Quick overview:
The first Windows 8 screenshots are released to the public: Microsoft experts Rafael Rivera and Paul Thurrott discovered the new Windows Explorer in one of the first pre-release versions (presumably 7955 or 7971).
New: Ribbon interface in Windows Explorer
In this pre-release version, Microsoft is experimenting with the categorization of functions and menu items familiar from Office 2007 and 2010 - also known as "Ribbon UI":
All photos and image details in this article were taken by Paul Thurrott from www.winsupersite.com and Rafael Rivera from www.withinwindows.com.
Frequently used Windows Explorer actions such as "Copy", "Create new folder" or "Mark files" are displayed directly in the "Home" (Start) category.
Compression (via ZIP) and access to recently opened folders have also been simplified. This requires fewer clicks.
To share files, send them by e-mail, burn them or distribute them via other add-ins (Facebook? Flickr?), you can now use the "Share" category.
In the "View" category, users still have the option of changing and arranging file views more easily than before. By clicking on "Icon Size", they can switch directly to the individual views such as "List" or "Preview images", whereas previously this required several clicks or a slider.
Finally: In future, the display of file extensions and hidden files will no longer require tedious navigation through menus. One click on the corresponding checkmark is all it takes.
Automatic adjustment of the "ribbons"
As known from Office 2007 and 2010, the Windows 8 ribbon automatically adapts to the content. For example, when opening a photo folder, the "Picture Tools" category is also displayed, in which you can rotate photos, combine them into slideshows or display them as desktop backgrounds.
Clicking on the "Properties" menu at the top left takes the user to further options, such as opening another Explorer window or starting the command line.
Windows 8 with file and folder synchronization
Via the menu mentioned above, the user also has access to the new synchronization function (still greyed out here, as it is not yet functional):
This is expected to be a direct integration of Windows Live Mesh and SkyDrive. Users could copy files and folders to their cloud storage via drag & drop and thus synchronize them with all linked devices.
New Windows 8 login screen
In the early preview version (Build 79xx) of Windows 8, the two Windows experts also discovered the new login screen:
The look is clearly based on Windows Phone 7. According to Rafael Rivera, the source code behind it contains the first signs of a touch gesture login: similar to Android, patterns drawn on the screen can replace the password. According to initial information, the media player should be included in the login screen. This allows users to control music playback even when the PC or tablet is locked.
Conclusion: It is simply not yet possible to form an opinion on the ribbon interface at this point. Although it makes a functional impression and saves clicks, it still looks rather ugly. Around 1/4 of the Windows 8 file explorer is thus covered up and this is at the expense of clarity. Microsoft should make up for this in the upcoming pre-release versions and especially in the first beta!
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