Do you want Aero?

[Rukiri]

No, metro looks great, the desktop version of metro looks like utter crap to be honest.. I love minimalism but man did Microsoft do it absolutely wrong... Look at a well themed XFCE desktop, looks better than windows 8 Desktop by light years.

A Bland blue for the window and black text is just.. ugh just horrible design.

Light gray plus black works, a mid blue that win8 has plus black equals puke. They should have used a lighter color or allowed us to change it.

I seriously can't wait for windows blinds, win8 needs it a lot more than 7 ever did.

 

[Max Peck]

No, metro looks great, the desktop version of metro looks like utter crap to be honest.. I love minimalism but man did Microsoft do it absolutely wrong... Look at a well themed XFCE desktop, looks better than windows 8 Desktop by light years.

A Bland blue for the window and black text is just.. ugh just horrible design.

Light gray plus black works, a mid blue that win8 has plus black equals puke. They should have used a lighter color or allowed us to change it.

I seriously can't wait for windows blinds, win8 needs it a lot more than 7 ever did.

I don't think I agree. I just upgraded my DEV system a few days ago. I thought I would puke at the appearance of it but it is actually quite nice. Here's a couple shots.

I originally thought Metro was going to look really bad on a desktop machine but I'm really starting to like it. I haven't installed any 3rd-party GUI enhancements except the Dell Dock which was on my system before the upgrade (and I use constantly).

As you might guess, my "Metro" screen isn't complete. I figure that will be added to gradually as I find myself thinking of things I want to launch from there. I'm in the desktop most of the time. However when I'm done working on something I pop it onto the Metro screen as a kind of screen saver / dashboard. I really thought I'd hate this but I don't.

-Max

 

[Lazure]

No, metro looks great, the desktop version of metro looks like utter crap to be honest.. I love minimalism but man did Microsoft do it absolutely wrong... Look at a well themed XFCE desktop, looks better than windows 8 Desktop by light years.

A Bland blue for the window and black text is just.. ugh just horrible design.

Light gray plus black works, a mid blue that win8 has plus black equals puke. They should have used a lighter color or allowed us to change it.

I seriously can't wait for windows blinds, win8 needs it a lot more than 7 ever did.

I don't think I agree. I just upgraded my DEV system a few days ago. I thought I would puke at the appearance of it but it is actually quite nice. Here's a couple shots.

I originally thought Metro was going to look really bad on a desktop machine but I'm really starting to like it. I haven't installed any 3rd-party GUI enhancements except the Dell Dock which was on my system before the upgrade (and I use constantly).

As you might guess, my "Metro" screen isn't complete. I figure that will be added to gradually as I find myself thinking of things I want to launch from there. I'm in the desktop most of the time. However when I'm done working on something I pop it onto the Metro screen as a kind of screen saver / dashboard. I really thought I'd hate this but I don't.

-Max

My complaints about the looks aren't really targeted at the start screen. The start screen tiles actually do use some gradients and many contain some fancy pictures or whatever to make them a little stylish. It's what they did to the desktop mode window decorations that really irks me.

 

[Mystere]

My complaints about the looks aren't really targeted at the start screen. The start screen tiles actually do use some gradients and many contain some fancy pictures or whatever to make them a little stylish. It's what they did to the desktop mode window decorations that really irks me.

This is nothing but a theme. Themes can be replaced.

There aren't any third party themes yet, but they should be coming from companies like Stardock. This is one of the silliest arguments ever, since themes are an extension mechanism that Microsoft has built into windows to allow third parties to change the look. This is just the default look.

 

[Rukiri]

Yea I was a little harsh, the default is nice and fine, however the black (minimize, maximize, close, and title bar) colors being black just doesn't look right, there's no reason for a red box around the close button. Now, I've never themed for 7 or any version of windows but having black window buttons just doesn't look appealing. The other buttons are all white so why wouldn't the window buttons and title bar text be white as well? There is a theme that does change the title bar text to white but the font he chose isn't for me, the default font is fine, the black text color and window button colors need to be white.

The default theme is actually quite appealing, I was saying black + blue isn't appealing but I wasn't very clear.

No, metro looks great, the desktop version of metro looks like utter crap to be honest.. I love minimalism but man did Microsoft do it absolutely wrong... Look at a well themed XFCE desktop, looks better than windows 8 Desktop by light years.

A Bland blue for the window and black text is just.. ugh just horrible design.

Light gray plus black works, a mid blue that win8 has plus black equals puke. They should have used a lighter color or allowed us to change it.

I seriously can't wait for windows blinds, win8 needs it a lot more than 7 ever did.

I don't think I agree. I just upgraded my DEV system a few days ago. I thought I would puke at the appearance of it but it is actually quite nice. Here's a couple shots.

I originally thought Metro was going to look really bad on a desktop machine but I'm really starting to like it. I haven't installed any 3rd-party GUI enhancements except the Dell Dock which was on my system before the upgrade (and I use constantly).

As you might guess, my "Metro" screen isn't complete. I figure that will be added to gradually as I find myself thinking of things I want to launch from there. I'm in the desktop most of the time. However when I'm done working on something I pop it onto the Metro screen as a kind of screen saver / dashboard. I really thought I'd hate this but I don't.

-Max

 

[MrRitwik97]

The aero in Windows7 was pretty good.. But microsoft removed that from Windows 8 RTM.. Aero in previews was nice with transparency.. But now in RTM there is no transparency...

 

[Kat]

The Aero effects in the CP were just right.

The RTM is an abomination visually, but very nice to use.

 

[Rukiri]

Than use the release preview theme, it still works in RTM but without the glass obviously. We'll probably see some transformation pack sooner or later.

 

[TheGrantFitz]

Than use the release preview theme, it still works in RTM but without the glass obviously. We'll probably see some transformation pack sooner or later.

Or WindowsBlinds 8, they need some newer themes. Half were built for Windows 98!

 

[TheGrantFitz]

(3.1) Windows: Colorful
(95,98,ME) Classic: Dull
(XP) Luna: Calm
(Vista) Aero: Class
(7) Aero = Cheesy
(DP,CP,RP) Aero lite = Elegant
(8) Metro = Simple

The styles of Microsoft.

 

[Rukiri]

Than use the release preview theme, it still works in RTM but without the glass obviously. We'll probably see some transformation pack sooner or later.

Or WindowsBlinds 8, they need some newer themes. Half were built for Windows 98!

Or until there's a way to add transparency without it looking messed up when you move the window.. the rp theme in windows 8 rtm works but no window transparency.

 

[Max Peck]

Well ... after using it for several days I find that it just isn't that big a deal. The appearance is fine. One thing I did notice: without the "glass" effect the text in the caption bars are much easier to read. I guess it's a matter of perspective more than anything else. Not that big a deal.

-Max

 

[TheGrantFitz]

Well ... after using it for several days I find that it just isn't that big a deal. The appearance is fine. One thing I did notice: without the "glass" effect the text in the caption bars are much easier to read. I guess it's a matter of perspective more than anything else. Not that big a deal.

-Max

Same.

 

[TheGrantFitz]

(3.1) Windows: Colorful
(95,98,ME) Classic: Dull
(XP) Luna: Calm
(Vista) Aero: Class
(7) Aero = Cheesy
(DP,CP,RP) Aero lite = Elegant
(8) Metro = Simple

The styles of Microsoft.

I like Luna

 

[Lazure]

(3.1) Windows: Colorful
(95,98,ME) Classic: Dull
(XP) Luna: Calm
(Vista) Aero: Class
(7) Aero = Cheesy
(DP,CP,RP) Aero lite = Elegant
(8) Metro = Simple

The styles of Microsoft.

I like Luna

While I definitely preferred (Silver) Luna over the classic themes used in 95~2000/ME, I always thought Luna as a theme looked pretty childish, as in, it looked like a tonka truck theme (especially in the default blue version). It did not take me long to find out about uxtheme patchers and custom msstyles, though. I had some pretty awesome customs for a good chunk of my XP experience. I didn't feel the need to do this in Windows 7, since I thought Aero was so well done in it as the default theme. I was pretty happy. I for one did not find Aero to be cheesy, I thought it looked elegant and beautiful, especially when windows are layered across the desktop.

Windows 8 is on my laptop and I'm still scrambling to find a solution (that works). I did put the RP theme over the RTM one, but with the transparency gone and the inactive windows still turning completely white irregardless of my theme color, it's just not enough. Without the transparency, the borders themselves just look.. flat. I've seen some customs, and most of them don't even let you color-customize. Windowblinds 8, where art thou?

 

[TheGrantFitz]

Well, like it or not, this is the new windows.

 

[Coke Robot]

Meh.

After using the Desktop along with the metro apps for months now, I could care less. Actually, it looks weird to me now to see light effected, rounded, and shiny buttons and shiny glassy looking borders. Honestly though, I do think Microsoft should had gone ALL THE WAY in making the Desktop more metro like; such as removing ALL the Aero iconography and replacing it with metro styled ones, should had got rid of the green loading bar in File Explorer, and replaced it with the metro ball horizontal loading animation which would reflect the user's window color choice, they should had used more typography and different font sizes, colors, and weights like Office 2013, speaking of such they should had really made the effort against flattening Aero and focused truly on making window chrome less noticeable. In Office 2013, the main window color is the just a one pixel out line of the window with a colored status bar. You end up not noticing the window controls until you need to use them. I understand though that they couldn't as it would cause issues with vista era programs and other software from displaying correctly.

But overall, I've noticed I don't actually see window chrome or UI controls as much as before. It's just not noticeable to me, as it seems I focus more on the window's content itself versus the window chrome, which is menial compared to what it contains.

 

[pparks1]

Perhaps they left some aspects of the desktop alone so as to not completely piddle off us curmudgeons who feel that the metro display looks a little over the top..like Liberace.

 

[therealjustin]

I'm currently using a visual style for W7 which is exactly what Microsoft should have done with Aero Glass. The squared edges really change the entire feel and the shadows are not as dark. I think it looks so much nicer than the boring abyss that is W8.

 

[pparks1]

I do agree that I would prefer that look over what Windows 8 provides. I'm not a fan of the dream and boring interface. I fail to appreciate it's simplicity..at least that is that others tell me.