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Windows 8 Previewed At D9

Posted by Soulskill on from the somebody-got-their-tablet-in-my-pc dept.

theodp writes "Mum's still the word on a shipping date for its new OS for laptops, desktops, and tablets ('touch slates' in MS-speak), but Microsoft on Wednesday gave the world a first look at the touch-friendly 'Windows 8' user interface, which sports a live tile-based Start screen reminiscent of the company's Windows Phone 7 interface. Also prominent in the demo was a large 'Store' tile, suggesting that Microsoft plans to offer Windows apps through a marketplace. A Microsoft video offers an overview of the interface, showcasing Win 8's multi-tasking capabilities and some other interesting features, including a virtual keyboard that can be switched from full-screen to a more ergonomic split-screen thumbs layout."

4 of 330 comments (clear)

  1. Full circle by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...and we're back to the Windows 1.0 tiled window interface. Touch sensitivity corresponds to ye good ol' light pen interface.

    Only took 30+ yrs to dump all progress, or is that bloat? No, the bloat is still there.

  2. First Unity, now Windows... by Bloodwine77 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The idiot generation seems to be the target of the new OS UIs.

    I guess menus are hard.

    I am a cynical person, but even I didn't see the day where the desktop would be treated as oversized mobile devices with respect to interface and functionality.

    I think there is too much hype behind the desktop-is-dying phenomenon.

    It looks like they will provide optional toggle to switch to a more traditional desktop ... for now.

    I think Microsoft is seriously underestimating how this is going to hurt their upgrade sales in the corporate world. It is hard enough to get people off of XP to 7, I can't imagine what this will do for people resisting upgrading from Windows 7. Of course Microsoft will pull, "Latest version of X only works on Windows 8 or higher shenanigans", to try to force people to upgrade.

    1. Re:First Unity, now Windows... by FreonTrip · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The desktop isn't dying - the market's mature, but people are still replacing their desktops. Because the market's founded on a manic pace of consumption and disposal - remember the late '90s? - the fact that it isn't growing at the velocity of the lifestyle appliance / portable tablet and phone market sector means that people are panicking. I can picture a business strategy meeting where someone says, "People are buying smart phones and tablets. Because this is a growth market and they are computing devices, it therefore follows that usability paradigms applicable to those devices will be EVEN BETTER on other devices!" Unfortunately, this isn't so - not by any stretch of the imagination - and I think we're in for a bumpy ride as Gnome, Microsoft, and other people in The Biz* realize that "one interface for all" doesn't actually fit.

      * Yes, even the sainted Apple. Trying to converge iOS and OS X isn't going to go anywhere that's good for UI flexibility or getting under the hood, let me tell you.

  3. Re:Very good for computer novices. by Ziran · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I think that this kind of interface is very good for computer novices. I've seen many computer-illiterate people to struggle with the WIMP interface; this interface feels a lot more natural to them.

    I don't see this as very good for novices. I'd hate to have to give phone support for people using this UI.