Metro UI, looks like it's there to stay on the desktop

[Dos_Box]

The Register are running this article: Workers can't escape Windows 8 Metro - Microsoft COO ? The Register
Which says:

Windows 8 will help people work harder, faster and better, argues Microsoft Chief Operating Officer Kevin Turner, because the "immersive" Metro user interface removes all their distractions.
Highlighting business-centric features in the new OS, Turner insists Windows 8's fondness for fondleslabs will boost office productivity. The controversial handheld gadget-friendly Metro UI (described by our Andrew Orlowski as "a huge negative") will be an asset for businesses, Turner reckons, because full-screen apps will immerse workers in their spreadsheets, pushing distractions out of sight and ramping up output.

Of interest at the bottom of the page is this bit though:

Turner also talked up Windows To Go, which stuffs a user's business apps, files, settings and a full corporate Windows 8 build on a memory stick, as well as improvements to networking and support for 3G and 4G, among other features. Windows 8 also includes Microsoft's virtualisation tech Hyper-V, with high-definition graphics and support for touch and USB devices on a local PC.

If Metro is going to be a permanent presence on the desktop I wonder if there will be an easy way for schools and businesses to define and set the Metro UI via GPO?
Unless I've read it wrong of course, but has anyone found anyhting in the local group policies to define Metro or be able to disable/enable it in W8 yet?

[zag]

I don't see any advantage of upgrading to windows 8 in a school environment yet. Unless you have tablets of course.

[3s-gtech]

Not finished migrating to Windows 7 yet, but I will hold fire on 8 for a very long time, until more pioneering bods have worked out how to effectively use it in schools!

[jinnantonnixx]

The stubbornness regarding Metro UI smells like the whole idea came from a management level, rather than an engineering level.

"I like flicky tiles. Make them work on this thing."

You know the sort of thing.

[Mr.Ben]

I like this quote from the Bob Chronicles:

"The problem with radically new things is the first ones are usually atrocious," mused Stanford's Cliff Nass in a 1999 interview with the Knight Ridder/Tribute News Service. "But most atrocious products, if they're new, have some redeeming features. [The industry[ has very little tolerance for designs that are overall worse but have insight in them...It's only concerned with things that are overall better,"

Seems apt to apply to Metro (even though on a tablet it's quite good)

[zag]

I like this quote from the Bob Chronicles:

"The problem with radically new things is the first ones are usually atrocious," mused Stanford's Cliff Nass in a 1999 interview with the Knight Ridder/Tribute News Service. "But most atrocious products, if they're new, have some redeeming features. [The industry[ has very little tolerance for designs that are overall worse but have insight in them...It's only concerned with things that are overall better,"

Seems apt to apply to Metro (even though on a tablet it's quite good)

The problem isnt the new metro interface, that would be great for a tablet. The problem is they are trying to force it onto desktop machines so they can get the app developers.

Any metro app on my desktop 26" TFT just looks ridiculous.

[Domino]

So..... When does Windows 9 come out?

[sted]

So..... When does Windows 9 come out?

if win8 does as well as vista can microsoft actually make it to win9?

[Dos_Box]

@zag Agreed, I'm running it on the RM Slate here and it is far, far better than W7 for tablets (graphical restrictions not withstanding). My guess is that any tablet looking to run this will probaly be of the spec we saw on the Samsung stand at BETT with an i5 processor and dedicated graphics. The onboard Intel graphics on the slate means that many graphically intensive apps simply won't run on the meagre 64MB graphics RAM available.
Saying that though, it may steal an advantage over the iPad/iOS if the Intel (or ARM) tablets are priced right and have even a moderately decent spec.
For the desktop however, it wouldn't surprise me if one of the first W8 apps is a Metro disabler, or even a method to keep Metro but to logon to the desktop straight away.

[Domino]

if win8 does as well as vista can microsoft actually make it to win9?

If win 8 does as well as vista, then windows 9 will be out by Christmas

[east]

From what I understand the x86 version of Windows 8 will provide more of a desktop type of OS whereas the WOA will be the full on Metro UI that we are seeing. It will be interesting to see what MS do based on the feedback they get from the beta release, if at all anything.

[SYNACK]

it wouldn't surprise me if one of the first W8 apps is a Metro disabler, or even a method to keep Metro but to logon to the desktop straight away.

Already there: Stardock releases free Start menu app for Windows 8 - TechSpot News
Six Ways To Avoid Metro And Use Only Desktop Mode In Windows 8 | Gizmodo Australia

Metro is good for touch UI but I have multiple moniters and a mouse, they can make it better or go jump when it comes to desktops. They may pull something out or they may end up with another hurried release of Windows 9 to fix what they broke as they will never admit they are wrong.

I am starting to suspect that they are just pushing for a user mandate to make it to version 10 like everything else in the software world by embedding one or more egregious issues in each release that must be 'fixed' in a new version. Dumb stuff like no domain join on ARM and Metro for everything despite its issues with existing setups. Its funny, they still don't have the stones to drop 32bit but they will pull the plug on the entire desktop UI.

Having read some of the stuff about metro and its easier use of spatial memory etc it does make some sence. Pushing it to full screen and kicking you out of all other productivity while your doing it makes no sense. The full screen == no distractions stuff has a little merit but also reaks of the opposite of MacOSs old no full screen/maximize iron fist.

W8 does lots of things right but they are looking at a more uphill battle than they have ever faced with this. The previous suppliers of continuity through compatibility seem to be trying to bin the whole market that they created and move into a different, more heavy handed - Applish - market. Balmer needs to go, lack of features is not a feature, from MS it is a cop out and a dissapointment.

[Michael]

In all of Microsoft's OS history, they have either done really well or really poor:

Windows 95 - Good
Windows 98 - Good
Windows ME - Poor
Windows 2000 - Good
Windows XP - Good
Windows Vista - Poor
Windows 7 - Good
Windows 8 - ?
Windows 9 - ?

Working on this revoluntionary algorithmic formula, Windows 8 should be a good OS

[Quackers]

In all of Microsoft's OS history, they have either done really well or really poor:

Windows 95 - Good
Windows 98 - Good
Windows ME - Poor
Windows 2000 - Good
Windows XP - Good
Windows Vista - Poor
Windows 7 - Good
Windows 8 - ?
Windows 9 - ?

Working on this revoluntionary algorithmic formula, Windows 8 should be a good OS

Your theory is flawed as 2000 onwards are NT based and come from the NT4 Famley, and you have included 9x code which was killed off with XP, when NT met the home user......

[Michael]

You're right, but I suppose I tried to stick to more mainstream OSes. NT 3.5 and NT 4.0 for example were not mainstream. Windows 2000/XP introduced NT to the masses.