Wow thats great news. But pretty much what i was expecting. Although i wasn't sure if the usual windows desktop would also run in the background when using the Metro UI. It's great that it dont though as this will obviously save power and resources.
Many people seemed to think the Metro UI would be like an add-on on top of the desktop, and that the tablet capabilities wouldn't be a really good alternative for OS's completely aimed at touch like Android and iOS. But the way MS are doing this is basically like having two completely separate OS's in the same package, one finely tuned for tablet and one for desktop/laptop. If you use a Windows 8 tablet there should be no need to ever even use the usual widows desktop. And for desktop/laptop users there should never be any need to use the Metro UI, or even see it. But you always can use either on any device if you wanted to. It's perfect.
This could seriously be an amazing OS is MS get it right, and so far they seem to be on the right track.
Seems like a logical move, and I figured that Metro would work like media center does. This is much smarter, since MS probably doesn't want to waste any overhead on a tablet. I like that both interfaces will work, as it sounds like cross-platforming will be possible, furthing compatibility.
Most "apps" shown in metro UX is just WPF-apps with third party Metro-skin so the Metro-mode isn't really more then a bunch of tiles and a browser at the moment.
I don't think this is really like "2 OSs" in one, more like they now have explorer.exe and metro.exe, and you can choose which one is your interface into the OS (or both). But the underlying OS functionality should be running near identically on either interface, it's only how you interact with the OS that is going to change.
Well i wouldn't be at all surprised if certain parts of the OS are not loaded with the Metro UI (not just Windows Explorer) in order to save battery and gain performance, as well as other new things that are only enabled with Metro. And the Metro UI has it's own developer platform and apps, so it is a little like a separate OS. From earlier leaked builds of Win 8 there was also some new frameworks and API's for Metro it seems.
If Metro was simply a new interface it wouldn't cut it for tablets, the battery would drain too fast and performance wouldn't compete with dedicated mobile/touch OS's like Android and iOS so i expect there to be many changes when running Metro.
Here is for hoping the Metro UI is well integrated with media center. Using the remote with those tiles seems easy to integrate, and the extra apps would be great.
I hope thats not the case. What are the MPAA nazi's not happy about this time? MS should atleast include it for the rest of the world and just leave it out of the U.S version.
Legacy TV tuner apps that turn on a PC and record a show will need an easy provision to autostart the Windows desktop and log in (like with "control userpasswords2"). Failure to consider and support all usage scenarios like this would be real bad.
And I hope they do not enforce a "one UI or the other" mentality. For people who will be working mostly with a full screen legacy desktop, there should be a way to view running metro UI apps as windows within the desktop.
In fact, I think "tile" ui designers are grossly underestimating how much more space efficient overlapping windows are. You can adjust the overlaps to show only the parts of running programs that need to be seen while putting other windows over the parts that do not need to be seen. I routinely see people effectively monitoring DOZENS of running programs in a traditional desktop. The "tile" UI does not support more than a few apps visible at one time. The fact that touch apps always seem to have a lot of wasted space also does not help.
I have hard time to believe people "will be working mostly with a full screen legacy desktop" - on a tablet. The default UI of the desktop edition of Win8 is still the old desktop - just you can switch to the Metro if you want, and it is the other way around for tablets.
The default UI that you boot into is Metro, you can go from Metro to the desktop if you want but you can't boot directly to the desktop. It's either exclusively Metro, or Metro to launch applications as the Start Menu replacement and the desktop to interact with them afterwards.
Why do you think this? I've not seen MS confirm this anywhere. But it would make sense that can can boot in to which ever you choose, otherwise it will annoy a ton of people.
"If Microsoft can deliver on this promise and give us one device that can serve as a satisfactory tablet and a satisfactory PC, I for one would definitely be interested."
Microsoft do not make that hardware so it's NOT up to them
Asus EP121 Samsunt 7 slate Sahara
Three core i5 tablets that can replace laptops/desktops.
Perhaps a better phrasing would have been "If Microsoft can deliver software that can enable one device..."
Hardware specs are only part of the puzzle. They've got to run software that people will want to use, and sell in meaningful numbers - that last requirement probably excludes the devices you list above.
What resolutions will metro work with? I have heard rumors metro will not work with resolution 1024x600. Hopefully it works with 1024x768, for I just recently received a new hp touchpad 32gb.
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B3an - Wednesday, August 31, 2011 - link
Wow thats great news. But pretty much what i was expecting. Although i wasn't sure if the usual windows desktop would also run in the background when using the Metro UI. It's great that it dont though as this will obviously save power and resources.Many people seemed to think the Metro UI would be like an add-on on top of the desktop, and that the tablet capabilities wouldn't be a really good alternative for OS's completely aimed at touch like Android and iOS. But the way MS are doing this is basically like having two completely separate OS's in the same package, one finely tuned for tablet and one for desktop/laptop. If you use a Windows 8 tablet there should be no need to ever even use the usual widows desktop. And for desktop/laptop users there should never be any need to use the Metro UI, or even see it. But you always can use either on any device if you wanted to. It's perfect.
This could seriously be an amazing OS is MS get it right, and so far they seem to be on the right track.
MonkeyPaw - Wednesday, August 31, 2011 - link
Seems like a logical move, and I figured that Metro would work like media center does. This is much smarter, since MS probably doesn't want to waste any overhead on a tablet. I like that both interfaces will work, as it sounds like cross-platforming will be possible, furthing compatibility.Penti - Thursday, September 1, 2011 - link
Most "apps" shown in metro UX is just WPF-apps with third party Metro-skin so the Metro-mode isn't really more then a bunch of tiles and a browser at the moment.inighthawki - Wednesday, August 31, 2011 - link
I don't think this is really like "2 OSs" in one, more like they now have explorer.exe and metro.exe, and you can choose which one is your interface into the OS (or both). But the underlying OS functionality should be running near identically on either interface, it's only how you interact with the OS that is going to change.B3an - Wednesday, August 31, 2011 - link
Well i wouldn't be at all surprised if certain parts of the OS are not loaded with the Metro UI (not just Windows Explorer) in order to save battery and gain performance, as well as other new things that are only enabled with Metro.And the Metro UI has it's own developer platform and apps, so it is a little like a separate OS. From earlier leaked builds of Win 8 there was also some new frameworks and API's for Metro it seems.
If Metro was simply a new interface it wouldn't cut it for tablets, the battery would drain too fast and performance wouldn't compete with dedicated mobile/touch OS's like Android and iOS so i expect there to be many changes when running Metro.
snoozemode - Wednesday, August 31, 2011 - link
There is a very fitting word to describe the Windows 8 UI, ambivalence.LeftSide - Wednesday, August 31, 2011 - link
Here is for hoping the Metro UI is well integrated with media center. Using the remote with those tiles seems easy to integrate, and the extra apps would be great.dew111 - Wednesday, August 31, 2011 - link
Unfortunately, it seems like Media Center won't be included with Windows 8, mostly because of the MPAA. It may be available in the app store though.B3an - Wednesday, August 31, 2011 - link
I hope thats not the case. What are the MPAA nazi's not happy about this time?MS should atleast include it for the rest of the world and just leave it out of the U.S version.
DanNeely - Wednesday, August 31, 2011 - link
Citation?dew111 - Wednesday, August 31, 2011 - link
Sorry, I really can't cite my source as this one hasn't hit the media yet.paulpod - Wednesday, August 31, 2011 - link
Legacy TV tuner apps that turn on a PC and record a show will need an easy provision to autostart the Windows desktop and log in (like with "control userpasswords2"). Failure to consider and support all usage scenarios like this would be real bad.And I hope they do not enforce a "one UI or the other" mentality. For people who will be working mostly with a full screen legacy desktop, there should be a way to view running metro UI apps as windows within the desktop.
In fact, I think "tile" ui designers are grossly underestimating how much more space efficient overlapping windows are. You can adjust the overlaps to show only the parts of running programs that need to be seen while putting other windows over the parts that do not need to be seen. I routinely see people effectively monitoring DOZENS of running programs in a traditional desktop. The "tile" UI does not support more than a few apps visible at one time. The fact that touch apps always seem to have a lot of wasted space also does not help.
xdrol - Wednesday, August 31, 2011 - link
I have hard time to believe people "will be working mostly with a full screen legacy desktop" - on a tablet. The default UI of the desktop edition of Win8 is still the old desktop - just you can switch to the Metro if you want, and it is the other way around for tablets.Rand - Wednesday, August 31, 2011 - link
The default UI that you boot into is Metro, you can go from Metro to the desktop if you want but you can't boot directly to the desktop.It's either exclusively Metro, or Metro to launch applications as the Start Menu replacement and the desktop to interact with them afterwards.
The default UI is always Metro though.
B3an - Thursday, September 1, 2011 - link
Why do you think this? I've not seen MS confirm this anywhere.But it would make sense that can can boot in to which ever you choose, otherwise it will annoy a ton of people.
damianrobertjones - Wednesday, August 31, 2011 - link
"If Microsoft can deliver on this promise and give us one device that can serve as a satisfactory tablet and a satisfactory PC, I for one would definitely be interested."Microsoft do not make that hardware so it's NOT up to them
Asus EP121
Samsunt 7 slate
Sahara
Three core i5 tablets that can replace laptops/desktops.
Andrew.a.cunningham - Wednesday, August 31, 2011 - link
Perhaps a better phrasing would have been "If Microsoft can deliver software that can enable one device..."Hardware specs are only part of the puzzle. They've got to run software that people will want to use, and sell in meaningful numbers - that last requirement probably excludes the devices you list above.
Roland00Address - Wednesday, August 31, 2011 - link
What resolutions will metro work with? I have heard rumors metro will not work with resolution 1024x600. Hopefully it works with 1024x768, for I just recently received a new hp touchpad 32gb.Penti - Thursday, September 1, 2011 - link
ARM machines aren't standized as PC's and will never run W8 ARM edition any how.dfgddfdf - Thursday, September 1, 2011 - link
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