Windows Video #4 - Ribbon bar on Win8 on Explorer folders AND new features

Hello everyone,

So as always I am paying close attention to Win8 development and read whatever document is release form Microsoft to get a better understanding of it, and how things works.

This is time, it's not documentation (too early), but blog post on Win8 this is something that was expected in was presented in leaked picture of SOME builds of Windows 8. Now it seams that Microsoft has found that this feature (ribbon bar folders) is a staying one.

Microsoft is saying on how the ribbon bar is useful, and that how it showed features that are burred for many, or hard to find.

Also, Microsoft says:

This new blog post is surprising long, showing the evolution of explorer in Windows, and how the ribbon bar shines (if you will). And the whole research behind it, and basically explaining in great details on their research results. The blog post is so long... I don't know how to explain this nicely. A definite read (very interesting, and how Microsoft looked into this, and how every decision taking are well though out and not just added for the sake of it).
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/08/29/improvements-in-windows-explorer.aspx

Video #4
MP4 Video (high quality): http://media.ch9.ms/ch9/389a/a310c500-8f76-4e99-8c6b-9f490116389a/B8BExplorer_high_ch9.mp4

It also comes with new features which you need to have a look into the video, such as quick easy access to the command prompt as true Admin form the starting path that where your are in, and assignment it to the quick lunch bar of the Explorer so that you can have an easy shortcut key to access it.

Oh an the Up button is back.

Here how it will look like:



Here are some pictures of the blog, if you don't have the time to check it out, and want a feel to it:








What do you guys think about all this?
Do you think Microosft is going in the right direction?

 

Personally, I like the Ribbon Bars - as MS says, it takes functions out from menus and puts them where the user can see them.

But I can see toys being thrown out of prams in Microsoft's future: the same people who slated Vista because it was different to XP will probably slate Ribbons because they're different to what they're used to. It's one of those battles that MS will probably never win - you can never please all of the people all of the time, and all that.

I like the "Copy Path" button, btw, that looks really useful to me.

The only change I'd make to the picture above would be to put the address bar above the Ribbon Bar. I don't know why, it just seems more logical that way.

 

I hate ribbons with a passion (as apparently other people do as well). Apart from the fact that they take up way too much desktop space they make every dialog they're used on seem disorganized and cluttered. Just look at the pictures GB posted proving my point.

EDIT: "•Provides UI customization with the quick access toolbar, taking us back to a customization level that is basically equivalent to Windows XP."

If the above should turn out to be true, in that I can recreate the look, feel and functionality of XP's Explorer, I'm all for it. Somehow I seriously doubt that, of course...

 

Yeah, ribbons are a Marmite thing: you either love them or you hate them, there's no middle ground...

...which will just get people ranting at MS again, like they did with Vista.

Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.

 

I do think they're moving in the right direction for the general/non-enthusiast user by having these functions out in the open and plainly visible but, as always, those who have a greater than average computer literacy are not going to like things changing yet again.

If, however, they do retain the ability to customise it to how you like then it should be a win-win situation.

Will I use these new features and abilities? Hmmm, hard to say, but I didn't think that I would use half of the stuff in W7 because it was different to what i was used to with XP and yet here I am using them all the time.

Time will tell.

P.S. Who else was looking at the notice board behind him trying to spot anything interesting and/or secret during the intro? lol

 

The issue with Explorer is that it never be as effective as Total Commander.

 

not sure if goodbytes has covered it yet, but VHD and ISO are going to be in the explorer toolbag as well, so you can mount them and use as normal disks.

iso/vhd support

 

Looks kind of gimmicky to me.

I mean, who doesn't use ctrl+c and ctrl+v? Are you really going to click copy and paste on the ribbon bar every time. Same goes for delete, there is a key for that. And renaming a file, can't we just do it the way we always have, by clicking on the file name. A bunch of the other options can be accessed by right clicking.

But of course, if you are using a touchscreen tablet, there is no keyboard. That is probably why they are taking this route. In this case I'm all for it, but the user should be allowed to disable it, or minimize it out of the way.

 

I personally despise the Ribbon bars... having them even on Explorer windows I think would put me on suicide watch...

...Or I could just stick with Windows 7.

 

i'll just close ribbon bar and use explorer like all previous windows: keyboard shortcuts.

it's a right move for touch interface and new users, as long as ribben can be closed (like up arrow top right) and everything can be done with right click, then im all for it.

 

ew! no more needs to be said.

 

You'd be surprised by the number of people who use the right click menu or the toolbar buttons to do things like cut, copy & paste. You're technically-minded - you have to bear in mind that the vast majority of Windows users aren't technical at all, so probably aren't even aware that you can use keyboard shortcuts in Explorer (or that Windows Explorer isn't the same as Internet Explorer...)

Since you're talking about keyboard shortcuts, you ought to know that the shortcut for rename is F2.

Like I said, ribbons are like Marmite

 

Yes it appeared while I was sleeping.
Thanks.

I'll make a new post.

 

I think the ribbon bar is a nice addition, my parents NEVER delete anything, as they don't know how to. Even after I showed the delete key... it doesn't work.
And it was the same story back with Office 2003, for simple things like Bold and so on.
Since the ribbon bar, they were able to figure things out, and stop bugging me for every little thing. It makes my life easier, and so for them, so I am happy.

For me, I am seeing myself from hiding the ribbon bar. But the customization quick lunch bar on top, is very cool. I can add my OWN icons for easy access (including with keyboard shortcut) on what maters to me most.

 

You know, I actually wasn't aware of that. Thank you.

But anyways, I have no problem with the ribbon bar being there, so long as it can be hidden or minimized or whatever, then it is a win win situation.

 

Ribbons annoy me because I have to relearn where everything is. However, the parts I have learned are much quicker to access now (things like making page borders narrow, something I nearly always do with my documents). With explorer I don't use any toolbars so the ribbon won't need to be learned in order to carry on using explorer, but it will be easier for others to understand how to control their files better. I think it's a good thing, and I'm sure they'll have the same little arrow they have in Word 2010 to hide the ribbon if you don't like it. No complaints here.

 

Oh. I hate that little arrow. Try teaching a class full of learners that like to click, as you look round the screen to find half of them have hidden the ribbon bar without knowing how they did it...

 

lol, but for power uses, that little arrow is the best thing ever happened in ribbon!

can't you say "click Home, then Copy".

i use explorer like inside a window most of the time, showing ~30 files in height. so hiding ribben is the best method to ensure i can stack 2 of them on my 1440 height monitor

 

I do, but then they all say "what ribbon?" because they've hidden it

 

i like the ribbon bar, lol, for my customers it makes things easier for them, and once you learn where things are, it can actually speed things up