Recent post of Microsoft on the Building Windows 8 blog, noted that criticisms related to the Metro-style Windows 8 interface have in fact had a positive impact and accordingly have given the team of Windows 8 something to think about. Marina Dukhon, a senior program manager lead on the Core Experience team, is the author of the post, noted that business/enterprise Windows users usually make use of the Start menus which are customized for them by their administrators.
The detailing posted by Dukhon can be read below:
“For Windows 8, we support deployment scenarios that include Start screens with a layout of tiles that matches their business group’s needs, allowing for an even greater number of pinned apps to be pre-defined for their users. We also support the managed lockdown of customization of the Start screen so that it is consistent across the corporation. These features have been built especially for our enterprise customers, taking into account the existing functionality that we have provided in the past and the needs that we perceive they will have in the future. And as many know, tech-savvy individuals can use these customizations as well.”
Microsoft seems to add in a number of features which are unique. Dukhon noted another feature, which was to add a convention for organizing apps to be more like a Folder. This would make one’s search activity easier and quicker on their Windows 8 PCs. Dukhon made the same clear as she noted, “latest design of the Apps screen, which would add back the structure that you’re used to with folders in All Programs today.” the changes made might be a bit confusing, to ease the confusion, one can look at the changes made in the image posted below:
However, there is no information from the company’s end, whether they would allow admins to make use of the Group Policy settings to circumvent the Windows 8 tiled interface altogether. At the same time, there was a change made even to the Desktop app. This was basically a requested noted by a number of posters who have commented on Microsoft’s previous Windows 8 Start Screen posts.
There are thoughts of many, assuming that Windows 8 Metro UI could be only for those users who have Windows 8. this assumption was based on the following extract of Dukhon’s post, which read:
“(I)f your main goal is still to use desktop apps, you can easily do this by clicking the Desktop tile and using the taskbar, or you can customize the Start screen to put your favorite desktop apps at the beginning of the Start screen and launch them directly. It is important to keep this in mind—today you might be going to the desktop so you can immediately get to the task bar. You can always put the taskbar apps on the Start screen and launch (or switch) from there, or just put the first one you always use right there in a Fitts-friendly location.”
The post of Dukhon can be read here in detail.