Microsoft Making Waves With Tile-Based Interface in Windows 8
- Thread starter Tom Goldman
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I am pretty surprised that there is so much outrage over this. Microsoft isn't about completely alienating their customers. This is a new feature... something you can turn on or off. You will still have your icons and your mice and keyboards and your start menu but for those who think that these methods are a bit ancient (myself included) we can spend a little extra on a touch-screen and enjoy all these features!
Don't get me wrong, I will still use mouse+keyboard for gaming because touchscreen gaming is lame.
Don't get me wrong, I will still use mouse+keyboard for gaming because touchscreen gaming is lame.
I am amazed at how polarizing a tech demo of a product that is still many development cycles away from release can be.
I've used 8 extensively. It actually defaults to a standard Windows-style GUI in the 'Ultimate' and 'Enterprise' SKUs. (Enterprise is the business version.) The bottom line is, however, it's still baking. Features are still being discussed and may or may not be included.
Now I don't actually see/participate in those discussions, but I can tell you this: Microsoft's vision is to have a consolidated home-computing environment: a 360 console, a Windows Media Center PC, a Windows-based tablet or laptop, and a desktop, all seamlessly integrated with each other.
I can see the interface shown in the video as being how you run your tablet and your Media Center, since you're not going to be spending a ton of time working on them. But make no mistake, the people who run Microsoft are not dumb. I'm sure they realize that a touchscreen is not ideal for a heavy usage scenario.
I mean, seriously people: you don't create a company with $254 billion market cap by being clueless about what consumers want.
I've used 8 extensively. It actually defaults to a standard Windows-style GUI in the 'Ultimate' and 'Enterprise' SKUs. (Enterprise is the business version.) The bottom line is, however, it's still baking. Features are still being discussed and may or may not be included.
Now I don't actually see/participate in those discussions, but I can tell you this: Microsoft's vision is to have a consolidated home-computing environment: a 360 console, a Windows Media Center PC, a Windows-based tablet or laptop, and a desktop, all seamlessly integrated with each other.
I can see the interface shown in the video as being how you run your tablet and your Media Center, since you're not going to be spending a ton of time working on them. But make no mistake, the people who run Microsoft are not dumb. I'm sure they realize that a touchscreen is not ideal for a heavy usage scenario.
I mean, seriously people: you don't create a company with $254 billion market cap by being clueless about what consumers want.
What the fuck Microsoft? Will the first Service Pack introduce cartoony Avatars next? If I was some caveman who didn't understand how to use modern computers I'd just buy a Mac anyway
I have been using windows since it first launched, and DOS before it. What people on this forum have failed to grasp is that Microsoft have to get their OS tablet friendly, like now as the tablet devices are coming. Also Microsoft don't want to make many different OS's for all these different devices, so they are going to try and make one, Windows 8. This is confirmed by the other big story about Windows 8 that may have been missed here, it will run on ARM CPU's as well as the x86 ones it has run on exclusively up until now. That's big and shows where Microsoft knows the market is going.
But don't get your knickers in a twist over the Metro UI. It is the same as the simple UI that is used for Windows Media Center, as in you don;t need to run it. You will be able to run Win 8 using a traditional Windows UI, Microsoft are not crazy enough to remove that. In fact from the stuff shown at Computex that UI looks exactly the same as Win 7.
But I am sure they will do their best, as have been done since 95, to hide away below many annoying menus actually getting at the technical stuff. Every OS since 95 has meant extra clicks to do something like disable and re-enable your LAN port.
That is the one thing that annoys me the drive to simplify the OS cause MS are scared of Apple. Why? They have like a few % of the Desktop OS market and that figure has been steady for a while after their recurrence.
Where MS did have to make sure they were addressing, was in the mobile space, where Apple are kicking their butts and I think the Metro interface does this. So Metro looks like it will be great for use on a tablet, better than IOS anyway. And I will see what they are bringing to the traditional UI to see if the upgrade from Windows 7 is worth it on the desktop, but really people take a chill pill.....
But don't get your knickers in a twist over the Metro UI. It is the same as the simple UI that is used for Windows Media Center, as in you don;t need to run it. You will be able to run Win 8 using a traditional Windows UI, Microsoft are not crazy enough to remove that. In fact from the stuff shown at Computex that UI looks exactly the same as Win 7.
But I am sure they will do their best, as have been done since 95, to hide away below many annoying menus actually getting at the technical stuff. Every OS since 95 has meant extra clicks to do something like disable and re-enable your LAN port.
That is the one thing that annoys me the drive to simplify the OS cause MS are scared of Apple. Why? They have like a few % of the Desktop OS market and that figure has been steady for a while after their recurrence.
Where MS did have to make sure they were addressing, was in the mobile space, where Apple are kicking their butts and I think the Metro interface does this. So Metro looks like it will be great for use on a tablet, better than IOS anyway. And I will see what they are bringing to the traditional UI to see if the upgrade from Windows 7 is worth it on the desktop, but really people take a chill pill.....
They announced before that there plan was to move to one every 3 years, to be more like Apple. Hopefully that will mean more Apple like pricing for OS upgrades....Megacherv said:
But really the hurry up has been that they need to get something out to combat Apple and Google in the mobile space, hence it running on ARM CPU's as well.
This release may not actually bring than many changes to the Desktop, once you turn off the Metro UI as most desktop users will do.
Any one who is thinking of buying this, stop. Even if you don't plane to use the Smart Phone interface, just don't buy it. Instead, we all needed to start Duel Booting Linux, then we all call our selfs Linux users, and ask that games be made on it. Then we get ride of Windows.
I'm so jealous. I'm one of the only people who liked Vista. My computer caught on fire so I got a new one with 7. I actually loved Vista. I've used 4 Linux distros, 2 Mac OS's, Open Solaris and 4 Window's OS's and Vista is my favorite.Biscuit said:
OT: This seems like a problem to me. I'm not opposed to innovation, I occasionally start up voice control and I installed drivers so I could use a 360 controller as a mouse, but this looks bad to me. It looks like an ipad. I don't like ipads. I like having my desktop as it is. I have fences from stardock and that keeps it organized and I love being able to work with my files and manually tinker rather than only use updates. Plus I just love the feeling of a real keyboard and a real mouse. I eat when I'm on the computer too so that would mess with the touch screen. Ill stick with 7.
You may be interested in this item I posted earlier: http://www.catb.org/jargon/html/G/gorilla-arm.htmlGildan Bladeborn said:
All desktop environments seem to move to more tablet friendly interfaces, gnome 3, unity, mac and now this. And there's nothing wrong with it tbh. I think everyone are a bit too scared of new technology.
What I just worry about is if gaming moves completely to tablets..
Also Microsoft need to increase their reputation or they will just keep sinking
What I just worry about is if gaming moves completely to tablets..
Also Microsoft need to increase their reputation or they will just keep sinking
Dear MS, I am currently using a real computer with your OS on, I really much like my PROGRAMS. Can we pretty please keep smartphone interfaces on.. Smartphones. I really hope there will be an option to switch that ugly (yes, it is ugly) tile crap off and use a normal desktop. My browser gives me easy access to all the pages i visit frequently, I don't use crappy apps on my computer.. Gah.. This is really a step not only in the wrong direction, but over the cliff into a lavapit.
Wow, I just... cant even... express... how... stupid... UGGGGHHHEERRRRMFFFF!!!
Seriously... WHAT?!
How is this even remotely improved? Now I have to do everything by touching my monitor? OH WAIT, ILL NEED TO BUY A NEW TOUCH MONITOR FIRST, THEN BUY A $400 VERSION OF WINDOWS 8? YEAH FUCK YOU MICROSOFT!
I just can't see how this makes file management easier, or even close to the same. ITS CALLED "WINDOWS" FOR A REASON, NOT "WANNABE GIANT SMARTPHONE", that way I can move files around with ease, and not want to end up cutting myself.
I've used an ipad, which is what this is trying to emulate. And for SUPER BASIC stuff its great, but for anything past that its just a nightmare and makes me want to throw it into traffic.
RAGE doesn't even begin to describe how I feel about this.
Oh, and I find it hilarious that they disable comments and the like/dislike feature this time, otherwise we might have another "future of PC gaming" incident again.
screw you microsoft, at least make this shit optional.
Seriously... WHAT?!
How is this even remotely improved? Now I have to do everything by touching my monitor? OH WAIT, ILL NEED TO BUY A NEW TOUCH MONITOR FIRST, THEN BUY A $400 VERSION OF WINDOWS 8? YEAH FUCK YOU MICROSOFT!
I just can't see how this makes file management easier, or even close to the same. ITS CALLED "WINDOWS" FOR A REASON, NOT "WANNABE GIANT SMARTPHONE", that way I can move files around with ease, and not want to end up cutting myself.
I've used an ipad, which is what this is trying to emulate. And for SUPER BASIC stuff its great, but for anything past that its just a nightmare and makes me want to throw it into traffic.
RAGE doesn't even begin to describe how I feel about this.
Oh, and I find it hilarious that they disable comments and the like/dislike feature this time, otherwise we might have another "future of PC gaming" incident again.
screw you microsoft, at least make this shit optional.
i just dont like it...
it seems to have made things way too complicated...
everything is spread over like 6 screens worth of realestate..
and im not sure how well it will transfer to pcs that dont have touchscreen monitors....
ugh...and im sorry...it look ugly...i dont want some pastel coloured collage of my shit greeting me everytime i turn on my computer..
it looks like it is an updated version of Windows Media Centre...which i hated because it was buggy as....couldnt stream anything across a LAN, and even the menus would stall...blegh
I'm not even a PC purist...i love macs and iphones, this just looks crap
sorry
it seems to have made things way too complicated...
everything is spread over like 6 screens worth of realestate..
and im not sure how well it will transfer to pcs that dont have touchscreen monitors....
ugh...and im sorry...it look ugly...i dont want some pastel coloured collage of my shit greeting me everytime i turn on my computer..
it looks like it is an updated version of Windows Media Centre...which i hated because it was buggy as....couldnt stream anything across a LAN, and even the menus would stall...blegh
I'm not even a PC purist...i love macs and iphones, this just looks crap
sorry
Disclaimer: I work for Microsoft, although I'm not involved with the Windows team. The only information I have about Windows 8 is what I've gotten through public channels. Any opinions shared here are mine and mine alone.TEMHOTA said:
No. This is the next version of "real" Windows. There's an even better video here as well, including an interview with Steven Sinofsky, President, Windows and Windows Live Division: http://www.codenamewindows.com/?p=1802
One point that comes through loud and clear in this video (which isn't in the Escapist article or the demo video it uses) is that the new "smart tile" UI is optional. People who want to do things the old way can continue to do so. It is also very clear (and this isn't stated clearly in the demo video in this thread, which is possibly why people here keep mentioning it) is that the new UI targets the "slate" form factor, similar to the iPad. For this type of device the traditional Windows UI isn't very effective. But imagine having a single device that works as a slate (and can be touched and typed on-screen) or as a PC (with a mouse and keyboard attached) and can run both the new-style applications shown in this video and any Windows application (including all the PC games you know and love) as well.
My problem with the iPad and devices like it is that they seem like oversized phones (without the phone) and yet they cost more than a "real" computer. Windows 8 looks to me like it is going to bring the best of both worlds together...