Microsoft Shows First Look at Windows 8 Interface

[mactronix]

Looks like W7 = The new XP then. I mean if they are serious about this actually being the UI for the next desktop OS then i don't see why anyone who actually wants to use a PC would want anything to do with it.

 

[Guest]

Wow this next gen flatscreen TV firmware looks great!

 

[alidan]

[citation][nom]felipex[/nom]I've a 24'' widescreen monitor and I use all my applications in maximized state. Be it Inkscape, Visual Studio, Sharp Develop, or MPLayer. The thing I need most is a good app switcher. That's why I'm more productive when using Ubuntu + Compiz with the Cube switcher. MS has come with a great way to switch applications that may rival "the cube". Using mouse gestures can replicate most of the touch interfacing... I think that if they manage to bring a great user experience in both desktop + mouse and touchscreen devices of many different sizes they will have a winning solution. Why wouldn't you have a cell or a tablet that works as great and in an almost identical fashion to your desktop OS? No need to learn things anew, etc. I know people that haven't switched to Windows 7 because they don't like the new start menu... They want the "classic"... Retrograde people should refrain from using computers![/citation]

i would be banned if i said what i want to say to you.
but i will say this, the windows 7 os is solid,
the windows 7 ui and experience... not so much

for the better part of... sense windows, ui has stayed more or less the same. if you knew windows 3.1 or 95, you knew xp almost instantly, but xp was totally different behind the screens. THAT is how you make an os, going from xp to vista or 7, i have to re learn damn near everything and i will not do that till im absolutely forced to, buy i cant build a new computer and put xp on it.

and this ui... if i want to dick around on a cell phone or a tablet, ill dick around on a cell pone or tablet. i use to call macs "fisher price my first computers" but now ill have to stop raging on them so much...

 

[noblerabbit]

Why is this a surprise, thank god for the stability of Win 7 while it's here. We all know MS makes 2 steps forward and 1 step back in everything they do. Windows 8 thought, will be a fall on the buttocks, that will require WinME bandaids. I hope MS reads our comments here. I will try it, but on an isolated HDD that I can kill with fire safely when I'm done trying it.

 

[noblerabbit]

in continuation, Windows 8 is nothing more than a marketed hyped experimental OS out there with daily headlines on CNN and here, to fuel the propaganda war between itself and Apple, nothing more, nothing less. I pity those who will follow in anticipation, just like the rest of the Apple zombies.

 

[ultameca]

sykozis Microsoft isn't the only one who thinks your 9 month old computer is obsolete....

 

[WR2]

Users will still be able to run traditional Windows software, and opt for the traditional Windows desktop, but the standard experience will be the new interface shown by the company this week.

http://www.geekwire.com/2011/windows-8-radical-change-windows-huge-gamble-microsoft

Having an alternative user interface - a choice of UI - isn't necessarily a bad thing.
So, it's a gamble, but MS seems to have covered the bases by providing a choice of UI.
I'm OK with that.

 

[dertechie]

[citation][nom]sykozis[/nom]Steve Ballmer might want to start deciding what his next career will be then. Stockholders are going to be pissed when it doesn't sell due to lack of support for, I dunno, most of the PC market... I for one, refuse to build a new system just because Microsoft thinks my 9 month old computer is obsolete....[/citation]

Windows doesn't get its mass from retail sales, it gets its mass from OEM sales of new, dirt cheap boxes. To be honest, required EFI might be a good thing there, as it makes it harder for OEMs to keep selling now-ancient LGA775 Pentiums in 'modern' systems.

Plus, if it's EFI-only, that also means no hardware that can't do 64-bit, so they could also do 64-bit only.

Besides, now that Microsoft is back on a 2-year ish OS cycle rather than a 5+ year cycle, there's no reason to jump on every new OS. Every other OS is usually fine.

 

[pteek]

Is that thing a WP7 ripoff?

 

[BSMonitor]

Unless all kinds of touch screen LED's start shipping, what difference does it make. Unless your business is in the mood for replacing all of its LED/LCD's, I don't see a whole lot of people in the business sector switching.

Now, when Windows gets to be like the movies and combines Windows with a Kinect like interface. Then I will be impressed. i.e. Minority Report

 

[WR2]

Now, when Windows gets to be like the movies and combines Windows with a Kinect like interface. Then I will be impressed. i.e. Minority Report

Microsoft’s Kinect integration spotted inside Windows 8?
http://www.winrumors.com/microsofts-kinect-integration-spotted-inside-windows-8/

 

[acadia11]

Man, you people aren't getting it, the existing windows 7 UI, is still there, you can still use the old way of navigating, geez!!!!! It's just now windows 8 has an optimized touch interface, navigating, windows 7 via a touch without an optimized touch interface is non-sense. Taht was the great failure of windows. As to why you want a unified platform, is because, of development, a developer can simply right 1 set of code, and the OS depending on how the USER is interfacing, either via the touch or old standard mouse /keyboard can determine how to display and access it.

This is actually holy grail and if anyone does it right, which I think MS can, you will have a very powerful tool. I used to be a fanboy, blah, blah, brag about how I loved Debian, and lInux, I mean I'm the guy who would change the kernel and found errors and fixed them for my own builds , have written linux drivers, as teenager I was a tool some 10 years ago, and I was like MS is for kiddies, and now that I've gotten older. The bottom line MS is a dayum good OS and does what it's intended to do well, if they pull this off, Kudo's to them, and actually believe they have a better chance the Android and iOS of doing such a thing. And the plethora of windows app which would then be open to the mobile space simply puts it on another planet.

This is a very powerful concept and I don't see how anyone that calls himself a "geek" can't see it. If you are still in your fandom Linux over Windows days, you'll eventually grow up and understand, different tools solve different problems, A wrench is not better than a hammer is not better than a screw driver, they all serve their purpose, to get the job done. Windows 8 as I see it looks pretty darn promising from the video, from the UI experience.

 

[acadia11]

[citation][nom]WR2[/nom]Microsoft’s Kinect integration spotted inside Windows 8?http://www.winrumors.com/microsoft [...] windows-8/[/citation]

Somebody is seeing the power that windows 8 could have, I think the sleeping giant has awaken, imagine putting this on virtually anything from TV's to refigerators, to yes, that minority report way of interfacing with a machine, machines will now seamlessly be intergrated into our lives, add voice recognition + kinect, this could be revolutionary or atleast a strong evolution in how we interface with computers.

Yes, if you are typing a memo the keyboard and mouse still king, but for simple task, like reading emails, browing the net, checking your accounts, (dare I say facebook which I don't have), this is nirvana.

 

[AGPC]

Micorsoft! how could you do this to us?!

 

[hixbot]

It's a tablet interface ontop of the regular Win 8 interface. Regular PC users lose nothing it's got a full fledged interface, you don't need to use the touch app stuff at all if you don't want to. Everything is completely customizable. C'mon guys, do you really expect MS would screw everybody and limit you to that interface? lol people need to calm down.

 

[JOSHSKORN]

Oh God, I hope there's an option to "Make this look exactly like Windows 7" because I don't need any of that touch screen crap on my Desktop. Seriously, "Windows 8" looks like it's meant more for tablets. I don't want a tablet.

 

[WR2]

Yes, if you are typing a memo the keyboard and mouse still king, but for simple task, like reading emails, browing the net, checking your accounts, (dare I say facebook which I don't have), this is nirvana.

Typing? What about speech to text?

 

[captaincharisma]

[citation][nom]Prey[/nom]Ubuntu and wine FTW!!!![/citation]

that be true if anyone besides nerds knew how to use it lol

 

[Spazzy]

Man....Windows is going downhill!! When I had Windows 95 I couldn't wait to upgrade to Windows 98, then I couldn't wait to upgrade to Windows xp, Windows Vista made me a little worried due to the file name changes, but I gave it a whirl any-way (all after the initial service packs of course). Then came Windows 7......they decided to make it Applesc.....pass...if I wanted an Apple, I'd buy an Apple! Now they want to pawn off a phone os as your main os......pass again!!! The tile crap is ugly even on a phone, now I'm supposed to look at it on a 24" screen.....NO THANK YOU MS!!! I like to have a nice pic displayed to look at when I log in so I have very few icons on my desk top. I buy a Windows pc because I like the WINDOWS experiece!! I am not interested in a phone or Apple experience on my pc......GIMME BACK MY WINDOWS!!!

 

[lespy]

microsoft is not going to forget about the desktop user, there will definitely think of some very awesome things to do for the power user's while also integrating our world much like the windows 7 phone which is beast.

 

[legacy7955]

I understand why MS is presenting the default UI as the predominate version, but honestly the VAST majority of PC users will most likely be interested in keeping the traditional Win UI..

As long as the tradational UI is as good or better than Win XP /7 I have no problem with it. My only question would be concerning the BLOAT factor to offer TWO such options in Win 8.

NOTE TO MS ---could you please offer a Win 8 Starter/Business version that simply eliminates the option of the phone style interface. I am still willing to pay the same as I would with the standard two option UI version.

Personally I think that Win 7 is a excellent product, stable, user friendly, yet able to be useful to those of us that are more technically inclined . I hope Win 8 doesn't lose that aspect .

 

[malphas]

[citation][nom]cold fire[/nom]Did no one of the complainers watch the video? The new UI is optional and mainly for tablets and other touch devices. You still have the normal desktop UI with the task bar, file explorer...etc[/citation]
Why do comments like this keep getting voted down, whilst the ranting lunatic ones are voted up, despite it being said multiple times now that this GUI isn't even intended for desktop use. In case you didn't notice, desktop usage is shrinking and dominated by Windows while the ultraportables and tablet sector is exploding and still a landgrab as far as the OS is concerned, of course Microsoft are going to be showcasing their developments in that sector rather than preaching to the converted desktop crowd. At no point was it stated that this was going to be the default or only GUI.

 

[legacy7955]

Still have the question and concern, won't all the extra code needed to support BOTH UI in one platform use up a LOT of space? And perhaps compromise the efficiency of a less code laden version of each....

I guess my question is will Windows 8 be ONE single product with two optional UI to select from or will there be TWO separate versions ?

 

[edmond419]

Nice!

Wonder if can switch back to old start menu style

 

[eddieroolz]

I see much of the same comments as was sent to other sites.

Let me quote one user that had the common sense to note this:

This is a completely optional interface that can be turned off.