Microsoft Settles on Non-Metro Name for UI: Windows 8
The new name for its Windows 8 UI is....
The UI formerly known as "Metro" will now simply be called "Windows 8" despite the latter name already being taken by the OS itself. But alas Microsoft has that right, and plans to officially move forward without ever mentioning the word "Metro" again.
According to a source whispering to ZDNet, anything currently and formerly known as a "Metro-Style application" will now be officially labeled as "Windows 8 application." Anything referenced as "Metro user interface" will now be called "Windows 8 user interface." The "Metro design" term developers liked to toss around, describing that blocky, tiled look, now must be described as "Windows 8 design."
One indication that manufacturers have received the official Redmond word seems to center around Lenovo's recent Windows 8 tablet announcement. The promo page reads "Desktop and Windows 8 Apps" whereas it's presumed the old-fashioned method would have read "Desktop and Metro-Style Apps." Yawn.
Last week there was an assumption that Microsoft had to cease using the "Metro" term because of possible legal threats being made by European partner Metro Group. While it's entirely possible, Microsoft has officially stated that the change in description has nothing to do with any current litigation with anyone.
"We have used Metro style as a code name during the product development cycle across many of our product lines. As we get closer to launch and transition from industry dialog to a broad consumer dialog we will use our commercial names," a spokesperson said.
The blocky "Metro" interface, sporting bold Segoe-font typographic elements, first appeared years ago in Windows Media Center and Zune. The terminology has seemingly been a part of Microsoft's vocabulary ever since, describing interfaces splashed across Windows Phone 7, the new Xbox 360 dashboard, and the upcoming Windows 8 OS. Heck, we'll probably still call it Metro for years to come because we like the way it rolls off our tongue.
That said, maybe Microsoft should have a contest to officially name its new UI, something cooler than Windows 8?
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UPDATE: Nope. Microsoft's World Wide Events calendar is currently using the "Modern UI" description on the Windows 8 Public Sector 1 Day DevCamp Series listing. Looks like Metro has officially gone Modern... maybe.
"Windows 8 is Windows re-imagined. Join this session to learn about the new platform for building Modern UI-style applications," reads one of many descriptions of Microsoft's edgy new UI.
Kevin Parrish has over a decade of experience as a writer, editor, and product tester. His work focused on computer hardware, networking equipment, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and other internet-connected devices. His work has appeared in Tom's Hardware, Tom's Guide, Maximum PC, Digital Trends, Android Authority, How-To Geek, Lifewire, and others.
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Osmin So now I will call it Window 8 blocks for blockheads and Lego lovers. They definitely needed to change the name so that the casual user that heard negative things about Metro would believe things got a lot better with the new Windows 8 start screen. I will still buy windows 8 at the reduced initial price but will install on my older machines that have Windows XP. Will change interface with third part app.Reply -
killerclick They changed the name to try to sidestep all the negative buzz about Metro, and to further integrate Metro into Windows by making it Windows, and calling everything before Metro a different name, like desktop or legacy or whatever.Reply -
gorz Yo dawg we heard you like windows 8 so we put windows 8 in your windows 8 so you can compute while you computeReply -
HDmac How about we ditch the whole "Windows 8" thing and call it what it is. "Windows 7 Touch"Reply -
DarkenMoon97 aznshinobiIDK about people but all this hate for Windows 8 is unnessary. The features of W8 are pretty amazing. Solid energy savings compared to Win7, performance increases from kernels and other adjustments, etc. etc. Although everyone is angry about Metro UI or Win8 UI having a bit of a tablet-esque/phone-esque feel. If you don't like it, don't use the UI, just stick to the normal UI. As for the name, I thought Metro UI was a pretty nice name but... Now with it just being called Windows 8, meh.Reply
Umm, what normal UI? You Cannot turn off Metro.
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ien2222 killerclickThey changed the name to try to sidestep all the negative buzz about Metro, and to further integrate Metro into Windows by making it Windows, and calling everything before Metro a different name, like desktop or legacy or whatever.Reply
Yeah....no. They did it to avoid a lawsuit by a German company over the use of the name "Metro". -
SteelCity1981 the aznshinobiIDK about people but all this hate for Windows 8 is unnessary. The features of W8 are pretty amazing. Solid energy savings compared to Win7, performance increases from kernels and other adjustments, etc. etc. Although everyone is angry about Metro UI or Win8 UI having a bit of a tablet-esque/phone-esque feel. If you don't like it, don't use the UI, just stick to the normal UI. As for the name, I thought Metro UI was a pretty nice name but... Now with it just being called Windows 8, meh.Reply
Tghe features of Windows 8 are pretty amazing? if you think Windows 8 features are pretty amazing, you must be amazed easily. Windows 8 UI is nothing more then Windows 7 mobile UI. There is nothing amazing about Windows 8 other then the fact they they took a mobile UI and stuck it onto Windows 8.