Micosoft has uploaded a video on YouTube that explains how they built the UI for windows
[video:youtube:p92QfWOw88I]Here is another video showing the OS in action
[video:youtube:BHrcz7zcm_8]Microsoft has also released a press release that highlights some of the new features. Here are some of them
Fast launching of apps from a tile-based Start screen, which replaces the Windows Start menu with a customizable, scalable full-screen view of apps.
Live tiles with notifications, showing always up-to-date information from your apps.
Fluid, natural switching between running apps.
Convenient ability to snap and resize an app to the side of the screen, so you can really multitask using the capabilities of Windows.
Web-connected and Web-powered apps built using HTML5 and JavaScript that have access to the full power of the PC.
Fully touch-optimized browsing, with all the power of hardware-accelerated Internet Explorer 10.
You can find the press release here http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2011/jun11/06-01corporatenews.aspx
It is interesting that you will use HTML5 and JavaScript to build apps. Steven Sinofsky also mentioned that SilverLight will run in the browsr, he did not mention anything about out of browser apps with SilverLight.
If you want to learn about how to build all this new stuff then check out the Build Conference in Anaheim between September 13th and 16th.
BUILD is a new event that shows modern hardware and software developers how to take advantage of the future of Windows. Learn how to work with the all new touch-centric user experience to create fast, fluid, and dynamic applications that leverage the power and flexibility of the core of Windows, used by more than a billion people around the world.
More info here: http://www.buildwindows.com/
Finally you can read about what Steven Sinofsky showed at the D conference here: Microsoft Windows President Steven Sinofsky Live at D9
3 Comments
This looks really really interesting. I wonder what the hardware specs will look like. Since it runs on an ARM processor I assume it will be pretty lightweight.
I agree it looks interetsing, but I wonder if they have actually put it in front of a standard business user yet to see if that user can do their daily tasks or can find a way to use that dashboard view with their day-to-day work.
I suspect we (IT people) will be expected to make useful tiles for our apps. If I was a bi company I would be buying everyone Win7 phones right now to get them thinking about how to produce meaningful tile views into the data that would launch or drill into the main app.
Although I think I would still want the ability to have small notifications around the edges, I’ve gotten used to having small out of focus apps able to give me notifications through the taskbar and status bar without them using major screen real estate (like outlook or thunderbirds new mail icon). I can see these things even though I’m working in a full screen app, without giving up an appreciable portion of my display.
Eli, win 8 has both the new Metro and the classic (win 7) UI built in, you can easily switch between classic and metro