Microsoft Designer Explains the Reasons for Bringing Metro

Windows 8 was launched with a very controversial Metro environment that caused quite a lot of confusion and made the operating system pretty difficult to use especially for beginners.

Microsoft, however, hasn’t explained the reasons for making such a dramatic change in Windows 8, sticking instead to praising words which pointed out that the Start screen is a much better replacement for the traditional Start Menu.

As Neowin recently spotted, a Microsoft UX designer took to Reddit to discuss about the Metro UI, pointing out that this new environment was specifically designed for simple tasks such as checking Facebook, photo viewing or web browsing.

As far as the decision to make the Modern UI default in Windows 8, the designer, who posted on Reddit with the name “pwnies,” explained that Microsoft had to “force” users to see the Start screen because it needed them to discover the Metro UI. If the operating system was booting to desktop, just like its predecessors, nobody would have ever talked so much about Metro, he adds.

“The short answer is because casual users don't go exploring. If we made desktop the default as it has always been, and included a nice little start menu that felt like home, the casual users would never have migrated to their land of milk and honey,” he said.
Read the rest here:Microsoft Designer Explains the Reasons for Bringing Metro in Windows 8

Another story on this:Windows 8 UX designer on Metro: "It is the antithesis of a power user"
 
Which merely proves what some of us have been saying all along.... that they deliberately foisted tifkam on us knowing full well it was unwanted. The very height of hubris.
 

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As he explained, multiple desktops has been a feature that power users have been requesting for over a decade, and it is a feature that is available in GNU/Linux, OSX, and "even OS/2 Warp has it. But Windows doesn't."

More proof that M$ does not listen to it users.
 

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More like sour grapes & vinegar than milk & honey to me.
 

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If we made desktop the default as it has always been, and included a nice little start menu that felt like home, the casual users would never have migrated to their land of milk and honey,” he said.

He's right though. If it hadn't been default no-one would have noticed it - like mobility center for example. It's right there but does anyone use it?

As for "milk and honey" I guess that turn of phrase was supposed to be funny.
 

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Sometimes I wonder why Microsoft doesn't communicate more to its users.

Then when they do and I hear what utter stupidity they are actually thinking I understand why.

Of course if they were simply able to get their heads out of their a** their problems would be solved....
 

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If we made desktop the default as it has always been, and included a nice little start menu that felt like home, the casual users would never have migrated to their land of milk and honey,” he said.

He's right though. If it hadn't been default no-one would have noticed it - like mobility center for example. It's right there but does anyone use it?

As for "milk and honey" I guess that turn of phrase was supposed to be funny.

I think he means M$ land of milk and honey.(Bing,OneDrive,Apps store and M$ account)
 

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    Around 13 million employes
I think he means M$ land of milk and honey.(Bing,OneDrive,Apps store and M$ account)
Well yes - I didn't assume he was making a literal biblical reference :)

I've not got into Bing and Apps Store but the rest is fine for me except you can't backup SkyDrive using File History and MS account keeps deleting my wallpaper. None the less I prefer 8 to 7 now.
 

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Unfortunately, Microsoft is still the day late when it comes to the trends. I sometimes think the whole crew is becoming senile.
Okay, your casual user today uses their phone and if they desire a slightly bigger screen, Chromebook...or do it at work. Your power user is disabling everything to a bare shell and cussing if they can't. But who did they forget? Business and let us be honest, touch screen is not business friendly. Number one, led screens are not easy to clean and as far as I know the computer screen protectors available are not cheap nor big enough. Number two, if their programs would even be able to run on 8, they are not meant for touch screen. And number three, business still needs the numbers pad. The fourth, perhaps a bit off base, but the screen is not in the correct position to truly utilize touch screen, it should be flat on the desk, not upright (think phone here). But really now, does a business want all those useless tiles on the screens ie Netflex, Amazon, eBay? And remember, small businesses are the ones who basically "buy off the shelf". They do not have the luxury of the "programming" dept.

Hopefully, with 9, Microsoft will remember the desktop user, but why do I think they won't?
 

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LOL. Funny quote from the article.

All the casual users would have their own new and shiny place to look at pictures of cats

Nothing new about that. MS made it perfectly clear they were sacrificing productivity for Fbook users.

It isn't the whole truth though.

The question is why?

(That is rhetorical, we all know where MS wants to take the users ).
 

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MS = BS

This is the biggest crock of bull I have ever heard. Bottom line !! The whole OS was designed to generate revenues, the App store, Automatic Bing searching to track your moves, to sell advertising, cloud rental storage space. There long term goal is to remove the desktop, so everything must be acquired through them.

And if you don't believe me, view this same page in IE Desktop mode and again in IE Metro mode, with Metro you will see advertising splattered all over these pages, as with desktop you don't. I am sick of being exploited every where I go. I can't get away from advertisers no matter where I go;
Welcome To The Age of Propaganda.....

Microsoft's new motto "Let's screw them all".....
 
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As he explained, multiple desktops has been a feature that power users have been requesting for over a decade, and it is a feature that is available in GNU/Linux, OSX, and "even OS/2 Warp has it. But Windows doesn't."

More proof that M$ does not listen to it users.

Which from that article, was because casual users got too confused for it to be added. It's just like with Media Center, only three people used it ever, so why keep a feature very few niche people use?
 

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the casual users would never have migrated to their land of milk and honey,” he said.

Mr. Pwnie really is dashing through the skies with his head in the clouds.

Land of milk and honey. .:sarc:. What a strange statement. Was the metro UI the land of salvation we were all looking for? Were we struggling to free ourselves from the oppressive enslavement of Windows 7?

I still think the goal was advertising. Force people to the Metro UI, collect numbers on how many visits to the Metro UI, sell advertising.
 

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Cue the, "MS doesn't ever listen to users and shoves whatever down your throat!"

I just love how on sites like these, the ONLY users Microsoft EVER has had are the people on tech forum sites, people that know what kernels, distros, DISM and the like mean and what they are. Yeah. That's a mountain away from the 90% of everyone else that uses Windows. Not everyone's considered a "power" user, and not every "casual" user can ever be considered the opposite. You have to design a UI with a tailored experience versus a one size fits all, much like what Windows 7 is. It's funny to read how people will say "metro is one size fit all!" without realizing that the Windows 7 style is much in fact, one size fits all. It's a UI design that DOES NOT scale on screen size or resolution nor on device. Regardless of that 23 inch 1600x900 monitor you have, that start menu is only going to show 10 things by default UNLESS you manually change that. Even better, my God, how is it that no one even realizes that Windows 7 was designed in part for touch?! Seriously right now, Windows 8 wasn't even by far the first! Look at Windows vista to 7 and you should hopefully notice window control buttons that are more than large enough to click on with a mouse, even a Taskbar that could have easily been not as large. Why? TOUCH INPUT!!
:doh:

The only times Microsoft doesn't "shove things down people's throats" are obviously when things are well liked and received. When it's not, you're being forced against your will and you will in fact die if you don't put up with it.

But either way, they did not do themselves a favor by deliberating making the Start Screen a separate content consumption environment for sure. That's ultimately a major reason for hesitation against it is because you switch into two separation environments, power user on the Desktop and casual user on Start with no obvious way to accessing files. It's not more along the lines of making the Start Screen like a Backstage view as in Office, where you can easily find and access your Pictures and Music folders in File Explorer, or This PC, or other Desktop related items. Obviously, most power users disregard the Start Screen and use a start menu replacement usually much akin to Windows xp's horrid fly-out menu design; so a whole UI is being ignored and we're now at square one. Then there's the casual user that is completely dumbfounded at this all and has no idea what they're doing (but for some reason can easily go on the internet and complain about it). For a new user that for example, hasn't had a PC in two years, this whole thing is bloody confusing. There isn't even a decent way for anyone to ACTUALLY learn how to use it before hand. Instead of having the Start Screen become a nice new environment, it's a thorn in the side and will be bad mouthed straight to hell.

That's a problem.
 

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Cue the, "MS doesn't ever listen to users and shoves whatever down your throat!"

That is pretty much what Jacob Miller said. So you may as well direct your tantrum at him.
 

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Cue the, "MS doesn't ever listen to users and shoves whatever down your throat!"

That is pretty much what Jacob Miller said. So you may as well direct your tantrum at him.

Not really. I'll keep directing my tantrum that those who have tantrums over very little.
 

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    Windows 8.1 Pro
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    ASUS
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    AMD FX 8320
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    Crosshair V Formula-Z
    Memory
    16 gig DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS R9 270
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Seagate Barracuda (starting to hate Seagate)
    x2 3 TB Toshibas
    Windows 8.1 is installed on a SanDisk Ultra Plus 256 GB
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    OCZ 500 watt
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    A current work in progres as I'll be building the physical case myself. It shall be fantastic.
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    Windows Defender, but I might go back on KIS 2014
You appear to be the person ( or online persona) who has the tantrums. Not exactly a role model.

Cue the, "MS doesn't ever listen to users and shoves whatever down your throat!"

That is pretty much what Jacob Miller said. So you may as well direct your tantrum at him.
 

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    7/8/ubuntu/Linux Deepin
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    PC/Desktop
It is an interesting piece. Has it been confirmed?

Might be an elaborate hoax.

Might be the guy is for real and spoke out of turn.

It might also be a very clever PR piece.
 

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You appear to be the person ( or online persona) who has the tantrums. Not exactly a role model.

Cue the, "MS doesn't ever listen to users and shoves whatever down your throat!"

That is pretty much what Jacob Miller said. So you may as well direct your tantrum at him.

"Put a toad in a vat of boiling water and it'll jump out. Put a toad in a vat on cool water and turn the heat up, it won't jump out."

Or my favorite...

"What does MS think they're doing?! They go and dumb down Windows and force us to use this abhorrent mess and even worse, slap us in the face with this stupid Start button that only goes back to the start screen that no one uses or wants to even care for!"
 

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    Windows 8.1 Pro
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    ASUS
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    AMD FX 8320
    Motherboard
    Crosshair V Formula-Z
    Memory
    16 gig DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS R9 270
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Seagate Barracuda (starting to hate Seagate)
    x2 3 TB Toshibas
    Windows 8.1 is installed on a SanDisk Ultra Plus 256 GB
    PSU
    OCZ 500 watt
    Case
    A current work in progres as I'll be building the physical case myself. It shall be fantastic.
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    Arctic Cooler with 3 heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K750 wireless solar powered keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Touch Mouse
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, but I might go back on KIS 2014
"What does MS think they're doing?! They go and dumb down Windows and force us to use this abhorrent mess and even worse, slap us in the face with this stupid Start button that only goes back to the start screen that no one uses or wants to even care for!"

Sounds about right....:p
 

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    Memory
    8.00 GB Dual-Channel DDR3 (9-9-9-28)
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD Radeon HD 6570
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    Creative X-Fi Titanium
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    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080@60Hz
    Hard Drives
    1x1TB Western Digital WDC WD1001FALS-00J7B1 ATA Device Caviar Black -

    4 x 2TB Seagate ST32000542A -
    1 x 4TB Seagate External
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    Noctua NH-D14
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    Logitech Illuminated Keyboard K740
    Internet Speed
    60meg cable
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    AVG Security Suite
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