Microsoft has lifted the lid on the desktop for Windows 8, and it features a cleaner look than previous Windows operating systems. It's also flatter than a pancake.
Shown off in a post on the Building Windows 8 blog, the desktop does away with Aero Glass, which was the UI introduced on Windows Vista. That means "flattening surfaces, removing reflections, and scaling back distracting gradients." And hence a cleaner look. I think it resembles Google Docs and Gmail since they were refreshed a while back.
The desktop has been brought "closer to the Metro aesthetic, while preserving the compatibility afforded by not changing the size of window chrome, or system UI." Black text on a pale chrome will remain, just as in Windows 7, to keep it compatible with existing programs.
The aim was for the desktop to feel "light and airy" with a chrome style that doesn't distract from the content of the app.
Clean and crisp are the order of the day, with no more glass and reflections, and squared off edges for the windows and taskbar. Basically, it's a lot plainer, and much less flashy, with more muted colours.
It's a lengthy post, including a potted history of Windows desktops past, and plenty of the thinking behind the changes. Of the desktop, it says: "It is an explicit design goal of Windows 8 to bring this software forward, run it better than in any previous versions of Windows, and to provide the best environment possible for these products as they evolve into the future as well." Sounds good to me.
It claims to be a significant improvement on the Windows 7 desktop, with additions including a new Task Manager, new Explorer and file copy UI, multi-monitor taskbar and wallpaper. And it should use fewer system resources than Windows 7, so you won't need a monster PC to run it.
What do you think of the new look? Are you looking forward to Windows 8? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook page.
Android App 
RSS Feeds 
iPhone App 
Newsletters 
Comments 18
Add your comment
anonymous 19 May, 2012 12:14
Should I buy the asus transformer TF300 or wait for a windows asus transformer?
Loadit 19 May, 2012 12:18
Whats with this going back to the dark ages making it look just like win 3.1 which was just plain windows without any prettiness.? I for one am not interested in Win 8 and will be sticking to the really good win 7 unless MS force it on me.
damien2501 19 May, 2012 13:10
This looks great to me. I can't believe people would prefer to trade valuable performance just to have things swish around and have a graphics card crippling silly glass effect on everything. A computer is a tool, I want it to work as well as it can.
anonymous 19 May, 2012 13:11
Why is the clock on the edge of the screen did they get rid of the desktop corrner? :O
anonymous 19 May, 2012 13:39
This is just pure vile. I'm not buying the 'performance' change to this update, Aero was designed to use your GPU to improve performance. Removing the effects won't change performance at all, this just looks pure ugly.
Sorry, but I'm sticking with Windows 7.
anonymous 19 May, 2012 16:22
I actually like it! It gives the OS a metrofied look then it was before. It seemed like there was two operating systems in one. Now it's unified. Since the power usage on laptops and other devices was there concern, I think they were on a right approach. A few things they could change are the taskbar, and the icons so that it looks more metrofied. So I think Microsoft's on the right path.
anonymous 19 May, 2012 19:05
The performance issue they are concerned about is battery life. Not a PC issue but definitely a device issue. GPU Aero processing uses more power. On a separate issue, I would like to see a metro button, next to close, maximise, minimise, on the desktop explorer window, that makes the window full screen and takes you to metro's app search screen. I would also like metro app's to be pinnable to the desktop start bar and behave like desktop applications, except they go full screen in metro mode and not restore a window etc.
Matteo Paparoni 19 May, 2012 22:29
This effect can already be made in Windows 7 by going to the Aero settings.
Naryan 20 May, 2012 05:37
Well I guess it would run faster on your hardware.
Still not sure exactly why anyone would want to upgrade though...
anonymous 20 May, 2012 15:13
Plain very very plain.
pyub 21 May, 2012 13:15
I don't have a cheap PC so why not use some of my GPU's power to make things look better, it would just be sitting there doing nothing otherwise. If you need to save battery on your tablet just turn this stuff off.
I'm sticking with windows 7, everything about 8 is messed up! and for reference metro is just colored squares it's not really pity it's not even really a style just some cubes taking up lot's of space ideal for big podgy figures but i have a mouse and keyboard on my desk because i want to use them, not for legacy....
anonymous 29 May, 2012 09:53
I can see why it good for laptops, netbooks and tablets but what about desktop. we are plugged in all the time, worrying about out battery is no concern. At least give us an option to turn it back on.
Windows 7 will be the new XP, no one going to want to upgrade
anonymous 10 July, 2012 16:48
"It is an explicit design goal of Windows 8 to bring this software forward, run it better than in any previous versions of Windows, and to provide the best environment possible for these products as they evolve into the future as well."
This sounds good to you? Read between the lines, what they are basically saying is as 'software evolves' (i.e. as new software comes out) it will be incompatible with Windows 7 and thus force you to purchase this rubbish that doesn't even look as good.
anonymous 10 July, 2012 16:54
And... this operating system is for TOUCH DEVICES NOT DESKTOPS! Choice of a desktop user having a nice simple small start button to acces programmes quickly OR the choice of having a huge bulky matrix of buttons to click on and choose programme after accessing that screen?
Why are desktop users being given an operating system for touch devices is beyond me??? :S :S :S
anonymous 28 October, 2012 03:24
I waited 19 years to use a 64 bit version of WFWG 3.11?
anonymous 28 October, 2012 03:25
I waited 19 years to use a 64 bit version of WFWG 3.11?
anonymous 28 October, 2012 03:25
I waited 19 years to use a 64 bit version of WFWG 3.11?
anonymous 28 October, 2012 03:26
I waited 19 years to use a 64 bit version of WFWG 3.11?