ever did happen to all that concept?

[MohammadReza Taesiri]

I like it

[MohammadReza Taesiri]

I think Windows 8 would have a bit more going on then in them mockups. A nice try, but I cant see M$ going that far out.

I think elements from 'Copenhagen' will make it into Windows 8 UI wise actually. Not all of course, the Start Bar will remain Windows 7 like. People are too used to it, to change it would be too drastic of a change.

That was niiiiice ! :)

[+virtorio MVC]

Metro sure reminds me a lot of Microsofts old Encarta products. Even from back in the mid 90s:

http://www.telecommander.com/pics/links/application%20software/microsoft/MS_Bookshelf96-97/Microsoft_Bookshelf96-97_files/book30.gif

http://img.informer.com/screenshots/220/220539_1.jpg

http://www.activewin.com/reviews/software/apps/ms/encarta/2001_dvd/encarta_2001_15.jpg

http://www.activewin.com/reviews/software/apps/ms/encarta/2001_dvd/encarta_2001_13.jpg

[tonka3287]

I think Windows 8 would have a bit more going on then in them mockups. A nice try, but I cant see M$ going that far out.

I think elements from 'Copenhagen' will make it into Windows 8 UI wise actually. Not all of course, the Start Bar will remain Windows 7 like. People are too used to it, to change it would be too drastic of a change.

well if you remember back to the Windows 3.1.1 days, going to Windows 95 was a "drastic" change. I think its time for a "drastic" chance once again

[tonka3287]

Metro sure reminds me a lot of Microsofts old Encarta products. Even from back in the mid 90s:

http://www.telecommander.com/pics/links/application%20software/microsoft/MS_Bookshelf96-97/Microsoft_Bookshelf96-97_files/book30.gif

http://img.informer.com/screenshots/220/220539_1.jpg

http://www.activewin.com/reviews/software/apps/ms/encarta/2001_dvd/encarta_2001_15.jpg

http://www.activewin.com/reviews/software/apps/ms/encarta/2001_dvd/encarta_2001_13.jpg

lol i remember using Encarta for school reports lol

[KiHu]

I think Windows 8 would have a bit more going on then in them mockups. A nice try, but I cant see M$ going that far out.

I think elements from 'Copenhagen' will make it into Windows 8 UI wise actually. Not all of course, the Start Bar will remain Windows 7 like. People are too used to it, to change it would be too drastic of a change.

Highly doubt anything out of "Copenhagen" (read: ugly) will be used.

Mostly because its not MS that even came up with that concept.

[JTaylor69]

This is amazing, and pretty much what I would like to see in Windows 8. The inclusion of Aero Glass makes it look prettier and more Windows 7-like.

People have to understand that the rounded corners and glassy orbs look is going away (Leave that gaudy UI style to Apple, I say). There's already alot of hints of this. Just look at IE9.

Metro is definately the way they're going. It doesn't mean it's going to look like Zune or WP7 though.

Agreed!

Nice work buddy! Beats mine - I forgot about this thread until now!

[Quillz]

well if you remember back to the Windows 3.1.1 days, going to Windows 95 was a "drastic" change. I think its time for a "drastic" chance once again

It was drastic but necessary. Internal research apparently concluded it took a novice computer user almost nine minutes to get programs up and running on Windows 3.x. Program and File Manager were not very intuitive. Windows 9x was a drastic but necessary change because it unified the two UIs into something much simpler, much cleaner and much more powerful.

My point is that this is not going to be the case with Windows 8. Aero Glass works extremely well, as does Windows Explorer. There is no real need for a drastic paradigm shift, so why have one? Win 9x was not change for the sake of change, whereas an entirely new UI in Windows 8 would be.

[Zain Adeel]

Here is my concept for Windows 8 startmenu

its reduced to the basic functions that I USE

call it a mini startmenu. It will save space on tablets and small screen devices and still allow its main funtions.

The last bit is my idea for a search system where you select ur search engine and if for example you select google. Then the text and button will turn green and a google logo will appear when you type www before ur search word. And in doing so when you will press enter. IE will be opened with that search page.

[Zain Adeel]

picture speaks for itself..

but there is something i want to point out.

My idea is that when you search the startmenu for a song.. and click it..

the startmenu wont close. It will Transform into the Media Player.. and slide over the Media player icon on the superbar. and also the album art will replace the white background with a Expand effect...

this will all happen under 1 second at 60 frames per second. so the animation will be fluid and fast.. and the media player window can be dragged anywhere and stretched like now.

same with startmenu.

[remixedcat]

Nice WMP thumbnail! I missed full controls.

[Guest]

Zain Adeel, is that a concept or did you actually make that app? If not, someone needs to make that app!

I wish there were some sort of site where everyone just worked together to suggest cool ideas for free apps and developers could pick out the ones which they were interested in.

[andrew_f]

Looking fantastic Zain.

[Zain Adeel]

thanku everybody :)

and no this is no app its just a plain mockup..

but made in a way that it looks like its really running :p

[Zain Adeel]

This is the LIVE PREVIEW window of the Picture viewer i have in mind.

its the same dimensions... the image is FITTED over the box like the wallpaper setting where it fills the screen..

this way the image can be bigger and also look intergrated and nicer..

and the controls are there too..

this is not how the actual image viewer but the LIVE PREVIEW window.. so when u want to quickly watch through them and you are watching something Online and doing some work you dont have to resize the image viewer to be smaller.. u can check the images in the live preview with ease

[Guest]

I love what you're doing here zain, exploring all the possibilities of a single idea rather than coming up with loads of different ideas. I wish Microsoft would do that more, sometimes I feel that refining existing features takes a back seat for the new features. In a way (and I'm not trying to start an argument here!) Apple does a great job of refining and redefining existing features in a way that makes them even more useful. Like "mission control" or whatever they call it now. Bringing several different ways that they developed to manage your apps, all to one screen. Granted, Microsoft's biggest development recently has been the new taskbar in windows 7 but they could push it so much further.