Windows 8 - Metro UI

Windows 8 preview editions were released worldwide couple of week ago. The most striking and catchy part of this new Windows is obviously its brand new UI. Reinvented from Windows phone, with no windows, frames, menus, or other UI elements on the screen, Metro UI certainly is a very ambitious attempt from Windows.  

So let’s take a tour of this new UI. Let’s explore what’s so special in it.

•  Lock Screen :

       

The first thing you'll see when you start up is the Lock Screen, a simple screen that shows the Time, Date, Wi-Fi connectivity, Battery power (where applicable), and more. Tap and drag if you’re on a touch device, drag with mouse or double-click or tap a key to unlock. Then you’ll be redirected to login screen. You can use Windows Live ID here or use the regular local username.

• Home Screen :

   

The Home Screen aka Start Menu contains several links to let you go to any place you like in your machine. Every time you install a new app, desktop or metro, it’ll be placed here. You can drag or tap and hold to rearrange your home screen. You can run any app from here, switch between them at any point of time.

• Search Menu :

To search for apps, settings, or files from the Metro UI, just start typing on your keyboard. By default, this will search for apps, if you want to search for files, press Ctrl+F from the home screen instead. You can easily filter them, pin them to your start screen all with a touch or clicks, as you would like.

• Share Menu :

Share anything, text, images, right from your app. Hit Win+C or mouse to the bottom-right side of the screen to choose the sharing options. Tweet it, e-mail it, anytime, easily.

Have a look at Metro UI in this video 

• Control Panel :

   

In case you’re wondering what you might find there in Control Panel, here’s the list of features available - Personalize, Users, Wireless, Notifications, Privacy, General, Search, Share, Send, Ease of Access, Devices, Sync PC Settings, Homegroup, Windows Update, More Settings.

Miscellaneous Features

Using Ribbons :

Windows 8's ribbons are designed to expose the  most frequently used commands for such tasks as file sharing, as well as to adjust the appearance of windows. Ribbon haters, don’t be so disappointed, Ribbons can be hidden.

Detailed Copying :

When copying or transferring files, Windows 8 users are presented with a single window that includes information about each process, including a throughput graph and estimates of how long the transfers will take.

Windows Explorer : Ribbon Edition

Admin Friendlier File Menu

Optimized for Widgets

   

So far so good. That’s what we can say at this point.

But will this be a Game Changer or will just be another failed Windows effort to revolutionize desktop, like Active Desktop of Win 95, Win NT 4.0 or the recent one in Win Vista, the Windows Sidebar, we will see in the coming days.

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