Leaked Windows 9 screenshots show a work still in progress

Internet Explorer 12 is claimed to feature a new Chrome-like look.

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[xnef1025]

Good to see the reports of Charms and Start Screen completely dying were exaggerated. Both appear to be options that can be turned on and off, as they should be. I actually wouldn't mind if the only way to get the Start Screen from default settings would be the Start Charm. The Charm only makes sense on touch screens anyway where it is the most convenient way to the Start Screen (when you don't have a mouse/keyboard). I rarely ever use the taskbar Start button on my DVP and the physical button even less.

I like the removal of the left and right window borders. Very Apple-y (or insert your "OS of choice that did it first" in Apple's place if you prefer).

 

[xnef1025]

Old_Fogie_Late_Bloomer[/url]":2flqo3qy]

drfisheye[/url]":2flqo3qy]

WaveRunner[/url]":2flqo3qy]I think they are fake images. Not only do they look horrible, I just don't think Microsoft would make those changes to WinRT and still expect to compete in the mobile space. Not only that they just go against the WinRT style of things. Looks to me someone edited the start menu, remote desktop'd into Windows 8 and composited everything in photoshop.

WIndows 9 will behave differently on different form factors. On a tablet the desktop will be gone. Only Store apps in full screen or snapped, not windowed. On a laptop/desktop the store apps will be windowed and there will be a start menu instead of start screen. At least that's what the rumors say at this point. What convertibles will do, I don't know.

See, this, I'm not okay with. If I can go in and fiddle with the registry and allow regular apps (at least on an x86 CPU), that's a different story. I really don't like the idea of Microsoft deciding what I can and cannot do with the hardware that I purchased.

Speaking of letting me use my hardware, I'd really like to be able to dual-boot a tablet into Windows 8 and a touch-centric Linux...

If these pictures are real I'm thinking all the reports that they would completely take functionality away have been over-exaggerated FUD. The Start Screen and Charms are both options that can be enabled and disabled on these shots of the tech preview. No reason to think those options won't remain in future builds too.

RT doesn't matter because they are already working to scale up the next version of Winphone to work on tablets and merge the two app stores. RT has always seemed to be more important internally as a proof of concept that MS could work without Intel/x86 if they had to than a real product to push.