This is from the most recent build of FGF:
Yes, it is my own implementation of the Aero style of windows done in XNA. What does this mean? Well I have decided that although the simple way of doing a menu system in games is fine for simple situations, I want something more powerful and prettier to look at. Thus I have started working on a new UI library for Thrust that is based on Aero and similar interfaces. I am doing it in a fully customizable but lightweight manner and working on Xbox 360 compatibility.
It seems as though Microsoft is putting a lot of work into Windows 7. Much more than we (the public) ever thought. And it also seems that they have been working on a lot of the details which is a VERY good thing. Among the new UI functionality and look, I find this to be one of the coolest additions: Color Hot Tracking. It extracts color information from the icon and moves the glow around based on your mouse position. As a UI guy, this gets my blood pumping. As a consumer, it is nice to see they are changing the taskbar finally.
However, I must say that I love my current taskbar. I wish I could have the new graphical features with the current style: text and small icon. Why? Because I am dependent on knowing where each Window is on the taskbar and getting feedback by quickly reading the text. If I have multiple Messenger windows open, it is nice to be able to quickly scan them rather than having to use a grouping mechanism which requires 2 (or more) clicks.
Anyways, Windows 7 has been really exciting for me. Aside from Visual Studio 2010, W7 is starting to be the most exciting software release ever for me. I just hope Microsoft follows through on this one…
What is Microsoft doing? SharePoint Designer is clearly FrontPage. It contains UI elements from both Office and some minor hints towards Visual Studio. But across Office, SPD and VS, the UI elements are horribly inconsistent and what is worse: the editors are too. But it doesn’t stop there because there is now Expression Web! All the Expression products from what I have seen are horribly different than any other Microsoft product out there. In some ways this is good, but in most cases it confuses me as to why certain functionality doesn’t exist.
At the end of the day, I really wish the window functionality (docking, hiding, etc) existed in all Microsoft products that contain even a small hint of that situation.
Long Zheng of istartedsomething has started an initiative for bringing attention to Microsoft the biggest problems facing the Windows UI. Head on over to the Windows UX Task Force page to submit ideas, problems and inconsistencies with the current Windows UI.
November 5, 2008 12:02 pm | 
Subscribe
