The metro UI
-
Am I the only one who cringes when he sees the metro UI being used outside of a phone? Actually - I cringe when I see it on a phone too.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
I cringe everytime I see every theme after Windows Classic being used.
See if you can crack this: b749f6c269a746243debc6488046e33f
So far, no one seems to have cracked this!The unofficial awesome history of Code Project's Bob! "People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid."
-
Well, I've been playing around with Metro on a tablet for a couple of months now, and in certain situations it really works well. Obviously I'm used to it, with working with WP7, so it's not quite the culture shock for me that it is for others. The ironic thing is that people complain about certain features of Metro apps, such as one app to the screen as a default, and blindly accept this behaviour on Android and iPhone.
Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads
"Mind bleach! Send me mind bleach!" - Nagy Vilmos
My blog | My articles | MoXAML PowerToys | Mole 2010 - debugging made easier - my favourite utility
Pete O'Hanlon wrote:
The ironic thing is that people complain about certain features of Metro apps, such as one app to the screen as a default, and blindly accept this behaviour on Android and iPhone.
Except Android and iOS aren't being positioned as the future of the desktop OS. I have zero issue with one app on the screen on a tablet/phone. On a desktop it is an extraordinary waste of resources.
-
Am I the only one who cringes when he sees the metro UI being used outside of a phone? Actually - I cringe when I see it on a phone too.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
It is sleek for tablet use, IMO. As for Desktop, people can say it has no place but from what I have seen their new tablets are more powerful than most desktops out there. With that said wouldn't you use it for both functionalities, being viewing and entering content? I doubt an iPad will ever be commonly 'docked' but the new windows tablets have both desktop and metro mode making them WAYYYY MORE functional than todays desktops or tablets. I think microsoft has an interesting angle and from what I have seen it might just work. If you gripe about the look then why not restyle it? They offer 'guidelines' but they are not 'laws'. I think it was a good idea to offer the guidelines as well. It gives devs some starting ground on new territory. Honestly, it would likely have been total chaos otherwise. MS has never been known for making thigns pretty though. Just for making them highly functional and dynamic. They leave the perttiness to the 3rd parties.
Computers have been intelligent for a long time now. It just so happens that the program writers are about as effective as a room full of monkeys trying to crank out a copy of Hamlet.
-
Am I the only one who cringes when he sees the metro UI being used outside of a phone? Actually - I cringe when I see it on a phone too.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
My only firsthand exposure to something metro-like is the new Xbox dashboard. Of course, that's not a touchscreen, and it's on a 50" TV. And the apps aren't really "metro apps" they're Xbox apps. But all of the selections are done via choosing things in squares or rectangles. So that makes it metro, I guess? Oh and I can use it without touching ANYTHING (via Kinect) which is kinda cool except when my four year old walks between me and the TV and causes the display to swish to the next page (he did intentionally wave at the Kinect sensor, the little bugger). Other than all that I'm sure it's just like Windows 8 will be. I've heard people really like it on phones though. That is, the eight people who have bought them.
Look at me still talking when there's science to do When I look out there it makes me glad I'm not you
-
Am I the only one who cringes when he sees the metro UI being used outside of a phone? Actually - I cringe when I see it on a phone too.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
-
I cringe everytime I see every theme after Windows Classic being used.
See if you can crack this: b749f6c269a746243debc6488046e33f
So far, no one seems to have cracked this!The unofficial awesome history of Code Project's Bob! "People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid."
Lloyd Atkinson wrote:
I cringe everytime I see every theme after Windows Classic being used.
I cringe whenever I see anything rendered in 3D in real time. Nothing is as immersive as Myst! *smack* Sorry, the 1994 me somehow got out.
Look at me still talking when there's science to do When I look out there it makes me glad I'm not you
-
It is sleek for tablet use, IMO. As for Desktop, people can say it has no place but from what I have seen their new tablets are more powerful than most desktops out there. With that said wouldn't you use it for both functionalities, being viewing and entering content? I doubt an iPad will ever be commonly 'docked' but the new windows tablets have both desktop and metro mode making them WAYYYY MORE functional than todays desktops or tablets. I think microsoft has an interesting angle and from what I have seen it might just work. If you gripe about the look then why not restyle it? They offer 'guidelines' but they are not 'laws'. I think it was a good idea to offer the guidelines as well. It gives devs some starting ground on new territory. Honestly, it would likely have been total chaos otherwise. MS has never been known for making thigns pretty though. Just for making them highly functional and dynamic. They leave the perttiness to the 3rd parties.
Computers have been intelligent for a long time now. It just so happens that the program writers are about as effective as a room full of monkeys trying to crank out a copy of Hamlet.
Collin Jasnoch wrote:
They leave the perttiness to the 3rd parties
*Imagines Ender partying with a bunch of other Thirds*
Somebody in an online forum wrote:
INTJs never really joke. They make a point. The joke is just a gift wrapper.
-
Am I the only one who cringes when he sees the metro UI being used outside of a phone? Actually - I cringe when I see it on a phone too.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
Chris Maunder wrote:
Am I the only one who cringes when he sees the metro UI being used outside of a phone? Actually - I cringe when I see it on a phone too.
Don't we hear that from developers every time MS makes a new/updated GUI? I actually like metro on a phone, my HTC Titan is the best phone I have ever had, and I've also used Android (hate it) and iPhone (great phone actually), but WP7 beats them all.
- Anders
-
Pete O'Hanlon wrote:
The ironic thing is that people complain about certain features of Metro apps, such as one app to the screen as a default, and blindly accept this behaviour on Android and iPhone.
Except Android and iOS aren't being positioned as the future of the desktop OS. I have zero issue with one app on the screen on a tablet/phone. On a desktop it is an extraordinary waste of resources.
And this is why there is a desktop shell as well. All along, MS have been saying use the appropriate interface for the appropriate platform. They haven't touted Metro as the new desktop.
Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads
"Mind bleach! Send me mind bleach!" - Nagy Vilmos
My blog | My articles | MoXAML PowerToys | Mole 2010 - debugging made easier - my favourite utility
-
Lloyd Atkinson wrote:
I cringe everytime I see every theme after Windows Classic being used.
I cringe whenever I see anything rendered in 3D in real time. Nothing is as immersive as Myst! *smack* Sorry, the 1994 me somehow got out.
Look at me still talking when there's science to do When I look out there it makes me glad I'm not you
David Kentley wrote:
Nothing is as immersive as Myst!
That is an addicting game! I LOVE that game!
Public Sub GetOffTheComputer() Throw New NotImplementedException() End Sub
-
And this is why there is a desktop shell as well. All along, MS have been saying use the appropriate interface for the appropriate platform. They haven't touted Metro as the new desktop.
Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads
"Mind bleach! Send me mind bleach!" - Nagy Vilmos
My blog | My articles | MoXAML PowerToys | Mole 2010 - debugging made easier - my favourite utility
so why does it appear every time I press the start key! ;)
-- The Obliterator
-
Am I the only one who cringes when he sees the metro UI being used outside of a phone? Actually - I cringe when I see it on a phone too.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
Yeah. I decided to finally buy and XBOX for myself for Christmas. What happens? They mess up the interface and blow up the one app I plan on using. Netflix. :mad: Might just return it...
------------------------------------- Do not do what has already been done. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.. but it ROCKS absolutely, too.
-
so why does it appear every time I press the start key! ;)
-- The Obliterator
Because that is the new start menu. Effectively it is a full screen version of the menu you have now. Try starting up VS in it, and it jumps to the standard desktop.
Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads
"Mind bleach! Send me mind bleach!" - Nagy Vilmos
My blog | My articles | MoXAML PowerToys | Mole 2010 - debugging made easier - my favourite utility
-
Because that is the new start menu. Effectively it is a full screen version of the menu you have now. Try starting up VS in it, and it jumps to the standard desktop.
Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads
"Mind bleach! Send me mind bleach!" - Nagy Vilmos
My blog | My articles | MoXAML PowerToys | Mole 2010 - debugging made easier - my favourite utility
exactly - it flicks between the two modes like crazy! I hate it! metro is fine for phones/tablets but I'd prefer to keep it well clear of my desktop
-- The Obliterator
-
Am I the only one who cringes when he sees the metro UI being used outside of a phone? Actually - I cringe when I see it on a phone too.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
People on CodeProject, barring a few good souls, piss and complain about everything Microsoft does (or doesn't do). So, it's hard to tell if this is a real complaint, or just the usual BS from the old time developers/luddites stuck on the idea that the Windows 95 theme is awesome, and that VC6 is the best IDE of all time. Hard to tell.
My Messianic Jewish blog: Kineti L'Tziyon My software blog: Debugger.Break() Judah Himango
-
Chris Maunder wrote:
Am I the only one who cringes when he sees the metro UI being used outside of a phone? Actually - I cringe when I see it on a phone too.
Don't we hear that from developers every time MS makes a new/updated GUI? I actually like metro on a phone, my HTC Titan is the best phone I have ever had, and I've also used Android (hate it) and iPhone (great phone actually), but WP7 beats them all.
- Anders
Yep, we hear it from most everyone on CP. CP's peanut gallery is quickly approaching the same entrenched ideological stances as Slashdot. The problem is that this site is filled with old school developers who reminisce about the good ol' days back when we had the "beautiful" battleship gray UIs, Visual C 6, computers were difficult to use for anyone except them, they didn't have beer bellies, and life was simpler. So, anything new that comes along gets crapped on. Been this way for years. For example, I remember these same folks pissing on about how .NET sucks, how it'd disappear in a year or two, etc.
My Messianic Jewish blog: Kineti L'Tziyon My software blog: Debugger.Break() Judah Himango
-
Am I the only one who cringes when he sees the metro UI being used outside of a phone? Actually - I cringe when I see it on a phone too.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
This is either a side effect of your WPF lobe taking control of other areas of your brain, or you have caught the "it's cute, it sucks" virus that is rampanting through the lounge.
FILETIME to time_t
| FoldWithUs! | sighist | WhoIncludes - Analyzing C++ include file hierarchy -
And this is why there is a desktop shell as well. All along, MS have been saying use the appropriate interface for the appropriate platform. They haven't touted Metro as the new desktop.
Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads
"Mind bleach! Send me mind bleach!" - Nagy Vilmos
My blog | My articles | MoXAML PowerToys | Mole 2010 - debugging made easier - my favourite utility
Pete O'Hanlon wrote:
And this is why there is a desktop shell as well.
It may be my lack of knowledge on the subject, but every time I've heard the desktop shell mentioned it's always been referred to as the "legacy" desktop shell. Legacy implies to me that it will be going away in the future.
-
People on CodeProject, barring a few good souls, piss and complain about everything Microsoft does (or doesn't do). So, it's hard to tell if this is a real complaint, or just the usual BS from the old time developers/luddites stuck on the idea that the Windows 95 theme is awesome, and that VC6 is the best IDE of all time. Hard to tell.
My Messianic Jewish blog: Kineti L'Tziyon My software blog: Debugger.Break() Judah Himango
Windows 95 was the pinnacle of UI design! It's been all downhill from there! :rolleyes:
------------------------------------- Do not do what has already been done. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.. but it ROCKS absolutely, too.
-
Am I the only one who cringes when he sees the metro UI being used outside of a phone? Actually - I cringe when I see it on a phone too.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
Like most tech, there are good and downright wretched parts to it. Does it make sense on a phone? Absolutely. Big targets for touchscreen use. Normal behavior you expect for mobile apps. Does it make sense on a tablet? Yep, though there are flaws if they really intend you to use the tablet for both tablet and PC use cases. The desktop mode on a tablet is fairly useless. Normal Windows UI elements are just not designed or intended for our fat fingers. They need to have versions of Explorer, Task Manager, and other classic desktop apps that are designed for Metro. I'm sick of trying to touch/click on a Listview entry in Task Manager so I can close an app Microsoft is too shortsighted to let me close with a built-in Close/Quit button. To their credit, they are doing a good job with trying to create a consistent UI "language" or set of idioms you use to get around. In the same way that we're used to right-clicks and double-clicks, you swipe the left side to tab between apps, you swipe the right to get to the global settings and charms, and you swipe the top or bottom to get to app-specific features. There are also the usual scrolling and pinch-to-zoom gestures. That all seems to work pretty smoothly. Does it make sense on a console (XBox 360)? In theory maybe, but in practice it sucks unless you have a Kinect. With the new dashboard, I have this big wall of tiles that give me no info and take more controller movements to navigate. If you have a Kinect, I'm guessing it works a lot better. If you only use a controller, it's like navigating the on-screen keyboard all the time. In other words, a clunky nightmare. It feels like it takes an order of magnitude more controller inputs to get around now. Does it make sense on a desktop? Not really, at least for what most of us do on a desktop or laptop. Too many things on a desktop require precision navigation and action. I'm not doing word-processing or document creation or CAD drawing on a touch-interface like a phone or tablet. The granularity of the user's input is not small enough to match the granularity required by the activity. If I'm editing a word in a document and my finger or thumb covers the entire word, how am I supposed to get the cursor where I want it to be? I would need a screen the size of a table so I could get my finger or hand at the exact spot I want. Ok, so if I'm not needing tablet-style "casual" apps or games on my desktop, what does Metro give me? Not much I think. Navigation around the Metro UI with a mouse and keyb