There were some Windows users who were really worried about Windows 8 offering a Metro style UI only, seeing all the images on the Internet. Well there is good news for all. Windows 8 will offer the Metro style user interface as well as the regular desktop interface which many are so used to.
Microsoft actually started working on Windows 8 during the summer of 2009, well before Windows 7 was shipped. The idea was clear! To reimagine Windows; and yet perform a balancing act.
This in itself was a challenge as it involved tools, APIs, languages, UI conventions, and even some of the most basic assumptions about a PC.
The result was a Windows 8 with a new Metro experience—fast and fluid, immersive, beautiful, and app-centric. At the same time Microsoft appears to have realized that people will not want to let go of the familiarity of the Windows 7 way of working – the existing Windows tools and apps, the devices and would definitely want to see them in the next version of Windows too.
We knew as we designed the Windows 8 UI that you can’t just flip a bit overnight and turn all of that history into something new. In fact, that is exactly what some people are afraid of us doing. Some have said that is the only path to take. Yet, even those who have fully embraced tablets also own a laptop for those times when they need more precise control or need to use one of the apps that are mission critical, says Microsoft. Even if we believe that over time many scenarios will be well-served by Metro style apps, for the foreseeable future, the desktop is going to continue to play a key role in many people’s lives.
Microsoft is definitely betting on the Metro UI, but if you see value in the Desktop experience, you can switch to it easily and instantly. Effectively, you now have to think of the Windows desktop as just another app!
So in short, 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. 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!
And if you want to stay permanently immersed in that Metro world, you will never see the desktop; Windows won’t even load the code unless you explicitly choose to opt for the desktop experience.
This is Windows reimagined!
