Windows 8's Metro-style UI

September 15, 2011, 12:41pm PDT | Length: 00:04:03
At the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco, Brett Carpenter, from Microsoft’s Windows ecosystem group, shows off Windows 8. Its Metro-style UI has live tiles that can be programmed using existing tools and languages. It also supports full-screen apps.
At CES, Ballmer highlights Windows phone, Windows 8, Xbox Kinect

At CES, Ballmer highlights Windows phone, Windows 8, Xbox Kinect

At CES in Las Vegas, American Idol host Ryan Seacrest talks to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer about...

CES 2012: Intel looks to 'wow' with concept Windows 8 ultrabooks

CES 2012: Intel looks to 'wow' with concept Windows 8 ultrabooks

At CES in Las Vegas, Intel's Mooly Eden updates the company's "ultrabook" efforts, including a...

Microsoft previews Windows 8

Microsoft previews Windows 8

At the Microsoft Build conference in Anaheim, Calif., Steven Sinofsky, the president of the...

Microsoft's Ballmer mocks Android phone

Microsoft's Ballmer mocks Android phone

At the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer talks about why users should...

Dell previews Windows 7 tablet and more

Dell previews Windows 7 tablet and more

At the company's event in San Francisco this morning, Dell showed several new models of laptops,...

PARC scientist recalls Jobs' famous Xerox visits

PARC scientist recalls Jobs' famous Xerox visits

At a Churchill Club event in San Jose, Calif., former PARC engineer Larry Tesler talks about...

Salesforce's Rypple puts a social spin on performance reviews

Salesforce's Rypple puts a social spin on performance reviews

At a Cloudforce in San Francisco, Salesforce.com COO George Hu demos the company's new social...

Apple launches digital textbooks

Apple launches digital textbooks

At an Apple press event in New York City, executives from the company announce a new initiative...

16
Comments

Join the conversation!

Just In

Have to Agree:Another Round of Dumbing down
AnOldItGuy 27th Sep
I have to agree , this is just another round of dumbing down to the lowest common denominator. Its made for people who want a toy not a computer to do work on. First thing a work user will want to do is turn off the tile crap
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Windows 8's Metro-style UI
rphunter42 15th Sep
I think they should sell it to V-Tech. Looks like something for the 3-5 set. NO THANKS! I don't think this will fly with power users.
0 Votes
+ -
@rphunter42 As a 15 year Systems Engineer who definitely qualifies as a Power User, I'll say you're exactly wrong. The Metro UI is today the best thing that's ever happened to the smartphone space, and it's very exciting for those of us in the industry now that it's coming to both Windows and to Xbox 360.

Metro is the best touch UI on the market today, and it's going to dramatically change the way we use computers once Windows 8 launches happy
0 Votes
+ -
@jasongw -- Except that a touch interface is pretty much useless to desktop users. This just looks like Metro UI slapped over a traditional Windows release. An excuse to create an "app" ecosystem to make money from. Fairly sure most power users will just be hiding this.
0 Votes
+ -
@jasongw

This is the problem with some of you engineers you are always trying to force radical changes down peoples throat.
0 Votes
+ -
@jasongw

I could not care more about tablets, the XBox or smartphones when my desktop OS is concerned. I do not have a 30'' monitor to run stupid full screen applications. Are we going to simple task switchers???? MS has gone stark crazy. Let me tell you. If you are a developer, run for your life. Windows sells mostly to the enterprise and people buy it to run either full blown games or demanding productivity applications. This is the its main allure and market segment. Why would one try to disable all that to run a stupid Twitter application full screen? It does not make sense.
@jasongw

we can tell if it is a valid user opinion or something else.

sad
.
0 Votes
+ -
I have to agree , this is just another round of dumbing down to the lowest common denominator. Its made for people who want a toy not a computer to do work on. First thing a work user will want to do is turn off the tile crap
0 Votes
+ -
I agree with malexf. If MS is smart then will make disabling the metro UI very easy for no touch based systems. Or they will be living another Vista nightmare.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Windows 8's Metro-style UI
evolucian911 16th Sep
@MLHACK ribbon.
0 Votes
+ -
Many, many, many years ago, my 1st pc was a Packard Bell (remember those?) Pac Bell put their own UI on, which basically "hid" the Windows 3.1 desktop. It was a grid of colored blocks which represented the apps that were installed. Asap, I disabled that UI, so that the system would boot to the real Windows desktop. Seeing this, it's like deja vu -- a step back 20 years. Why oh why base an OS UI on a dumbed down, faddish, jump on the "tablet bandwagon" look. Woe is us.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Windows 8's Metro-style UI
gil_seiler 16th Sep
I just downloaded the pre-beta win 8. Under the kiddish graphics it looks like win 7. Maybe for a 1st computer learner in their 90s it might work for them. I'm 83 and it sucks for me. I run and use Linux, Win 7 & XP and OS X.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Windows 8's Metro-style UI
AdnanPirota 16th Sep
I never liked OS as I like Windows 8, I hate going into apps to get info, Win 8 gives them to me from the Metro UI
0 Votes
+ -
Three words for you
mikroland2.0 16th Sep
New World Domination.
0 Votes
+ -
Looks great!
MSFTWorshipper 17th Sep
The thing about corporate environments is that Group Policy settings will dictate what the user sees on their screen. No Facebook, Twitter or entertainment apps. Very locked down for productivity!
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Windows 8's Metro-style UI
MrElectrifyer 17th Sep
Loving the functionality, hating the paperish/cartoonish UI; nuf' said
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Windows 8's Metro-style UI
gregnewm7 Updated - 22nd Sep
folks it seems to me that for some People learning to use windows 8 and getting used to the metro tiles is going to be a strain to help these people out Microsoft should give people the choice of setting it up to run classic windows with the metro screen being a screen you can see only if you select or touch an icon on the desktop screen window or full metro where you only see the desktop when you select click or touch it's smart metro tile. this way Microsoft makes all windows 8 buyers happy. frankly I like Metro smart tiles they are not pretty but they give you information which dead icons over a pretty background in a an old classic windows platform do not give you

Join the conversation!

Formatting +
BB Codes - Note: HTML is not supported in forums
  • [b] Bold [/b]
  • [i] Italic [/i]
  • [u] Underline [/u]
  • [s] Strikethrough [/s]
  • [q] "Quote" [/q]
  • [ol][*] 1. Ordered List [/ol]
  • [ul][*] · Unordered List [/ul]
  • [pre] Preformat [/pre]
  • [quote] "Blockquote" [/quote]

The best of ZDNet, delivered

ZDNet Newsletters

Get the best of ZDNet delivered straight to your inbox

White Papers, Webcasts, & Resources

Facebook Activity