Windows 8

If you’re reading this, then you’re probably sick to death of hearing me talk about Windows 8. Avert your eyes, Boo, because I’mma keep on going.

The Story So Far
Win8 was “unveiled” yesterday during Microsoft’s BUILD developer’s conference keynote in Anaheim. They ran through all kinds of points, such as the Metro UI, how developers can leverage it, and some samples of hardware running Win8 which ranged from super high-end data center machines to super-mega-ultra-thin netbooks and tablets.

500,000 Downloads
So last night Microsoft released a developer preview edition of Win8 to anyone who wanted it. No logins required, just click, download and install. As of the writing of this post, over 500,000 people downloaded the ISO in 16 hours. That might not sound like much, but keep in mind this is a developer targeted, pre beta build.

Installing
I downloaded the build (with the dev tools baked in, clocking in at about 4.86GB in size) and installed it in a VirtualBox virtual machine. The install was fast. Very fast. Building on Win7’s experience, there was an absolute minimal need for user input on install: just a name for the initial user login, and the rest was automagic.

Most of the pre-installed apps on the Metro dashboard are totally useless for desktops. They require accelerometers or have gone to great lengths to have been touch-enabled that they totally forgot that the majority of people will be using this on a desktop machine. It's ok; these apps were created by Microsoft interns, and are really just examples of what can be done with Win8 and the Metro design.

The Metrofication Of Windows
The Metro UI design specification isn’t just a suggested specification, it’s pretty much a religion. Now two weeks into my Win Phone 7, I've seen many apps on the marketplace being dinged stars because their design doesn’t conform to the “Metro aesthetic”.

What is the Metro Aesthetic? Minimalism, organization, flow, and informative, I’d say. When you boot into Win8, you’re greeted by a background of your choice. You have a clock and calendar date in the lower left corner, and beneath that you may have icons for things like unread emails or appointments with alarms. If you swipe upwards, this background slides up to reveal the login screen which contains a massive profile picture (if you’re the only user on there) with a password box. There’s also the accessibility button and a power-down button in the lower corners. It’s all on a green background, so right now, there’s no swooshy Windows logo or wallpaper cribbed from an intro-to-Photoshop class.

Once you log in, you go straight to the Metro UI Dashboard. This is the admitted center of the new OS, as the MS reps on stage during the keynote admitted that Win8 is designed primarily for touch input. That’s right: MS is betting their future OS in the tablet market which is dominated by the iPad.

Start At The Start, Which Is Not The Start
Fear not, the traditional Windows desktop is always a keystroke (or tap) away. There’s a Desktop tile on the Metro dashboard. You can press the Windows Key to switch between the desktop and the Metro dashboard. If you’re on Metro, you can hover the mouse (or tap) in the lower-left corner to bring up a small Start Menu, or you can see the Start Menu like it’s always been if you’re in the desktop view.
But the Start Menu in desktop is not what you’d expect if you were to click it (or tap it). Clicking on Start opens the Metro dashboard. There is no more Start Menu. Instead, the Metro dashboard is the new Start Menu.


That is going to piss off a lot of people, but look at it this way: Metro dashboard is just a really large, expanded Start Menu that can persist. Remember when we upgraded from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95? Remember how weird that Start Menu was? That’s what it’s like moving from Win7 to Win8; a different way to think about it that is going to take getting used to.

What The Metro Dash Provides Us
Every app that installs on Win8 can surface a Tile, which can be included on the Metro dash. Tiles can be grouped. Tiles can be Live Tiles, which can display information like the number of unread emails, or the current weather conditions. They can be single or multi-column, and can sport your logo or the logo of your application. Due to the size of the tiles, a well composed tile image allows users to quickly identify an application, which can be a real PITA in the current Start Menu paradigm.

If you’re like me, you leave your computer on all the time. Win8, being designed for a new way of using our computers (in more ways then one, it seems), takes advantage of this possibility. The lock screen can be customized with your own wallpaper, and looks attractive. The Metro UI can expose a lot of info in quick, perusable Live Tiles. Metro apps are meant to be clean and pretty, and to take advantage of widescreen form-factors. You can easily leave your PC (or tablet) running, sitting on the lock screen, Metro dash or Metro app and it’ll be useful and pleasing to look at.

This is really what Metro gives us: a quick way to get info. The first (and only, as far as I know) Windows Phone 7 commercial was trying to communicate this by showing all kinds of people who were ignoring the world around them while they focused on their app-centric smartphones. For people who use their PCs (or tablets) to mainly check mail, social networks, weather and read news, Metro will be a worthwhile shift in how the devices are used.

If you’re a heavier, “pro” user, what’s in Metro for you?

What Metro Does NOT Provide Us
Despite Microsoft’s assurances that Metro can be used with K&M, it’s a real pain in the ass. There’s no double tap, no pinch, and swiping isn’t really swiping. You’ve got full range of movement, one pointer, and, at most, four buttons. If you want to do anything other then clicking on a tile on the Metro dash, you’re going to be facing up to some frustrating mechanics.

But Metro is designed to be an information center, not a work center. You can still access the traditional desktop which acts like the traditional desktop. All Win7 apps will run on Win8 (so they say), and when a desktop app is opened from a Metro dash tile, you’ll switch over to the desktop as it loads. I tried it with the included Visual Studio Express 11, and it flipped over to the desktop without skipping a beat. This furthers the Metro-dash-as-new-Start-Menu paradigm shift.

Basically, you may not be able to easily use Metro dash with a keyboard and mouse at first, but it can be done, and you’re not limited to dash-or-desktop by any stretch of the imagination.

How Can I Make These Observations After Only A Few Hours?!
People get a lot of flack for passing judgment after a limited hands-on time with a product, but let’s face it: for people in “my age group” or above, the first few minutes are the absolute make-or-break minutes for any product. If we can jump into a new product and do the things you think you should be able to do, on your own terms, with minimal fuss or hand holding, then you’ll be super happy. If you can’t do what you want, or can’t do it how  you want, or if you have to consult some convoluted reference material just to perform a simple task, you’re going to be angry.

What I’m trying to convey here is my initial experience with this new OS using the above criteria of just “getting things done”. I’m not passing judgment: there’s things I like, and things I don’t like. There are things which work as expected, and there are things which are going to take some time to learn, and time to look into. As I stated above, we went through this kind of usability shift when we transitioned from Win 3.1 to Win 95. There was a learning curve there as well. We haven’t had a super large shift between Windows versions since 3.1 to 95, but doing things the way they were always done just because they’re familiar may be good for us, but that’s not going to help Microsoft stay relevant in the age of the tablet PC.

What About The Tablet?
If playing with the Win8 developers build doesn’t make you want a Win8 tablet, then you’re either an Apple fan, jaded, or just plain old crotchety. I was going to save up for a Sony Vita, but that plan has been unceremoniously dumped in favor of saving up for a Win8 tablet. Having used Metro on the WP7, I can say that the difference matters, and the push to get our noses out of our devices quicker is one that works. I have an “aging” iPad which I have many, many apps for, but I’d be willing to ditch it for a Win8 tablet that can sync with my Win8 desktop, my Metro-ized Xbox, and my Win7 phone (hopefully soon to be Win7.5).

But since Microsoft is obviously pinning Win8 on tablets, I think even I am going to furrow my brow on this one. OK, so getting Win8 on desktops is probably a no-brainer, but since touch enjoys primacy here, how many Win8 tablets does Microsoft expect to sell? It's got to be more then "a lot" for them to have created an entire OS iteration that's basically pushing the bread-and-butter desktop PC to second place.

There's pros and cons. The cons being that "it's Microsoft", a name which causes seizures in many people. Apple already has people goo-goo eyed over the iPad, and Android tablets are getting out there in conjunction with branding from the likes of Amazon and GameStop. The two pros I can see is that by the time Win8 hits the streets, it'll be a one-two punch: the desktop software will be available, and hopefully released side by side with the tablet. Users will have a choice: stick with your desktop and have a next gen experience (or buy a new PC), or go with a tablet and have pretty much the same next gen experience. Or, buy a tablet, and get the same experience on your desktop. Second, other tablets may have peaked by that time. I don't know, since I don't know when Win8 will release, or where the iPads and Android tablets will be in their life cycles at that time.

Overall, Microsoft rarely gets points for being innovative. Thing is, Metro is innovative, but many people won't give them credit for it because...it's Microsoft, and showing them any quarter is like asking the head cheerleader for recommendations on where's the best place to buy a pocket protector. But I like what Win8 is offering, and hopefully by the time it's made available for mass consumption, I'll still like it, and be ready.