Living with Windows Vista

Day 1: User Interface

from WinCustomize Forums

 

Windows Vista Beta 2 is coming pretty soon. Microsoft is tweaking UI, working on performance, improving compatibility. Each build gets better.  The question that many of us have, however, is whether there's enough time for Vista to get everything together in time for a November RTM (January for consumers).

Below are 4 screenshots to help show off the UI (so far).  The UI is probably the most noticeable improvement in Windows Vista.  Take a note of the clean and efficient load and save dialogs in there.

There's also two screenshots of the alpha version of "WindowBlinds Vista".   Windows Vista, as cool as it is, is probably going to be a real boon for skinners. There's a lot of new UI and a lot of opportunities to take it to the next level.

The overall user interface feels light and clean. It's a real improvement over Windows XP.  There are nearly a thousand new icons in Windows Vista.  Beta 2 won't have all the icons in yet, there's still a lot more coming in.  The Aero glass (the new glass look) is not final either but it's pretty close (contrary to rumors, it's not going to become some vector based thing).  The performance continues to improve.  However, it's very memory intensive.  We'll be asking Microsoft a lot of tough questions this week about the significant memory foot print and some remaining performance issues.
 

18,243 views 29 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
how did you get your hands on beta 2?
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Microsoft Gold Certified Partner. https://www.stardock.com/corporate/
TouchTasks - Access tasks with ease on Windows touchscreens.
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
how did you get your hands on beta 2?


He gets all the cool stuff before we do..LoL
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I see 5 screenshots.
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I see 5 screenshots.
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Oops, page wasn't coming up
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
He added another screenshot of WindowBlinds on Vista.
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Is it just me or does the new Vista look brown ? I much perfered glass... and not the kind that looks like it needs a carwash .
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I see 5 screenshots


I see two posts!!
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
So the first 3 screens shots are completely un-altered?
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
correct.
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Not even using TweakVista?
Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Without having pressed the buttons myself, the first 3 screenshots are Vista's ability to alter the color shading of the blur/glass effect.

The last two are WindowBlinds on Vista, which hasn't been mentioned really before Brad's post.

Kris

Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Alrighty, thanks for the clarification Kris!
Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I'm curious about something: Has WindowBlinds Vista been able to control the glass semi-transparency natively (as in through whatever engine Vista uses to manipulate the glass effect)? If not, has WindowBlinds Vista been able to recreate the same glass effect that is currently possible with WB? And, lastly, if WB can create glass--but not natively--then how does the memory used to create this effect compare with Vista's own method?
Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top
The version in the pics aren't the official beta 2. 5381.1 was released to connect subscribers a little less than a week ago. It has several bugs, so Microsoft is pushing the release date of Beta 2 from the 22nd to the 27th. (Unless you're one of the lucky ones that will be at WinHEC, you'll be able to get it on the 23rd). The current version planned for beta 2 will be 5383.5
Reply #20 from WinCustomize Forums Top
That last one is a real hum-dinger.
Reply #21 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Hehe, I see that last one was formerly a shot of dual screens... with the left one edited out for some reason...
Reply #22 from WinCustomize Forums Top
No thats a single head setup.  The left 4 pixels should be the far right 4 pixels.  Print screen in Windows XP, Vista etc has a bug when it comes to doing fullscreen captures.
Reply #23 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Is WindowBlinds Vista capable of skinning the Aero mode in Vista? Or is that screenshot a VisualStyle?
Reply #24 from WinCustomize Forums Top
The last 2 screenshots are of WindowBlinds running on Vista.  The skins in use are existing per pixel WB skins.
Reply #25 from WinCustomize Forums Top
After playing with the first beta, I was unimpressed.
The second beta will have to be vastly improved before I'd consider upgrading.

As for the UI...it does nothing for me. Sorry.