Windows 8

With the roll out of the preview build of Windows 8, we now know that the the Windows Phone 7 “Metro” user interface is coming to desktop Windows. I am frankly shocked at this development. WinPhone7 has done nothing in the marketplace, and I see virtually no evidence that the “Metro” tile interface offers customers any benefit.

When Metro was first released it was clearly an attempt to call attention away from the lack of apps for Win7 by using it’s screen hogging tiles … now that Win7 has more apps, you’d expect them to gradually devolve Metro in favor of a more icon specific approach similar to Apple iOS and Android. Instead they are extending the Metro to their core Windows franchise, meaning that desktop users, developers, and IT professionals are going to be dragged into the Metro fold. I can think of no way this helps Microsoft or its customers … let’s hope Microsoft comes to its senses before it’s too late.

Mike