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I have come to realize that most people don't really know what metro is.
I think most people think it's just a "skin" or style for the apps that conform to the Windows 8 UI guidelines.
It's not. Metro is actually an entirely different subsystem of Windows. A subsystem is like a "module" if you will, and it defines a set of API's (Application Programming Interfaces) that are used by programs to interact with the OS. These API's are the primary difference between say, Linux, Mac, Win32, etc...
Because Metro is a totally different set of API's that are not compatible with legacy Win32 API's, that makes Metro, in effect, an entirely new OS. This new OS (called WinRT for Windows Runtime under the covers) means that Applications written for Metro will not work in legacy Win32 mode.
So in reality, Windows 8 is two OS's. It's the classic Win32 and it's the new Metro. In reality, Metro is the dominant OS, but it has a compatibility mode to run Win32 Desktop apps in a sort of virtual environment.
So to ask if you can "disable metro" is kind of pointless, as Metro *IS* the OS that Windows 8 runs. And all new development will be centered around Metro. Metro will not be going away.
What you're doing when you ignore metro is running a Win32 compatibility mode inside Windows 8.
For all intents and purposes, Windows 7 is the last Win32 version of Windows. Windows 8 and beyond will continue to run Win32 apps, but Metro is the primary OS. So if you don't like Metro, you should probably stay on Windows 7 for as long as you can.
Why is Microsoft doing this? Because x86 is no longer the only answer. ARM and potentially other processors are taking over the low-end of the computing market. Microsoft needs an OS that works on multiple platforms, and they need applications that run on all of those platforms without change, or minimal change.
In effect, Microsoft is modeling Metro after Android, which is a java-like virtual machine that runs apps that it compiles to native code.
I think most people think it's just a "skin" or style for the apps that conform to the Windows 8 UI guidelines.
It's not. Metro is actually an entirely different subsystem of Windows. A subsystem is like a "module" if you will, and it defines a set of API's (Application Programming Interfaces) that are used by programs to interact with the OS. These API's are the primary difference between say, Linux, Mac, Win32, etc...
Because Metro is a totally different set of API's that are not compatible with legacy Win32 API's, that makes Metro, in effect, an entirely new OS. This new OS (called WinRT for Windows Runtime under the covers) means that Applications written for Metro will not work in legacy Win32 mode.
So in reality, Windows 8 is two OS's. It's the classic Win32 and it's the new Metro. In reality, Metro is the dominant OS, but it has a compatibility mode to run Win32 Desktop apps in a sort of virtual environment.
So to ask if you can "disable metro" is kind of pointless, as Metro *IS* the OS that Windows 8 runs. And all new development will be centered around Metro. Metro will not be going away.
What you're doing when you ignore metro is running a Win32 compatibility mode inside Windows 8.
For all intents and purposes, Windows 7 is the last Win32 version of Windows. Windows 8 and beyond will continue to run Win32 apps, but Metro is the primary OS. So if you don't like Metro, you should probably stay on Windows 7 for as long as you can.
Why is Microsoft doing this? Because x86 is no longer the only answer. ARM and potentially other processors are taking over the low-end of the computing market. Microsoft needs an OS that works on multiple platforms, and they need applications that run on all of those platforms without change, or minimal change.
In effect, Microsoft is modeling Metro after Android, which is a java-like virtual machine that runs apps that it compiles to native code.
My Computer
System One
-
- OS
- Windows 8.1 Pro
- CPU
- Intel i7 3770K
- Motherboard
- Gigabyte Z77X-UD4 TH
- Memory
- 16GB DDR3 1600
- Graphics Card(s)
- nVidia GTX 650
- Sound Card
- Onboard Audio
- Monitor(s) Displays
- Auria 27" IPS + 2x Samsung 23"
- Screen Resolution
- 2560x1440 + 2x 2048x1152
- Hard Drives
- Corsair m4 256GB, 2 WD 2TB drives
- Case
- Antec SOLO II
- Keyboard
- Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000
- Mouse
- Logitech MX