Why this flat OS design?

[centrino207]

Both Microsoft and Apple have been moving in that direction. One can just look at the new OS like windows 8 and Mac OS X Yosemite coming out this year in the fall.

All these years we have been moving away from windows 3.1 look to more contrast ,color and depth and dreaming of virtual reality. All these new HD TV and monitors and ultra HD !!! all to move back to windows 3.1 look of very little contrast ,color and depth of almost monochrome monitor!! Why?

What is this new flat OS that big trend in windows 8 and now Mac OS X Yosemite and new iOS for iPad and iPhone copying windows phone.

Even the new Microsoft office is copying this flat design and even some web sites too!!!

Why this big trend when all these years we have been moving away from windows 3.1 with little contrast ,color and depth.

 

[St1ckM4n]

Because they are *****s.

 

[gbhall]

If that's a serious question, you need a psychologist to answer, not me.

It seems to me part and parcel of the general 'dumbing-down' of all forms of technology, led principally by MS. Starting back in 1995 with Windows Bob http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Bob Not to mention the animated MS Office help dog called 'Rover'

There may be a case - Windows is now something familiar to several billion people all over the planet, of whom only 1% could perhaps call themselves technological experts. Maybe you could also claim the desktop PC is rapidly becoming a minor player in technology terms, and some clown at MS seems to want a unified interface experience across devices from tablets to phones to wrist watches.

Maybe you should blame Arthur C. Clarke, whose third law was "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

 

[TheBigFatClown]

Both Microsoft and Apple have been moving in that direction. One can just look at the new OS like windows 8 and Mac OS X Yosemite coming out this year in the fall.

All these years we have been moving away from windows 3.1 look to more contrast ,color and depth and dreaming of virtual reality. All these new HD TV and monitors and ultra HD !!! all to move back to windows 3.1 look of very little contrast ,color and depth of almost monochrome monitor!! Why?

What is this new flat OS that big trend in windows 8 and now Mac OS X Yosemite and new iOS for iPad and iPhone copying windows phone.

Even the new Microsoft office is copying this flat design and even some web sites too!!!

Why this big trend when all these years we have been moving away from windows 3.1 with little contrast ,color and depth.

It's because its something different and Microsoft has to keep thinking up new ideas, no matter how ridiculous, no matter how much they fly in the face of sound logic, to keep selling a new operating system every, well, yearly now is their new goal. Expect yellow polka dots on white backgrounds to be the next "theme" running on Windows 9. If it's new and different people will buy it.

The next operating system will not be controlled by keyboard and mouse or touch because in a year that will be considered "old skool" and nobody wants to be classified as "old skool". You will launch applications simply by tilting the screen in a specific direction. It will be all the rage. And people will think they are on the 'bleeding edge of technology' because they embrace the change, becuase they will NOT let the fear of change stop them from embracing a shiny new turd DAMMIT!!! They will NOT be intimidated by the changes that Microsoft throws at them. No matter how ridiculous they may seem when contrasted with logic and common sense.

Embracing change head-on. That's what matters most. The operating system? Who cares about that. Phhhffftttt!!!!!

 

[centrino207]

If that's a serious question, you need a psychologist to answer, not me.

It seems to me part and parcel of the general 'dumbing-down' of all forms of technology, led principally by MS. Starting back in 1995 with Windows Bob http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Bob Not to mention the animated MS Office help dog called 'Rover'

There may be a case - Windows is now something familiar to several billion people all over the planet, of whom only 1% could perhaps call themselves technological experts. Maybe you could also claim the desktop PC is rapidly becoming a minor player in technology terms, and some clown at MS seems to want a unified interface experience across devices from tablets to phones to wrist watches.

Maybe you should blame Arthur C. Clarke, whose third law was "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

I was not talking about metro but when you boot to desktop and the windows UI is a flat design hardly no contrast ,color and depth!! The new iOS for iPad and iPhone is copying windows phone and doing the same thing a very flat design hardly no contrast ,color and depth!! The new Mac OS X coming out this year in the fall is very flat design hardly no contrast ,color and depth!.

It seems to be big trend now.

Yet why the HD TV and new ultra HD than?

 

[centrino207]

If that's a serious question, you need a psychologist to answer, not me.

It seems to me part and parcel of the general 'dumbing-down' of all forms of technology, led principally by MS. Starting back in 1995 with Windows Bob http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Bob Not to mention the animated MS Office help dog called 'Rover'

There may be a case - Windows is now something familiar to several billion people all over the planet, of whom only 1% could perhaps call themselves technological experts. Maybe you could also claim the desktop PC is rapidly becoming a minor player in technology terms, and some clown at MS seems to want a unified interface experience across devices from tablets to phones to wrist watches.

Maybe you should blame Arthur C. Clarke, whose third law was "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

Yet the human eye biology looks at world around us with contrast ,color and depth!! Why not mimic nature? You have millions of years of evolution!!

So what this big trend that makes a flat design so cool? Are young people distracted by contrast ,color and depth with ADHD brain?

 

[TheBigFatClown]

Yet the human eye biology looks at world around us with contrast ,color and depth!! Why not mimic nature? You have millions of years of evolution!!

So what this big trend that makes a flat design so cool? Are young people distracted by contrast ,color and depth with ADHD brain?

It's different, most people like change. I think it goes along the saying of 'variety is the spice of life'. If Windows doesn't die-off as a result of this stupidity, the 3d 32-bit color with round transparent borders will....EVENTUALLY...come back into the mainstream and be heralded as the 'greatest thing since sliced cheese'.

Right now Microsoft thinks it's 'cutesy' to have square flat boxes with 2-colors everywhere. They are 'gayifying' every cyberspace they can with this new line of thought. The MSDN website has been 'gayified' with square flat 2-color boxes as well.
I think at this point the only thing we can do as consumers is to refrain from purchasing Windows 8. Because if we do, we implicitly support their software and only encourage this juvenille behavior. I think the target audience of Windows 8 was pre-schoolers through junior high. Business was nowhere in their crosshairs, whatsoever.

So once again I say, DO NOT purchase Windows 8. You have the choice to use the operating system you want with all support for Windows 7 continuing through the year 2020.

I grow to hate Windows 8 more by the day as I have actually been exposed to it more recently than ever before since my Dad updated his computer to it. He was warned and now he is suffering the consequences. The IE explorer is slower than on his last system. I've done Google searches, he has done Google searches. Still don't know why it's slow as hell.

It boggles my mind how people like Windows 8. It's the 8th(what a coincidence) wonder of the world. I guess I kinda see the appeal. Thinking hurts some peoples brains. *sigh*

 

[DelJo63]

I think it's very subtle - - one GUI fits all :sigh: The cloud makes it possible to access your stuff from anywhere and from any device. The look-n-feel today is dominated by smartphones and manyusers that have never seen a keyboard, mouse or even MS Win/3.1 - - forbid a command line interface like Unix.

It's part of the lowered expectations to reduce costs.

The discussion on TS 3.0 Redesign was targeted at completing the migration, but also has implications for design, which not all are enthralled about. Hugh page space for low content graphics is my peeve (hi res w/wo contrast).

 

[psycros]

I was not talking about metro but when you boot to desktop and the windows UI is a flat design hardly no contrast ,color and depth!! The new iOS for iPad and iPhone is copying windows phone and doing the same thing a very flat design hardly no contrast ,color and depth!! The new Mac OS X coming out this year in the fall is very flat design hardly no contrast ,color and depth!.

It seems to be big trend now.

Yet why the HD TV and new ultra HD than?

It may be a trend among developers but the public is at best tolerating it and when possible rejecting it. Windows 8 has been a market failure on every platform and if iOS goes any further into the the "bland and indistinct" visual territory it will only hurt sales. You'll notice that Google has wisely kept the high color, high detail iconography in Android and Chrome - they always let their competition take the big risks. What's the point of upgrading when the visuals are being dumbed down? Even games and video don't benefit from resolutions that the human eye can't appreciate.

 

[TheBigFatClown]

It may be a trend among developers but the public is at best tolerating it and when possible rejecting it. Windows 8 has been a market failure on every platform and if iOS goes any further into the the "bland and indistinct" visual territory it will only hurt sales. You'll notice that Google has wisely kept the high color, high detail iconography in Android and Chrome - they always let their competition take the big risks. What's the point of upgrading when the visuals are being dumbed down? Even games and video don't benefit from resolutions that the human eye can't appreciate.

You just gave Microsoft another awesome bullet point for the release of Windows 9:
"Windows 9 - even more bland and indistinct than Windows 8....but hey...It BOOTS faster!". Yeah baby!!!

I had high hopes that Microsoft would 'get back to where they once belonged' for the release of Windows 9. But I think Microsoft is still focused on making their money in the mobile market in spite of all the backlash they have received on Windows 8. I don't have high hopes that I will be compelled to upgrade to Windows 9....but....anything's possible I guess.

 

[bazz2004]

Nothing much seems to be going on in the computer world. The spotlight has moved on. Microsoft are stagnating and it’s hard to imagine any big breakthrough coming up with Windows. Every change to Windows and Office seems to make their software more challenging to use and loses them further ground. Libraries are running popular computing for beginners courses but when most of those signing up merely need a quick and simple way of surfing the web it seems unnecessary. Soon the major supermarkets will have their own dedicated tablets.

 

[SNGX1275]

It may be a trend among developers but the public is at best tolerating it and when possible rejecting it. Windows 8 has been a market failure on every platform and if iOS goes any further into the the "bland and indistinct" visual territory it will only hurt sales. You'll notice that Google has wisely kept the high color, high detail iconography in Android and Chrome - they always let their competition take the big risks. What's the point of upgrading when the visuals are being dumbed down? Even games and video don't benefit from resolutions that the human eye can't appreciate.

I agreed up until the last statement, not that I disagree with that, it just seems out of place/unrelated with/to everything else you said. The OS design wouldn't have any effect on games and video looks.

 

[centrino207]

It may be a trend among developers but the public is at best tolerating it and when possible rejecting it. Windows 8 has been a market failure on every platform and if iOS goes any further into the the "bland and indistinct" visual territory it will only hurt sales. You'll notice that Google has wisely kept the high color, high detail iconography in Android and Chrome - they always let their competition take the big risks. What's the point of upgrading when the visuals are being dumbed down? Even games and video don't benefit from resolutions that the human eye can't appreciate.

But customers don't really have choice? It is get a PC running windows or Mac running OS X or do not get new computer!! Power users may get mad and go with Linux.

For some time OS X was very colorful ,shiny and artsy and look like it was design by art students , it even had bit of feminine feel. But now apple is going down other path and moving away from this to a very flat OS.

And there will always be apple and windows fan boys that will not say anything negative.

The new iOS has very awful look and hard on my eyes .I would never get iPhone because of that.

But there will be apple fan boys who must get a new iPhone because it is apple or it is so easy to use and android phone is too hard to use.

 

[centrino207]

You just gave Microsoft another awesome bullet point for the release of Windows 9:
"Windows 9 - even more bland and indistinct than Windows 8....but hey...It BOOTS faster!". Yeah baby!!!

I had high hopes that Microsoft would 'get back to where they once belonged' for the release of Windows 9. But I think Microsoft is still focused on making their money in the mobile market in spite of all the backlash they have received on Windows 8. I don't have high hopes that I will be compelled to upgrade to Windows 9....but....anything's possible I guess.

I don't think Microsoft will move away from this flat look any time soon , it seems to be big trend with Apple moving in that direction and many web sites.

May be in 5 years from now Microsoft and Apple will move away from this flat look and colorful ,shiny and artsy OS will make a come back.

 

[cliffordcooley]

May be in 5 years from now Microsoft and Apple will move away from this flat look and colorful ,shiny and artsy OS will make a come back.

And that will be when I decide to continue supporting Windows or not. As it stands right now, I don't even want to buy Windows 7. Because I know that will help them, continue their current design strategies.

But then who am I kidding with my one vote out of millions! I guess in the long run, makes me feel better knowing "I didn't take it laying down".

 

[TheBigFatClown]

And that will be when I decide to continue supporting Windows or not. As it stands right now, I don't even want to buy Windows 7. Because I know that will help them, continue their current design strategies.

But then who am I kidding with my one vote out of millions! I guess in the long run, makes me feel better knowing "I didn't take it laying down".

It's more than 1 vote though. You are far from being alone. I don't understand why people feel helpless. It's like they think they gotta purchase a Windows 8 operating system. If all the people who weren't really compelled to upgrade had chosen not to Microsoft would be burning in flames right now. They continue to win by default because people feel like they don't have choices when they really do.

I am okay with people still purchasing Windows 7 licenses to make a point. I just don't understand the orgasms people are having over Windows 8. It's is the most unattractive dumbed down, operating system I have ever used. I think 50% of Windows 8 purchases are simply because it's new. I think the other 50% are upgrades by default.

It blows my mind how people think sometimes. They probably do the same things with movie sequels. "Well, yeah I heard that the 3rd Matrix movie sucks but since I watched the first two I got no choice but to watch the third one." *sigh*.

Somebody should start a website where people can sign-up to make a pledge not to support Windows 8. That's what we need. So people can see how many others actually hate the shiny new turd. It's not just a few people.

 

[cliffordcooley]

It blows my mind how people think sometimes. They probably do the same things with movie sequels. "Well, yeah I heard that the 3rd Matrix movie sucks but since I watched the first two I got no choice but to watch the third one." *sigh*.

lol - Guilty as charged! Although I did enjoy all three Matrix movies.

Somebody should start a website where people can sign-up to make a pledge not to support Windows 8. That's what we need. So people can see how many others actually hate the shiny new turd. It's not just a few people.

What gets me is how MS thinks they should control how the OS looks. We are the ones using the OS, why not let us customize the looks to our liking with native features. There is no reason at all, why anyone would need to start a thread on this topic. But yet here we are, because MS chooses not to give us choice!

 

[SNGX1275]

Some people don't want options, they just want something that works. That is a huge thing with Apple - limited choices and it just works (mostly). I enjoy the custom ability that Windows allows me, but in the last several years I haven't exploited it, maybe I'm just getting too old. There is something to be said for no options (if it still gets things done).

 

[TheBigFatClown]

I don't think Microsoft will move away from this flat look any time soon , it seems to be big trend with Apple moving in that direction and many web sites.

May be in 5 years from now Microsoft and Apple will move away from this flat look and colorful ,shiny and artsy OS will make a come back.

God let's hope so. I can wait it out. Got 6 more years of Windows 7 support.

lol - Guilty as charged! Although I did enjoy all three Matrix movies.
What gets me is how MS thinks they should control how the OS looks. We are the ones using the OS, why not let us customize the looks to our liking with native features. There is no reason at all, why anyone would need to start a thread on this topic. But yet here we are, because MS chooses not to give us choice!

Just remember my friend...you are not alone. Resist Windows 8 like the plague.
I actually thought about putting up a website myself as a tribute to how "much" Windows 8 sucks. So I did a Google search and I found this tribute page(one of many).
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Windows-8-sucks/169750319767966

5,805 likes so far(one of them mine). And I just found this today even though I have been sounding the alarm about Windows 8 forever. We are far from being alone.
If we could somehow get the real numbers. Well, the closest we can get is the actual operating system percentages. And I believe Windows 7 usage has been rising just above 50% last time I checked. That's gotta be some kind of message to Microsoft.

Stand firm soldiers. Stand firm!!!

 

[penn919]

Supporting the SteamOS initiative could go a long way towards dethroning Windows and (more importantly) disrupting Microsoft's complacency; it's not because SteamOS is a substitute but rather because SteamOS will make Linux in general a much more palatable option for many.

If we want to fight back, it's got to be through Linux. It HAS to be, and SteamOS will be our primary weapon that could set everything into motion. I truly believe that without linux, we've got nothing on Microsoft at all.

 

[TheBigFatClown]

Supporting the SteamOS initiative could go a long way towards dethroning Windows and (more importantly) disrupting Microsoft's complacency; it's not because SteamOS is a substitute but rather because SteamOS will make Linux in general a much more palatable option for many.

If we want to fight back, it's got to be through Linux. It HAS to be, and SteamOS will be our primary weapon that could set everything into motion. I truly believe that without linux, we've got nothing on Microsoft at all.

I am not so sure about your theory. It seems to imply that people upgraded to Windows 8 for the video games, does it not? It also implies that people will migrate to Linux just for the games. I am guessing at least 50% of enterprises have shunned Windows 8 and that has nothing to do with games.

Most people who "just" want to play video games buy consoles. In fact, isn't that what SteamOS is. Aren't they putting out SteamOS as a console product?

The family of Windows operating systems used to be a very powerful productivity tool with great power, flexibility, and customization. It's become dumbed down and watered down for the masses as of Windows 8. It's a consumer shopping application for the most part now.

I am all for the success of Linux as a platform, making it more accessible to the masses, and all that jazz. But it seems to me the strongest weapon in our toolbox(those who just don't get Windows 8) would be not to purchase it and encourage others to do the same. Boycott this crap until we get what we want.

 

[penn919]

I am not so sure about your theory. It seems to imply that people upgraded to Windows 8 for the video games, does it not? It also implies that people will migrate to Linux just for the games. I am guessing at least 50% of enterprises have shunned Windows 8 and that has nothing to do with games.

Most people who "just" want to play video games buy consoles. In fact, isn't that what SteamOS is. Aren't they putting out SteamOS as a console product?

Right now SteamOS is the biggest Linux initiative that has the greatest potential to bring Linux over to the mass market. Two of the biggest gripes against Linux is it's poor software compatibility and (within the tech community) it's poor support for games. I think SteamOS has the potential to at least indirectly remedy those by finally bringing Linux to to the mass market.

If it can successfully power the Steam Machines as a rival console on par with Xbox One and PS4, all those AAA games will just come pouring into Linux. With the games, comes the consumers, and with consumers Linux attracts more attention and gets better software support.

Your right in that right now SteamOS predominately will bring only gamers in the short term, but if it can reach a critical mass of even just gamers then that in and of itself would be a HUGE boon to Linux. If it were able to reach that level of success, I doubt it would be something you could be so dismissive of.

 

[TheBigFatClown]

Right now SteamOS is the biggest Linux initiative that has the greatest potential to bring Linux over to the mass market. Two of the biggest gripes against Linux is it's poor software compatibility and (within the tech community) it's poor support for games. I think SteamOS has the potential to at least indirectly remedy those by finally bringing Linux to to the mass market.

If it can successfully power the Steam Machines as a rival console on par with Xbox One and PS4, all those AAA games will just come pouring into Linux. With the games, comes the consumers, and with consumers Linux attracts more attention and gets better software support.

Your right in that right now SteamOS predominately will bring only gamers in the short term, but if it can reach a critical mass of even just gamers then that in and of itself would be a HUGE boon to Linux. If it were able to reach that level of success, I doubt it would be something you could be so dismissive of.

It's a major positive, no argument about that. But I am not so sure it's the holy grail, the final nail in the Windows coffin. What percentage of the market is Windows 7 installed on that is business versus home users. And how many home users are hardcore gamers? That's the only point I am trying to make. People who want to play triple AAA titles buy a console because that's all they care about it.

The beauty of Windows over the past few recent years, for me personally, is that it can do anything and everything I have ever wanted. I think that's slowly being chipped away in favor of a more consumer oriented operating system.

I am not discounting at all that getting triple AAA titles ported or even developed natively on Linux wouldn't be great. But I don't see that having any sway over enterprises and they compromise a huge chunk of the Windows marketshare.

On a more positive note, I have read some rumors on the internet that Windows 9 will be released with 3 different SKUs, each catering to a different audience. Hopefully, the differences will be compelling enough to entice Windows 8 holdouts(*raises his hand*) to upgrade to a version of their liking. A "metro-less" SKU would be awesome.

 

[penn919]

It's a major positive, no argument about that. But I am not so sure it's the holy grail, the final nail in the Windows coffin.

Well, I don't think I went that far. Windows right now completely dominates the Operating system market and that won't change anytime soon. What I'm trying to say is that SteamOS will provide a way for Linux to get a foot in the door in a major way. It won't be a "nail in the coffin" at least not initially, but one thing tends to lead to another...

 

[centrino207]

It's more than 1 vote though. You are far from being alone. I don't understand why people feel helpless. It's like they think they gotta purchase a Windows 8 operating system. If all the people who weren't really compelled to upgrade had chosen not to Microsoft would be burning in flames right now. They continue to win by default because people feel like they don't have choices when they really do.

I am okay with people still purchasing Windows 7 licenses to make a point. I just don't understand the orgasms people are having over Windows 8. It's is the most unattractive dumbed down, operating system I have ever used. I think 50% of Windows 8 purchases are simply because it's new. I think the other 50% are upgrades by default.

It blows my mind how people think sometimes. They probably do the same things with movie sequels. "Well, yeah I heard that the 3rd Matrix movie sucks but since I watched the first two I got no choice but to watch the third one." *sigh*.

Somebody should start a website where people can sign-up to make a pledge not to support Windows 8. That's what we need. So people can see how many others actually hate the shiny new turd. It's not just a few people.

Windows 8 is a lot more colorful and no where has bad like Mac OS X Yosemite and new iOS for iPad and iPhone that is very flat and plain.


The MS office ,Mac OS X Yosemite and new iOS is more flat than windows 8.


The windows metro can be custom where by you can add color and depth.

After looking over windows 8 vs mac OS X Yosemite and new iOS , I say Mac OS X Yosemite and new iOS look more flat and very old looking.Where windows 8 look more like you in the future.

There are also third party custom themes you can get for windows 8 that is more color and depth.

Mac OS X Yosemite very flat and plain looking

Big contrast to Mac OS X Snow Leopard:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQN6AlM5wuk