Clue me in

In all the Win 8 discussions here with the eightiesfans I still don't get it why a unified GUI across all devices is a good thing.

Yeah, a PC, a smartphone, a laptop, a tablet and a game console are all computers after all. so what? Where's the argument in this that leads to the conclusion that they all need a unified GUI?

It's like saying that cars, space rockets, ships and trains must all have the same control scheme because they are all just vehicles.

I've never looked at a smart phone and thought "gee, I wish I could run only one full screen program at a time on my multi-gig RAM PC with a 22" screen too, and keep my arms stretched all the time to smudge it with my fatty fingers. This would totally rule!"

I'm beginning to wonder how many people have actually tried Windows 8 on a desktop, and how many are lying or just plain blinded by their own hubris.

Anyway. It makes products easier to use when there is a single set of common UI paradigms across all of your devices. With WP and W8 things are pretty similar, but there are a few differences to account for the difference between a desktop and a small scale device. Where there have been changes, they seem pretty thoughtful and well executed.

It's a similar scheme to the old Windows UI guidelines -- make all the software look similar and use the same UI paradigm.  That way when a user uses a new piece of software they'll immediately feel right at home and have an easier time finding the functionality they're looking for.  Only this time they're applying the same philosophy to device forms.

Herbie

9 minutes ago, kettch wrote

Anyway. It makes products easier to use when there is a single set of common UI paradigms across all of your devices.

No. It didn't exactly work with the XP tablets, right? Why would it be this time different? Just because it's the other way around? (Tablet to desktop, instead of desktop to tablet).

It's like forcefully putting a car control scheme into a cruiser ship.

@wastingtimewithforums: It didn't work with tablets because very few developers wrote software with tablets in mind and the hardware was very expensive.

I have high hopes for Win8 this time around. I think it will be successful and help sales of WP8 devices.

The traditional PC is disappearing at home, and Metro is fantastic on touch interfaces. At work, you'll spend most of the time on the desktop, so any difficulties with Metro and the keyboard/mouse won't get in the way.

17 minutes ago, wastingtimewithforums wrote

*snip*

No. It didn't exactly work with the XP tablets, right? Why would it be this time different? Just because it's the other way around? (Tablet to desktop, instead of desktop to tablet).

XP Tablet Edition was just an overlay and a set of utilities that made XP tablet friendly. It relied on applications being tablet-friendly, which most weren't/aren't.

This is an attempt to actually design around touch (and modern inputs) from the bottom up.

Also, it's not really "putting the same UI on every device". They're applying the same design principles to be consistent. Visually, it need not look exactly the same, but the metaphors will be the same so you'll always know what to expect. 

Best to get in the head of users and see how they'll use it. My 12 year old boy has bad it on his laptop since Consumer...and he put in on himself. He just put the RC on last week and he's yet to ask me for any help on anything, setting up wireless, getting touchpad drivers from Dell.

When people get new laptops/slates/desktops with Windows 8 on it...they'll hop right into it. As an aside, when is the last time anyone has heard of complaints about the Office 2010 ribbon UI, or even Final Cut Pro X from Apple? People get used to things...

29 minutes ago, spivonious wrote

The traditional PC is disappearing at home

You should really fix this particular broken record of yours. And no, glossy Apple presentations aren't the fix.

It does simply development between devices. But like the other article said, ms focused on windows tooooo much.

1 hour ago, wastingtimewithforums wrote

*snip*

You should really fix this particular broken record of yours. And no, glossy Apple presentations aren't the fix.

But he's right. I think it will take a while to show up, but people are buying desktops out of habit right now.

35 minutes ago, kettch wrote

*snip*

But he's right. I think it will take a while to show up, but people are buying desktops out of habit right now.

It's not just about the desktop PC. He also means notebooks and netbooks (basically everything will vanish besides smartphones and tablets).

And that's nonsense. Even Surface, if attached to the keyboard, basically becomes just a glorified notebook. Not even the Windows 8 overlord believes in a pure tabletopia.

@wastingtimewithforums: Correction, Surface has a keyboard accessory.  It isn't attached.  It is held on by magnets which means it isn't neccessary.  Try ripping the keyboard off of a laptop and see how well it works.