Windows 8 Video Preview

[Jerome36]

What a joke of a UI. This would never work for a desktop. Or at least for a person that needs to do actual work. You have a bunch of program tiles spread out everywhere and you're supposed to swipe around to get to them? It looks so cluttered and unnecessary. Cool navigation animation gets old real fast. Especially if you have to swipe around 8 panes of tiles to get to the program you want to start.

Live Tiles on WP7 are customizable. You can move the things you want/use the most front and center. I don't see it being any different than pinning your favorite applications to the taskbar or Start Menu in W7. Currently, when I need to use a program I don't use frequently I might have to scroll through a list of applications under "All Programs," so I don't think few swipes left or right is that much different.

Also, who's to say you can't begin to type out the name of the application you're looking for, and you'll get the matching item(s) on the screen, so you can then launch your program, like you currently can when you hit the Start Button, or just press the Windows Key and begin typing?

What we've seen so far is a video that was less than 5 minutes long, which hasn't gone into those sorts of details yet. I think it's a bit early to call it a joke and to say your programs are "spread out everywhere and you're supposed to swipe around to get to them."

 

[Chimel]

Hey look, it's Microsoft Advanced Concept OS 8!

The video really has nothing new to show so long after Windows 7 released. They just ported an existing interface to Windows. Sure, they probably had to tweak the Windows innards a lot to make it happen, but this was what we expected for the tablet market, and no user cares about the internal changes required to make it happen.

I

 

[christianw]

those calling this a crap ui or a mac clone.

noobs, all of you. flaming, little cowering noobs.

dont be afraid of change little noobs.

change is the only constant in the computer industry.

 

[Chimel]

The video really has nothing new to show so long after Windows 7 released. They just ported an existing interface to Windows. Sure, they probably had to tweak the Windows innards a lot to make it happen, but this was what we expected for the tablet market, and no user cares about the internal changes required to make it happen.

I am a bit disappointed by the app browsing interface. It's great for a phone, but even a tablet user may end up with a dozen or two of simultaneous apps, especially if Microsoft is promoting the concept of standalone apps like the weather thing rather than Internet Explorer applications. This will easily multiply the number of apps, each web site will want its own, and developers will create many custom apps because they can avoid the dependencies on a specific browser and version.

I would prefer to see a navigation by categories instead of by application for tablets. For instance all Microsoft Office apps grouped together in one mega icon in the center of the screen and you can still launch Excel or Word by selecting the appropriate region in the icon, and you can browse to other groups both horizontally and vertically, or some 3D interface or any other efficient way of browsing two dozens of apps, which tile browsing or the current Vista/Windows 7 ALT+TAB is not.

I hope they will have real new features to show us in the next video. As for the comments on the desktop interface, my guess is that this video is purely about tablets and other mobile form factors. Touch screen for desktops simply does not exist, it is not ergonomically possible to keep your arms up and move your whole body 30 cm forward each time you need to browse an app. The only desktop PCs with touch screens I have seen are point of sales or information desks without a keyboard or mouse altogether and destined to the public, or those stupid executive desks with a touch screen monitor lying horizontally, totally unreadable and unusable but great for showing off. The only other use for such large tile browsing interface is home theater PCs controlled by remote, but with no touch screen required. Definitely not for regular desktop usage.

(sorry for the double post, the first one was submitted by mistake and can't be recalled.)

 

[ClariorHincHonos]

Complete shit. If I wanted a mobile touch interface for everything I'd sell my PC's and live off of a Droid or iPhone. Also, how the hell are SysAdmins/IT Helpdesk folks supposed to support this in a work environment, if this is truly the UI for everything?

Typical Microsoft. Implement something completely unnecessary while ignoring the important things.

 

[christianw]

Complete shit. If I wanted a mobile touch interface for everything I'd sell my PC's and live off of a Droid or iPhone. Also, how the hell are SysAdmins/IT Helpdesk folks supposed to support this in a work environment, if this is truly the UI for everything?

Typical Microsoft. Implement something completely unnecessary while ignoring the important things.

lmao

microsoft has never abandoned the enterprise. not once.

these posts are too funny. so many noobs. now i know why 30% of my IT work for the last 5 years has been cleaning up after some so called "IT Ninja".

noobs... so many noobs...

 

[Menelmarar]

I hated it when he started call programs "apps"...

Why? That's what they are... He could say programs, but both terms have been around for ages, Many of us even used \apps\ directories back in the dos days for various tools.

 

[Sage Osaka]

god this looks so incredibly gimmicky. i think microsoft is too inspired/focused on developing mango while developing windows 8.

 

[Menelmarar]

Windows 8 is trying to look like a phone/tablet operating system?

So, in a couple of years, (by the time W8 is on the shelves) when my phone or tablet is as powerful as many entry level PC's are today, remind me why I want to buy a PC if I am not a gamer or a number cruncher. I can already plug my phone's HDMI into a great, big monitor.

I am not sure what MS is going for here...

MS is going for diversification so they don't become extinct inthe future world you describe. I think that's pretty obvious, and an obvious move for them.

 

[Menelmarar]

MS got a lot right with Win7, not the least of which was UI. Friendlier to mass multi-tasking with smaller taskbar buttons, pinning apps to start menu and to task bar, library organization features, the snap UI (god I miss this on our lab computers), jump lists, etc.

Why toss this away, cover it up? It sounds like they want to try. Obviously most consumers are going back to standard desktop even if their $400 best buy budget machine comes setup with the new UI as default, only to be lost in the programs list sea.

Needs more synergy, to build on how great it is currently.

Maybe a tile UI replacement for the start menu or simliar. Like WindowsKey+Tab vs. Alt+Tab. Instead of a massive vertical text list of applications, maybe we get a horizontal (or vertical) spread of tiles we can use to look for apps, and they can display info as they wish?

 

[lightp2]

Perhaps reasonable on those convertible laptops. exploring only

1. In standard laptop mode, Standard Windows UI
2. Flip the screen changing into tablet-orientation, UI will automatically revert to new tablet-friendly-UI.

So for the Lenovo special hybrid design previously shown, now it can be

1. In standard laptop mode, standard Windows UI
2. Lift the screen out using as tablet, the on-board ARM inside the screen unit runs Windows 8 in tablet UI-mode.

3. For Dell Duo tablet as previously shown, when the screen is flipped, it will revert to tablet-UI but still powered by underlining x86 processor.

 

[Ryokurin]

I don't understand why anyone would upgrade from windows 7 if they don't have a touchscreen, it's useless on any PC that isn't a touch interface, but that seems to be the way things are moving.

It won't be the default interface, just available if you want it. While it hasn't had the same look as the windows mobile interface, there's been add-ons available since vista that have provided similar interfaces for touch devices they just haven't been widely used as the only touch device that's done decent in the market place is HPs and they use their own interface instead.

 

[Menelmarar]

It won't be the default interface, just available if you want it. While it hasn't had the same look as the windows mobile interface, there's been add-ons available since vista that have provided similar interfaces for touch devices they just haven't been widely used as the only touch device that's done decent in the market place is HPs and they use their own interface instead.

I disagree, I bet they will try to push it as the default UI. But it will be easy to revert to classic explorer/desktop.

 

[Sly]

I disagree, I bet they will try to push it as the default UI. But it will be easy to revert to classic explorer/desktop.

I seriously doubt they'd try to push an interface that's appropriate to less than 10% of the demographic as the default.

 

[Topaz]

So according to the naysayers here, the pendulum swings back?

Win9x (good) -> WinME (bad) -> WinXP (good) -> WinVista (bad) -> Win7 (good) -> Win8 (___)?

Other people's opinions, not mine.

 

[ICOM]

I don't understand why anyone would upgrade from windows 7 if they don't have a touchscreen, it's useless on any PC that isn't a touch interface, but that seems to be the way things are moving.

Some people just like to buy new garbage. Consumers are not logical.

 

[krotch]

Hope the touch interface comes in a service pack for Win 7.

 

[Dantrax]

I bet everyone with multi-monitor setups can't wait for this. It's a cell phone, laptop or tablet OS extension. I'm using one 32" TV & I don't want to be within arm's reach of my screen. Makes my eyes hurt to be to close. This could be the one-size fits-all OS they want it to be (if you can disable/enable features depending on your platform) but we'll see.

 

[J-Will]

Developer1: How can we maximize our profits, without actually spending any money on development?
Developer2: Let's merge Windows 7 with Windows Phone 7!

...and Windows 8 was born.

I thought the same thing. The tile interface is from the Win Phone 7 OS. Its not a bad thing though, and this new GUI has a lot of power for touch screens.

I'm interested in seeing how 'normal' programs work under this GUI, which seems to cater to the touch interface more.

 

[Joe Average]

Yanno, Apple is doing effectively the same thing with OSX at this point - bringing aspects of the mobile OS towards the desktop - but I don't see people complaining about that one. And Ubuntu with Gnome 3 is trying to create a more "centralized" OS platform that's capable on many architectures too.

"Can't we all just... get along?"

 

[MacGyver467]

I seriously doubt they'd try to push an interface that's appropriate to less than 10% of the demographic as the default.

This.

It sounds like alot of the people posting have never touched a tablet PC after Windows 7 was released. When you install the OS, it detects if you have a tablet or not. It's a simple process of detecting hardware (you know, that thing called Plug-N-Play?).

Take this into Windows 8...if the OS detects touch input+battery+whatever else defines a tablet in MS eyes, it'll most likely configure your default UI to be the tile interface. It looked easy enough to switch back and forth between "Vista/7 UI" and "Tile UI" as well.

 

[MacGyver467]

Hope the touch interface comes in a service pack for Win 7.

Did MS come out with a Service Pack 3 for Vista to integrate all the Win7 features?
Did MS come out with a Service Pack 4 for XP to give users the Vista UI and features?
Repeat ad nauseum for each preceeding version of Windows.

 

[MacGyver467]

I'm interested in seeing how 'normal' programs work under this GUI, which seems to cater to the touch interface more.

The presenter of the video said this will work with keyboard/mouse as well. He even demonstrated opening Excel and the UI switched immediately to "Vista/7 UI" with start button, taskbar, and all.

 

[GilmourD]

I hated it when he started call programs "apps"...

I've been calling programs "apps" for about 12 years or so, back when I worked at CompUSA. This was, of course, before the iPod, iPad, and Android existed.

It roots from the fact that Windows has always seemed to label .EXE files as "Application".

 

[Wshmaster0]

Have you guys forgotten that MS created the Kinect for the XBox360?

They could easily make an affordable sensor that will detect gestures and so even older PC's can make use of this.

 

[rihno13]

You know honestly touchscreens are coming down.
I think I'd like to get one for my PC.

 

[cptnjarhead]

Looks like a combination of windows phone and media center.
Are they pushing this OS for tablets or desktops?
If i want to push things around on the screen i will grab my smart phone, NOT my desktop PC!

 

[Reus]

those calling this a crap ui or a mac clone.

noobs, all of you. flaming, little cowering noobs.

dont be afraid of change little noobs.

change is the only constant in the computer industry.

Oh how I love it when people start with the "afraid of change" bullshit. That line has no merit whatsoever. I suppose if they replaced all hamburger with cow shit, and said this is the "burger of the future", anyone who disliked it would be labeled "afraid of change"?

 

[Menelmarar]

Looks like a combination of windows phone and media center.
Are they pushing this OS for tablets or desktops?
If i want to push things around on the screen i will grab my smart phone, NOT my desktop PC!

RTFA
both.
you can turn it off.

 

[Dekoth-E-]

Looks like I will be skipping Windows 8. Just nothing all that exciting. I might be interested in it for a tablet if I get one of those (doubtful). That start screen however would be positively awful for a desktop/laptop though. I completely hate clutter on my screen and the last thing I want are bigger more descriptive icons. Again, for a touch tablet all that makes sense, but a regular PC not in the least.

It is ok though, Win7 is awesome.

 

[Azhar]

this is for tablets, not a desktop pc.. notice the whole on screen keyboard? with a "thumb" setting? then he goes to say this is what will be on tablets, and laptops, and DESKTOPS!! i dont think so.

Type "keyboard" in your Start menu search. Touchscreen-capable keyboards have been around for a long time in Windows.

As for people who complains about this being for tablets, you all need to get out more. There are a lot of touchscreen computers available. HP TouchSmart desktop series, TouchSmart tm2t ultra portable laptop, the ASUS all-in-one, Dell Inspiron One, Dell Inspiron Duo, and so on.

Computers don't revolve around gaming and Folding and you guys.

OT - Windows 8 looks very functional. It would be a very welcome replacement for HP's mediocre TouchSmart overlay.

 

[Wolf-R1]

Good old Microsucks...always trying to overcome the market with mediocrity and the ubiquity that others have generated. Idiots...

At the very least I like Windows 7. Not sure how a tablet based design is going to work for my current desktop but I'm sure they'll magically turn it into a tablet with the wave of Ballmer's wand.

 

[cptnjarhead]

RTFA
both.
you can turn it off.

dont you mean
WTFV
the article is on a separate page.
I did watch the vid, without sound though.

 

[El Barto]

I've been calling programs "apps" for about 12 years or so, back when I worked at CompUSA. This was, of course, before the iPod, iPad, and Android existed.

It roots from the fact that Windows has always seemed to label .EXE files as "Application".

Wow, a trend-setter!

 

[El Barto]

The new UI is seems definitely biased towards touch. A desktop touch UI is just silly. No one wants to use their computer with their arms outstretched all day. It's just not comfortable. Plus for multi-monitor desktops you would have to get out of your chair to reach. I am happy it's defeatable.

I think the "active" icons are a good idea, but they're just too damn big. Just give me widgets FFS. I don't want to scroll through 8 pages of HUGE icons just to get the application I want, even on a phone or tablet.

 

[tikiman2012]

I hope they sell it as Windows 7 Plus too.

+1 for Windows 7 Plus

 

[cyclone3d]

I remember I and others were calling programs and applications, "apps", when Win3 was shipping on $4k, 486 computers. It is hardly some new term.

Why? That's what they are... He could say programs, but both terms have been around for ages, Many of us even used \apps\ directories back in the dos days for various tools.

I've been calling programs "apps" for about 12 years or so, back when I worked at CompUSA. This was, of course, before the iPod, iPad, and Android existed.

It roots from the fact that Windows has always seemed to label .EXE files as "Application".

Wow, a trend-setter!

LOL. Yeah, the term apps has been around since at least the MS-DOS 5.0/Windows 3 days. I've been using it since then. Abbrieviating directory names saves typing time when using the command prompt so it was just a logical thing to do.
Back in the old "warez" days, if you wanted pirated applications, you searched for "appz".

 

[/usr/sbin]

I think this one is going to be a /skip.

 

[dandirk]

The tablet UI seems to look good. The only thought I have, is how are they going to deal with non-compatible apps?

What about icon refuse bin called the Start Menu?

Unless they have some cool way to deal with all the unnecessary icons apps/programs install in the start menu, it will be impossible to find anything in the Tile system.

To me one of the best features of Vista/Win7 was the start menu search, but that was sort of a band-aid... to deal with the explosion of crap in the start menu, most of which was due to MS themselves.

MS even made managing the start menu more difficult with 10 places start menu pulls its icons from...

 

[rocky928]

God, there isn't much worse than reading people bitching about operating systems. So is this going to be the "every other version of Windows" everyone hates, when in reality they are all damn near the exact same thing? Get over yourselves.. This looks like it will be usable on an amazing range of devices, which is what Windows needs to be competitive with threats from Google & Apple. Maybe someday I will own a tablet after all.