In recent days, the Internet boils from leaks about the appearance and features of the new Windows. Okay, I exaggerated. Do not boil, and it is exciting only a handful of geeks and bloggers technology. So we are.
Tiles and startup screen and full-screen apps Modern UI were a response to market demand, or mobile devices, particularly tablets and hybrids operated by touch. For some (including me), this solution has a total sense. With a touch screen only, serve it with your finger – and for this useful large interface elements and applications in full screen. After dopięciu keyboard and mouse have a desktop mode with smaller UI elements and tiles, which can also be operated with these peripherals, especially after receiving Windows 8.1 Update 1 Many people say, however, that such a solution is inconsistent, or even “schizophrenic”. And to some extent you have to agree with this. Current Windows combines two distant and completely different worlds. And this combination does not always look like we wanted. Examples? Run the movie in File Explorer and starts us … touch full-screen application. Change the computer settings in the touch mode, and suddenly you get an desktop Control Panel. For this design – Modern mode – elegant, slim, minimalist. In Desktop mode, – shadows, three-dimensionality, layers, picture icons. The total lack of consistency.
Threshold, which is a project to bring the next generation of Windows, Windows Phone and Windows RT to be an antidote to these problems. What we already know about him? In principle, we should say that nothing leaks because they operate on a pre-production version, which is not even a “developer preview”. Microsoft itself several times gave us some hints about the future of Windows, but the disclosures seem to confirm this. The most important changes? Back to the start menu. It is very much like those of Windows 7, with the difference that can be attached to the interactive tiles familiar with the startup screen of Windows 8 What else? We will not even have to be in an environment Modern UI and WinRT applications will be able to be run in classic windows. From the desktop will disappear also retractable strap charms. There will also be the center of notifications, Cortana, and virtual desktops. Most important, however, are the first two changes, to which I will return in a moment.
At this point I would like to stress that we are dealing with a VERY early version, which can be nothing like the final. Features and options can be added and removed, and the interface changed. Especially when it comes to the design. And here we can be sure. Microsoft Partners who got this early build for a long time a long time do not get the upgrade design elements desktop. Why? All work on the modernization of design desktop mode is done on a separate branch of source code. And what does it mean? At a glance – shortly before the premiere of changes in the lower layers of the system will be integrated with changes in appearance, and these two things are currently being upgraded completely independently of each other. And it goes without saying that the partners get a version with changes in low-level, not the graphics. Why am I writing about? Many people, including bloggers technological pastwiło over Microsoft’s inconsistent design and appearance in the very early version. In fact, for any major changes in the interface will have to wait patiently for a long time. If you do not believe me – just look at how they looked early builds of Windows 8 – absolutely no resemblance to the current eight.
Start Menu, applications Modern in windows, “boot is a desktop” – what it means. At this point I would like to refer to the title of this entry. Looking at the previous leaks, it seems that the next version of Windows will be a step backwards. Such a Windows 7.5 and withdrawal from displaying tiles, especially for large laptops and desktops. Shared video shows the possibility of completely detach the tiles from the start menu, which will make the kind go back to Seven. I’m talking of course about the user interface, not the kernel. Is that what it was? Is Microsoft is not brave enough to promote his vision of a truly hybrid system? Or maybe it was that it actually made a mistake and had to withdraw to fix it? Or maybe Microsoft is aware that reigns only in the desktop market and large laptops and it is for those users should fight? In each of these questions can be a bit of truth.
My question however is: what about hybrids? A lot of shows that small tablet with Windows, both for ARM and x86 will not have a desktop at all. Only the startup screen, pop-up behind the right edge of the belt charms – and all system settings and manage files will be set to the touch. Goodbye desktop. Is it a good decision? Desktop on small devices is almost unusable, but anyone can say that after such a tablet is docked, you can turn it into a desktop computer. I will be including a point. In this case, the abandonment of the desktop, it is also a step back, this time in the context of functionality. Getting rid of, or smaller display of tiles supported for laptops or desktops cursor seems to bear some of the hallmarks of logic and sense. In conjunction with the firing of Modern UI application in the windows – many will cease to have a reason to complain about the “schizofreniczność” system. Moreover, as shown by the leaks, even on those devices startup screen will be restored by changing the settings of the system. So far it sounds good, but back to the question: what about hybrids? They will boot to the desktop or start menu? They will have the start menu or start screen? Or maybe it will depend on whether they have a keyboard connected or not? These and other questions related to the interface, they will have to answer all of Microsoft and OEMs. The problem is that there will be a Windows. Someone who will be able to operate this system on the desktop, can totally deal with it not handle the tablet. And vice versa. User hybrids can be further confused confusion tabletowych and desktop functions. Is a form of Redmond find the golden mean? The problem is that such a universal golden mean is simply no.
What I would advised to Microsoft? First of all – a big visual change desktop mode. The flattening of the interface and unification of style in such a way that dovetails well with the Modern UI. To allow scaling in the desktop interface so as to make it usable for handling touch. Simplify system maintenance, in particular, to automate the process of Windows Update. But the system is not only the interface. OSX it remains a far more efficient in terms of energy consumption. Microsoft Research is working on hardware and software solutions in this direction, and I would expect them to put these ideas to the final version of the operating system. My expectations for the new version of Windows are very large, which in unfavorable situation may lead to extreme disappointment.
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