Microsoft unveiled a preview release of their upcoming Windows 8 during their BUILD developer conference this week.Among updates the usual performance and security updates that usually accompany a new Windows release, Microsoft presented their new Metro user interface. METRO is a new way to interface with your windows computer that is optimized for touch-screens. This new interface is Microsoft’s response to the popularity of the iPad and tablet-style devices.The new METRO interface will be amended to the new Windows 8 which is a bit similar to what most people are used to seeing. It resembles Windows 7 in look and feel. Users, can then decide if they prefer to use the METRO solution or the more familiar Windows experience.
The new touch interface is a drastic departure from the Windows desktop environment we are all used to. Where we had previously relied on desktop icons, the METRO user interface provides tiles that contain information for each application. This information can be dynamic or pull content from your computer’s user profile. Weather tiles for instance, will pull real-time data from the web and show you a dashboard summery without having to open the application at all.
Applications themselves are written in HTML5 and JavaScript. This makes the creation of applications a much more simple and less intimidating process. Developers will no longer need to program and compile applications in larger, more complicated languages like .NET or SilverLight.
In addition to a low barrier-to-entry for programmers and developers, the METRO interface represents a unique shift in the way that Microsoft believes we will interface with our computers moving forward. Much like the convenience of an iPad, the new desktop model is more about managing the user’s life and curiously than treating the environment like a workstation. Easily customizable, the interface has the potential to change the way most people interact with their computers.
The concept of the dashboard is nothing new. Windows Vista introduced widgets, a simple, single focus application that ran on the desktop or taskbar for easy reference. The METRO interface begins with a single focus of providing flash information and moving the user into a task. Each tile represents an chance to optimize the user’s time and eliminate the need to open an application for a quick-glance.
These tiles also represent a tremendous new channel for market’s to move their brand to a user’s desktop experience. An allergy brand that can present real-time allergen data to users. Emails should be designed to take advantage of inbox previews which will make their way to the display tiles.
Windows 8 is far from release, with an expected release to the consumer market in early 2012. It’s not so far off that developers and marketers should not begin planning what the new user experience will be on this platform and how it will shape the user’s habits online.
I’ve gone back and forth between using a Mac and a PC a few times in my career. When I first started with web design, I was a die-hard Mac fan. OS9 and BBEdit were my tools of choice. I then began working for companies that only offered Wintel boxes for workstations and I quickly became proficient–and comfortable. You may consider it an example of Stockholm syndrome, but I began to prefer Windows after a while. Although I am back to the Mac, I’ve put together my MVP (Most Valued Programs) list:
- Mozilla Firefox
I’ve written about why I rely on Firefox in my previous post 5 Mac Apps I Can’t Live Without. There are a few very minute differences between the Windows and OS X version of the browser, but a user can feel at home traveling back and forth between the 2 platforms. There is one extension, SeoQuake that is a far better experience on the Windows version of Firefox than OS X. This extension is great and when installed, allows you to view meta data, page rank, whois information and keyword density in one easy interface. It’s fantastic to help review websites or help ferret out SEO issues. Google Chrome has come a very long way and is a great alternative to Firefox, but the selection of excellent extensions keeps me going back and forth between the 2 browsers.
- Notepad++
Notepad++ is a fantastic piece of software. Open source and updated regularly, it’s the best text editor for windows. I use it for everything from editing HTML and CSS to writing documents. By default, it’s very simple and lightweight. A large development community has used the basic application as a foundation and extended it’s utility with add-ons and optional software components. My own preference is to use it with a minimal number of additions, but ZenCoding, a tool for auto completing statements, is one that really enhances Notepad++ for front-end development. There are other utilities that allow for integration with SVN, GIT, and support for any programming langauge you might imagine, but it’s appeal is in it’s speed and elegance. A great application that I install on every Windows machine I work on..
- FileZilla
Another open source piece of software, this FTP client has evolved through many evolutions. It is a defacto-standard for many Windows users. It’s reliable, supports FTP, SFTP and FTP over SSH. It does a very few things, but does it exceptionally well. Although there are several very good FTP solutions available to Windows users, paid and free, FileZilla is simply the best choice. My favorite features include being able to assign an editor (NotePad++ in my case) for editing documents directly in the FileZilla interface and a “stay alive” feature that can keep your FTP connection live for extended periods (this can be a significant frustration for some users). FileZilla is available for recent versions of Windows. Linux and Mac OS X. The Mac client has all of the same functionality, but lacks the finish of the Windows build. You can learn more about FileZilla by visiting the Wiki.
- XNView
Although I don’t think that I would be able to go too far into a work day without Adobe PhotoShop, XNView offers users a fighting chance without sacrificing the $699 a full license will cost you. XNView is free for private, non-commercial use and offers users a way to open, crop, optimize, scale, batch, adjust, compare and export almost any imaginable graphics file. It’s not the fastest, nor the prettiest application, but it’s powerful and free for home use. XNView originally came to my attention because it can open and save files that PhotoShop cannot. It is also excellent at repetitive tasks like resizing and altering META data. I’ve also found that it can sometimes open files that PhotoShop declares as corrupt or improperly formatted. It’s not 100% reliable, but has saved a several projects from failure for me. It’s a handy tool and a quick install.
- 7ZIP
Windows has native .zip support. In Windows 7, this support it pretty good. 7Zip is fantastic. It may seem like a detail. It may seem like a nuance for geeks, but when you are opening and archiving files multiple times a day and you trade in digital assets, having a fast and reliable ZIP utility is huge. 7Zip has support for a massive selection of compression types: XZ, BZIP2, GZIP, TAR, ZIP as well as it’s own 7z format. It’s true benefit is it’s simple, fast and reliable ZIP compression. A must have if you trade in digital all day. Open source and free.
All of the software I recommended here is open source except for XNView (which is free for non-commercial purposes). I believe in supporting good products and the efforts of open source developers. If you download or use this software regularly, please give something back to the community that produced it. A few dollars will go a long way and is a great alternative than giving the hundreds of dollars that software this refined might cost from a major developer or software company.
If you have a suggestion or think I may have missed something, leave a comment. I’m always up to trying new software and new builds of old favorites.
