What is Metro?

[R0bR]

I don't think an OS install can stay out-of-the-box if it lacks crucial features for its user. Poeple are going to act very swiftly to fix the issues and unofficial patches are being developed almost instantly the moment a problem is noticed. The reaction to that is amazingly fast and effective. I'm sure that all the issues about W8 we are talking about now will be forgotten and long fixed in a few weeks or months and a perfectly able and customized W8 OS will be a given. It's just a shame that Microsoft can't do it. That beneolent poeple or organisations must do the job for them. But OK, we'll survive.

Windows has always been this way but now people are using it as a gripe against W8. There is a reason why companies like Stardock exist.

 

[FSeal]

I don't think an OS install can stay out-of-the-box if it lacks crucial features for its user. Poeple are going to act very swiftly to fix the issues and unofficial patches are being developed almost instantly the moment a problem is noticed. The reaction to that is amazingly fast and effective. I'm sure that all the issues about W8 we are talking about now will be forgotten and long fixed in a few weeks or months and a perfectly able and customized W8 OS will be a given. It's just a shame that Microsoft can't do it. That beneolent poeple or organisations must do the job for them. But OK, we'll survive.

Windows has always been this way but now people are using it as a gripe against W8. There is a reason why companies like Stardock exist.

MS has always been thin on providing any true customisation it's true, but with W8, they've taken away 80% of what little was there before! Not providing enough is one thing, taking away what little there was is where it seriously crosses the line for a lot of people.

So no, it's not the same thing at all, W8 brings a whole new level of "It's not really your PC" to windows

 

[Mystere]

MS has provided a lot of NEW customization. For instance, the ability to use different wallpapers for each screen in a multi-monitor configuration, and the ability to customize start and lock screens.

 

[FSeal]

MS has provided a lot of NEW customization. For instance, the ability to use different wallpapers for each screen in a multi-monitor configuration, and the ability to customize start and lock screens.

The multiple backgrounds is one they actually added, they removed the ability to change anything about the windows though, including fonts and window borders and several visual effects and many other options. /Some/ are still accessible via registry values. Others have registry values but the code to use them has been removed so they don't do anything.

The old start menu was always customisable. The new start screen is not as customisable as it should be and less customisable overall than the old start menu.

For every one they added, they took 5 away.

 

[Mystere]

they removed the ability to change anything about the windows though, including fonts and window borders and several visual effects and many other options.

Many of those settings are just in different places now. For instance, on the Display configuration, I can set the text metrics for various elements like titlebars and menus.

 

[phailyoor]

they removed the ability to change anything about the windows though, including fonts and window borders and several visual effects and many other options.

Many of those settings are just in different places now. For instance, on the Display configuration, I can set the text metrics for various elements like titlebars and menus.

Can you set the colors of active an inactive windows or disable taskbar transparency? I think that's the issue most people have been gouging their eyes out about. [yes, of course you can, buy there is no UI to do it(except by messing with a high contrast theme and resetting ALL the colors.)

 

[johnpombrio]

Can you set the colors of active an inactive windows or disable taskbar transparency? I think that's the issue most people have been gouging their eyes out about. [yes, of course you can, buy there is no UI to do it(except by messing with a high contrast theme and resetting ALL the colors.)

Where is Stardock's WindowBlinds when you really need it? Heh.

 

[Fredledingue]

Now in 8, I have to pin my Libraries (I can pin my three custom libraries unlike 7), some Explorer links, Task Manager, Control Panel, and removing the superfluous tiles out of view and cleaning up the All Apps screen. The benefits? I can swiftly get across my programs and apps and folders quicker and easier than 7. It's liking combining the original purpose of the Desktop with the organization of the start menu as I can group tiles together.

That sounds great. Glad you managed to make it the way you like. ... Those who read the telemetry at Microsoft must be desperate while looking at the way users are modifying the Start Screen in a way they never thought it could be. In a way they didn't expect and that was not intended for the Metro users.

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Believe me or not, but a couple of years ago I had the idea of creating an app launcher similar to Metro, sorry The W8 Start Screen, in HTA. (I consider myself a specialist in HTA and VBScript thought not professionaly, it's more a hobby). The idea was to launch operations more advanced than just poping up a software. For instance: Launching 2 apps that I often use toghether immediately, launching an app and sending key strokes, showing options to open them, etc, and it would have large squares with a symbol or a picture to click on and a few words beneath it to explain what it does. Quite like the W8 Start Screen realy. Then my use on the computer changed, I had less time for this, and I didn't do it. And now Microsoft did it! With a little difference: You can't turn it off (or you have to hack the system) and my version would have a YES/NO dialog box at every start asking wether you want to launch it or not. And that was the idea of having even a dialog box poping up everytime when I start my computer and that it could grow boring which cooled me off.

 

[mdmd]

What is metro? Not just an app launcher.







I think this thing has a lot of stuff that I do not need. That's Ok. Someone else will have a need of it (more features) or use it in ways that they consider important. I just use it as a desktop computer. The metro has some nice apps. (A new one - Clock ) No phone social technologies needed here. No Clouds, No Skype, etc... yikes ... sorry Fred

 

[Fredledingue]

Yes, I know. Of course Metro is more than an app launcher... But it won't change my life.... ...Still, I'm sure I can do a similar UI in HTA which will shows web-based infos on the fly on the tiles in a matter of hours. (ok, + 2 days to finish it up and correct the bugs)