Windows 8 Screenshots

 

Yesterday’s Windows 8 Customer Preview  release triggered my curiosity and of course I had to install that new software.

First I was shocked about the ugly look of the new Windows, the lack of creativity and care of graphic design. Microsoft has still a lot to learn from Apple in this respect.

Windows 8 goes for Tiles

Then I started playing with it and the more I saw and experienced, the more I liked the idea of getting a Mobile Type of Operating System and Interface here.

On this first image you see the new layout of the start screen with all these Tiles for easy access. On top of the right column you notice some tiles I have added to the screen. In fact, similar to a mobile surface, you can organize your Tiles (icons in Apple language) according to your needs and taste.

Note that many tiles refer to online features, like Gaming, Communication, Sharing features.

Windows 8 goes for Apps in stead of Programs

Windows 8 uses Mobile Terminology: we don’t get a list of Programs, but a display of Apps!

Note the ugly background color and then the load of icons …. horizontal scrolling will reveal all your Apps. This display replaces the “All Programs display on your Windows 7 Start Menu.

By the way: the good old Start Button does not exist anymore, just a link back to the Start Screen (image 1 above) and a right-click menu giving fast access to some basic functions:

 New Settings Interface

The new settings screens are clean and easy to use:

Large Icons for Image surfing

When searching an image from admin settings, the display is smashing, media gallery like, just … better. Unfortunately, there is still this ugly background :-).

Should you install Windows 8?

Microsoft recommends not to use Win 8 on your main computer. Right they are, as this is a Customer Preview release.

However, as the base is Win 7, most hard and soft you are using with Win 7 works. In as much as I am concerned, I had just to delete Security Essentials. All other programs run smoothly. Also for my DVD drive I needed to install ne drivers.

I am writing this post from Windows 8 and I will report here about issues encountered as they will appear. Also I will explore all the goodies from Win 8, namely connectivity issues, mobile web, interactivity and touch screen behaviors.

A second step will then be to look at the new SDK to develop Apps and to test them on Win 8. Let’s enjoy a nice journey with Win 8 and hope I will be able to change those ugly interface colors if the rest of the design cannot be modified :-).