Why icons are still better than metro

[XweAponX]

mdmd: I can actually recognize that cluttered desktop FASTER than the crappy tiles screen.

ARC - You running Stardock Fences there? I used to, but it slows me down. AMDs dont like it.

 

[mdmd]

Slightly OT, but the other thing to consider is that every control in every program that one may use, say Word, Photoshop, IE, has the controls/options in tabs or cascading menus, much like the traditional Windows 7 and previous desktops. For example, if you're working on a Word document and want to change anything in the document, you don't go to a full screen with all the options to select from on that one screen, you tab or tab and then go to a cascading menu. It's much easier to locate and find selections/controls under that type of interface.

WinRT and Win32 are two different environments.
Obviously, WinRT is touch centric and would not include non touch centric controls.

So why the Windows full screen start menu?

The start screen is a touch launching tool. The apps area is a touch start menu. That's just the way it is.
It would seem the classic shell (and others) do a fair job at completely eliminating contact with the metro.

I was never a huge fan of icons anyway. My preference is text blocks not pictures. Iconography is like a road sign with no text. My desktop has no icons, my start screen has no tiles.

 

[davehc]

Ok. I guess it is a matter of getting used to something. I started out with Classic and then decided to get accustomed to the graphical start menu. Not quite as busy as Hopachi's (!!)

But I do now prefer this

To this:

 

[mdmd]

mdmd: I can actually recognize that cluttered desktop FASTER than the crappy tiles screen.

That's ok. Each to what they prefer.

If this works...


I prefer...

 

[Ray8]

Slightly OT, but the other thing to consider is that every control in every program that one may use, say Word, Photoshop, IE, has the controls/options in tabs or cascading menus, much like the traditional Windows 7 and previous desktops. For example, if you're working on a Word document and want to change anything in the document, you don't go to a full screen with all the options to select from on that one screen, you tab or tab and then go to a cascading menu. It's much easier to locate and find selections/controls under that type of interface.

WinRT and Win32 are two different environments.
Obviously, WinRT is touch centric and would not include non touch centric controls.

So why the Windows full screen start menu?

The start screen is a touch launching tool. The apps area is a touch start menu. That's just the way it is.
It would seem the classic shell (and others) do a fair job at completely eliminating contact with the metro.

I was never a huge fan of icons anyway. My preference is text blocks not pictures. Iconography is like a road sign with no text. My desktop has no icons, my start screen has no tiles.

Considering that Windows RT comes with a keyboard, and I assume can accommodate at least a Bluetooth mouse, it's not purely a touch-centric device.

But what I was getting at is that while Microsoft has removed the cascading menu option of the start button, the same effective functionality that exists within all other programs, even the ribbon in all Office programs and now Windows 8 tools like Explorer, remains. None of those, at least Microsoft, programs have emulated the Windows OS interface of one screen for all of your selection needs.

 

[mdmd]

Considering that Windows RT comes with a keyboard, and I assume can accommodate at least a Bluetooth mouse, it's not purely a touch-centric device.

But what I was getting at is that while Microsoft has removed the cascading menu option of the start button, the same effective functionality that exists within all other programs, even the ribbon in all Office programs and now Windows 8 tools like Explorer, remains. None of those, at least Microsoft, programs have emulated the Windows OS interface of one screen for all of your selection needs.

I guess we are talking past each other. I was not referring to the tablet that uses Windows RT...
There is a difference between Windows RT and WinRT. The metro in Windows 8 is not purely touch centric but is obviously designed as a touch first construct. The mouse and keyboard is a secondary consideration in the metro.

Win32 - the desktop environment metaphor is not touch centric. Cascading menus are not touch centric.

 

[XweAponX]

Right now - my METRO screen looks a lot like mdmd's Desktop screen. I tried to arrange some stuff, but there is too much cack in there and it gives me a headache. I got icons on the desktop all over cos its faster than using the Start Orb, but then I still use the Start Orb. I am constantly working, and all of my productivity is on my desktop. Even my entertainment, there is no VLC for Metro - I did download about 20 fakes from the Windows Store, and none of them are as versatile or as simple as me clicking on a saved M3U file on my desktop. You see, the DESKTOP is a fluid medium, but the Metro screen is NOT. I can save stuff onto my desktop and place it where ever the blazes I want. I cant do that on the Metro screen, it makes this damned tile. IN fact, I want NO regular or desktop programs showing on my Metro screen at all, I want to keep my USEFUL apps on my Desktop Only, and only worthless apps on Metro.

Even with the stuff in Metro I can use, I put those close to the front near the Desktop tile. But I still rarely use any of that cack. I'll use IE10 Metro sometimes, but it fails to work when I try to pay my bills.

I have 170 apps in my iPhone, all of them very useful, I have 125 on my Metro screen, and so far only Angry Birds is useful, because it is fun to mess with, the other stuff I bought cos it PROMISED me productivity, all of it has FAILED utterly to give me one inch of new production ease.Because every single LYING description PROMISED me productivity in a certain way and they all fail to do what was promised. Even Modern File Explorer which is the only File Explorer tile that gives complete access to all drives: It's just quicker to use File Explorer on the Desktop.

All 15 VLC "replacement" tiles I bought all fail to play my content. The only usable things I got are Onenote and Angrybirds.

 

[Ray8]

More confusion created by Microsoft. More reason to keep the two separate and, as I said earlier, there should have been two run time modes in Windows 8, one for pure desktop (8) and the other for pure apps (RT). Toggle between the two or whatever, but keep them isolated, both visually and functionally.

 

[XweAponX]

Yes Ray8 I agree wholeheartedly - Maybe an F-key function changes modes. I'd use Metro more if I had that - And more apps that are like Angry Birds Space. Ghod I love that game!

But I tell you this - If the inevitable future of Windows is to be RT-Only - I want no part of it, and I will do whatever it takes to buy a macbook pro! Because Windows always has been and always will be The Desktop. Let MS make a tablet/Device ONLY OS and make a Desktop ONLY OS.

 

[Coke Robot]

mdmd: I can actually recognize that cluttered desktop FASTER than the crappy tiles screen.

That's ok. Each to what they prefer.

If this works...
View attachment 21326

I prefer...
View attachment 21327

Oh my God, the icon based Desktops you post annoy me...ugh! The CDO part of me wants to do a mass deletion! I HATE working on PCs where people just litter their Desktop like it's the '80s...

 

[ARC1020]

ARC - You running Stardock Fences there? I used to, but it slows me down. AMDs dont like it.

Na, that's just the standard Start screen minus Metro tiles and the standard All Apps screen zoomed out.

 

[SIW2]

Coke
The CDO part of me wants to do a mass deletion! I HATE working on PCs where people just litter their Desktop like it's the '80s...

Do you mean OCD?

Did something happen to you in the 80's? Were you even born then?

 

[ARC1020]

Slightly OT, but the other thing to consider is that every control in every program that one may use, say Word, Photoshop, IE, has the controls/options in tabs or cascading menus, much like the traditional Windows 7 and previous desktops. For example, if you're working on a Word document and want to change anything in the document, you don't go to a full screen with all the options to select from on that one screen, you tab or tab and then go to a cascading menu. It's much easier to locate and find selections/controls under that type of interface. So why the Windows full screen start menu?

I saw some concepts for Windows 8 style cascading menus. Although it's an interesting concept, personally I prefer Windows 8 as it is. Screenshots below:

 

[Ray8]

A few of those look like Ubuntu Unity. Either way, I think a clear separation would have been much better, would have clearly identified the two OSes and probably would have been well received.

 

[XweAponX]

I have what Arc posted on my Macs - Ya know, those four workspaces? I keep a different set of aliases on each one, one for Audio, one for editing Docs, one for Utility programs and one for games. The games on is always blank.

 

[HippsieGypsie]

Slightly OT, but the other thing to consider is that every control in every program that one may use, say Word, Photoshop, IE, has the controls/options in tabs or cascading menus, much like the traditional Windows 7 and previous desktops. For example, if you're working on a Word document and want to change anything in the document, you don't go to a full screen with all the options to select from on that one screen, you tab or tab and then go to a cascading menu. It's much easier to locate and find selections/controls under that type of interface. So why the Windows full screen start menu?

I saw some concepts for Windows 8 style cascading menus. Although it's an interesting concept, personally I prefer Windows 8 as it is. Screenshots below:

View attachment 21339

Very interesting indeed. Although, as you, I like 8 as it is, but this could be a good option for those who want to stay on the desktop.

 

[SIW2]

Ubuntu Unity springs to mind. They were the first to do this kind of thing, and they do it better. Start screen is like Dash. Mercifully, Dash has a fullscreen mode for tabletty objects, and a desktop mode if you don't want it to cover the entire workspace.

They are still getting comments about it, even after nearly 4yrs. This kind of stuff, quite funny:

What is the facination with Dash? I just don't get it. Take all the nicely organized files out of their properly labelled folders and toss them all into one big folder. I don't understand how anyone can think this is better. I thought organizing all the files into folders was a big improvement. So getting rid of them until a new generation can rediscover the value of organizing files into properly labelled folders is what? Can anyone explain this?

 

[HippsieGypsie]

Bottom line with all this is, just like in 7, hit WinKey (if not on Start Screen) and start typing. It's the fastest way I found. I don't have to look at an icon or a tile, nor search for it on any screen.

Quite honestly back in 7 I had to get out of the habit of looking and get into the habit of query. Much faster IMO. After all, we work with the fastest machines on the planet. Near light speed.

 

[XweAponX]

I used to use an nVidia Profile Manager, which would store various desktops. I used the same four schemes I used for my Macs, it was great. I haven't seen that feature for any of the new gForce software.

 

[Coke Robot]

Coke
The CDO part of me wants to do a mass deletion! I HATE working on PCs where people just litter their Desktop like it's the '80s...

Do you mean OCD?

Did something happen to you in the 80's? Were you even born then?

Ahh, you're not a tad OCD as someone with OCD would arrange the letter alphabetically as CDO.

And no, I heard a joke when I was typing that from a TV show about how people used to litter all the time back in the '80s.