Windows 8 has been around for ten years. The concept of system across tablets and desktops may not have been recognized by many people at that time, but innovative improvements such as the Start Menu and Dynamic Tiles had a profound impact on subsequent Windows systems. The Windows 8 system hopes to break the barriers between tablets and desktops and give users a more unified interactive experience, but this innovative and chaotic system experience has led to mixed reviews.
ten years after the release of Windows 8, in an interview with Benj Edwards, editor-in-chief of foreign technology media Ars Technica, former president of the Windows business unit, Steven Sinofsky, talked about the main architecture, original creation intentions and subsequent developments of the Windows 8 system, as well as his personal views on the system. For the complete interview content, please refer to the link below this article.
Windows 8 interface design
Edwards asked Sinovsky whether an important reason for the change in the system design of Windows 8 was iPad, and this tablet of Apple was already very popular at the time. In this regard, Sinovsky denied that the main factor driving the changes in the Windows 8 interface was "the natural development of Windows."
He further explained
During the development and creation of Windows 7 (2006-2009), we began to think about how Windows should develop. At that time, the whole world was very concerned about how PCs should move towards the "next billion" described by the industry. And Windows 7 is at a critical turning point in time, and it cannot achieve our vision: to use the computing power PCs should have for billions of people using them.
He further mentioned that as more and more people began to use iPhone and Android devices at that time, the only hope of the slow-growing PC market is to have an experience that is more consistent with smartphones. He said the entire design of Windows 8 is to draw the essence of a PC and promote it to more platforms than smartphones.
Metro interface based on dynamic tile
Metro is one of the design languages created by Microsoft . This design language evolved in Windows Media Center and Zune and was used in Windows Phone 7.
Sinovsky, these dynamic tiles originated from "synergy" with the Metro design language, which is itself an evolution of Microsoft. While they considered various alternatives, they found that the combination of Start Screen and Dynamic Tiles addressed the main drawback they saw, namely that Start Menu, Taskbar, System Tray, Widgets, and Notifications became “unavailable” in Windows.
His changes in the view of Windows 8 system
One of the biggest complaints about Windows 8 is the removal of the Start menu. Sinovsky said the feature has reached its functional limit. “In many ways, I think feedback overstates the role of the Start Menu, just as early Windows critics overstate the removal of ‘C:\’ from the core experience,” he said. What's more important is that he mentioned that most calculations are now presented in the form of an application grid and initiated through touch. The former Windows head claimed: "Desktop computing is declining, and billions of users' use of desktop computing is no longer traditional, nor is it completely dependent on desktop computing."
In short, Sinovsky says they are trying to bring Windows into the natural next step in computing. He said their vision of doing so was “too much and too fast”, which led to Windows not eventually moving forward and maintaining its position in the shrinking desktop world.
Pros and disadvantages of Windows 8
Sinovsky believes that the most innovative feature in Windows 8 system is "Contracts". "Contracts" is a protocol between Windows and developers' applications that allow them to integrate Windows 8 features into their applications. For example, Windows 8 allows users to share content from one application to another using a sharing contract.
Sinovsky said, "Apple did not extend similar features to third-party applications on iOS 13 until 2014. In fact, Windows 8 has completed most of the functions, but it has not been released."
He also mentioned that small things like swiping gestures from the edge or typing a startup program are also one of the best features of Windows 8.
On the other hand, Sinovsky said the least satisfying aspect of Windows 8 is "no real Windows 8.1 and 8.2" because like any Microsoft project, they began to know they were on a 10-year journey. He also has a regret for Windows 8:
is different from most successful things Microsoft does (Windows itself, Microsoft Word, Windows NT, etc.), and Microsoft has indeed completely abandoned the idea of remodeling Windows, and the real platform (WinRT API), hardware (ARM's Surface), if the company sticks to it, the overall user model may make substantial progress. While this isn't the "worst feature", it's the most I think of when I think about what might change in the future of Windows 8.
About the reason why he wants people to remember Windows 8
Sinovsky said that Windows 8 will be remembered for how it works in the market. He said
I hope that over time, some people will reflect on what they have done, re-examine their initial reactions, and realize that what Windows 8 is trying to do is the classic effort that businesses should do - subverting themselves is always disturbing others. This is what we are trying to do.
