Windows 7 M3 Build 6780 Updates
Posted 09/21/08 at 01:29:24 PM | by Justin Kerr
Screenshots have been appearing all over the net of Windows 7 M3 Build 6780, and one criticism seems to float to the top every time. Users are disappointed that the UI looks exactly like Vista. This reaction although true, should be taken with a grain of salt. Microsoft has a very storied history of leaving user interface tweaks to the very end for a good reason. Popular GUI elements are always in a state of flux among fickle users. Core improvements to the kernel on the other hand, are something that can be worked on at any time while leaving the final layer of Chrome to the very end. A full layout of screen shots of M3 (milestone 3) were posted at thinknext.net and is likely going to be similar to the version Microsoft will show at its upcoming PDC in October. One trend that we can identify now however is the inclusion of the ribbon interface from Office 2007 into core applications like Paint and WordPad. Other than this, things don’t look a whole lot different. Love it or hate it, the ribbon UI seems to be the future of Microsoft applications and is likely to become a trademark of the OS. The latest builds of Windows 7 include Internet Explorer 8 and presumably, given the lengthy turnaround on IE releases, will be the final version included in Windows 7. Currently the OS seems to remain on track for its scheduled launch somewhere between mid 2009 and early 2010. This timetable seems reasonable given that ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley expressed belief that Windows 7 will enter beta 1 by December of this year. Want to see the evolution of the paint UI from Windows 98 to Windows 7 so far? Hit the thumbnails to see f or yourself just how different the Windows 7 version actually is.
Windows 98
Windows XP
Windows Vista
Windows 7
Want to read more about Windows 7 Milestone 3? Check out Mark Soper's breakdown of the new features.
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ribbon
Submitted by N25PHILLY on Mon, 2008-09-22 11:50
The ribbon is a huge improvement in office and I'm glad it's going into other products. Having things be visual instead of poorly layout menus is something I will take anyday!
Submitted by MadOTC on Mon, 2008-09-22 07:54
I really don't like change for the sake of change. I used to be able to work in the old office with my eyes closed. When I changed over to Office 2007 it took me forever to find anything. If the new applications add functionality fine, but why is it necessary to completely redesign something that everyone is used to just to make it look different? The new features could have been added while keeping the same basic interface design and everyone would have been much happier.
Does it look nice? yes.
Submitted by yogurt80 on Sun, 2008-09-21 22:22
Does it look nice? yes. Does it look like it will make paint more of a pain? yes. Who still uses paint, anyhow? I bought Microsoft picture-it for $15 4 years ago, and I use it religously. It's such an easy to learn, professional editing program. Microsoft should ditch paint and through that in for free. I can't remember using paint since the advent of xp. I agree, you need a slender, easy to navigate menu bar on top. None of that sleek, void-spaced crap. A floating toolbar wouold be nice, so you can dock it to the side if you need, or move it where it's convinient for you. They need to take a look at google chrome- less is more. Less bloat= more workspace.
Submitted by tehR0XX0Rz on Sun, 2008-09-21 16:58
Bad design; probably a marketing decision that places the meaningless notion of "brand recognition" over and above functionality--like most everything else in Windows, now that I think about it.
Monitors are expanding horizontally, not vertically. You can't eat up the top quarter of the screen with a bloated tool bar! Look how much empty space it has! Working on anything with a portrait layout will suck. Does Word lose this much space at the top of the screen, too? Unless we start printing in landscape orientation on 8.5 x 14" legal paper, this kind of layout makes no sense--it's a poor fit to the final product.
The movement of monitors to widescreen formats should be followed by program layouts that maximize the new formats: move toolbars to the sides of the screen and free up vertical space.
Apple seems to make much better interfaces, much more elegant design decisions.
Submitted by TheZomb on Sun, 2008-09-21 17:52
But once you use it there is a steep learning curve and at first it does seem like it would be better on the side, but then you realize that they would keep the menu tabs on top and have menus they open on the side would result a lot more mouse movement and if they put the menu tabs on the side then they would really be flipping peoples worlds upside down. On a monitor 720x1280 and above the reduction in viewing space is hardly noticeable because the orginal menu bar on word or other office components isn't devoid of it's own shortcut icons, they are just more organized with the ribbon. But on paint or wordpad where there are fewer options it changes the layout a great deal.
If it makes you feel any better if you haven't used it. The ribbon UI has won many awards for its design and ease of use. Hardest thing about it is having to use help the first few times you try use word because you don't know where anything is.
Submitted by Digital-Storm on Mon, 2008-09-22 00:09
Your monitor is taller than it is wide?
I'd say it's a given that
Submitted by jwalch.hawk on Mon, 2008-09-22 09:39
I'd say it's a given that he meant those in the opposite order.
That or he switched to vertical-centric coordinate system without bothering to tell us just confuse us.
Either way, I'm pretty sure his monitor isn't taller than it is wide. :P
Submitted by astrocramp on Sun, 2008-09-21 13:54
I love the ribbon in Office 2007. Integrating that concept througout vista, not just in paint, would be a huge step forward, althought I'd argue they need to do this in a way that better uses the 16x9 monitor layouts now common (ie maybe put it on the side).
Do You Like The Ribbon?
Submitted by Justin.Kerr on Sun, 2008-09-21 11:31
I like it, Gordon Mah Ung, not so much...
Don't
Submitted by wk on Tue, 2008-09-23 07:50
Give us new fearures, new tools NOT some designe change and call it new.
and what about all these icons, I used office 97, xp, 2003 but never 2007 despite it's many feature because i couldn't find anything i needed, at least give us option to turn back to classic view (menus and actual names).
MPC is my home page
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