Today’s Building Windows 8 blog post is not really about new Windows 8 tweaks and features. It is about how the new tiled Metro tablet user interface will interact with the standard Windows Desktop we are used to. Microsoft also discussed about where the company is taking the new operating system in terms of user interface and how the Metro idea came about.
Microsoft started planning Windows 8 in 2009, before Windows 7 was even released, aiming to reimagine Windows, from the most basic elements to the operating system’s architecture.
Windows and Windows Live President Steven Sinofsky said that the Metro user interface won’t sit on top of the desktop on tablets. He also said that the desktop won’t load unless invoked by the user. He noted that using lots of things can be done with the touch-oriented user interface, but using the keyboard, mouse or trackpad is better in most situations.
“Our design goal was clear: no compromises. If you want to, you can seamlessly switch between Metro style apps and the improved Windows desktop. Existing apps, devices, and tools all remain and are improved in Windows 8,” Sinofsky wrote on the Building Windows 8 blog. “On the other hand, if you prefer to immerse yourself in only Metro style apps (and platform) and the new user experience, you can do that as well! Developers can target the APIs that make sense for the software they wish to deliver.”
This means that Windows 8 will be a touch-based OS and be like the usual Windows we’ve been using all these years. Microsoft will be pleasing both tablet and desktop users.
via: Building Windows 8
