Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Windows 8 RTM: Retro under the hood?

Not much to say here in detail, since I have not yet had an opportunity to play with Windows 8 with the exception of the developer's preview last year, but I have read a few article with screen captures. I still have hopes that the OS will be a success. I do however have some reservations about the GUI design choices. When reading the Ars Technica hands on of the Windows 8 RTM (release to manufacturers), I was struck by the similarity of some of the settings windows (in this article, the taskbar properties) to some of the older X Windows shells form the early 90s or even Windows 3.1.  I realize that the push toward simplification of operation, and by extension the simplification of the visual metaphor, is what this new Windows is supposed to achieve, but when I am immediately reminded of a windowing system that dates back 20 years, I do begin to wonder. Or is it possible that MS and the Unix shell developers got it right way back then and this is simply a return to the classic form?

I have not looked into the system requirements for Windows 8 yet, but if the graphics, and so the load on the processor to render them is reduced, does this means that lower spec machines will be supported?

No comments: