Is the new Windows 8 interface any good? Vote in our poll
Vote in our poll to have your say on whether Microsoft's all-new Windows 8 interface looks cool, or totally rubbish. It's a bold redesign, that does away with many Windows staples -- can it succeed?
Microsoft's proudly shown off its new Windows 8 operating system this week, and it's a radical departure from the Windows interface many of us know and love -- copy/pasting borrowing from its own Windows Phone mobile OS and transforming the standard desktop experience into an insane patchwork of brightly coloured tiles.
We're not sure what to make of the new look, so we're asking you! Vote in our Facebook poll and let us know what you think -- are you itching to ditch Windows 7 and switch to the new version, or do you think this dramatic overhaul could be the ruination of the world's most popular OS?
If you need more info, we've embedded a preview video at the bottom of the story, but also read our overview of the new interface, and check out our screenshot-filled photo gallery.
On the one hand, the new interface is clearly built primarily for tablets -- though Microsoft seems to think it'll work just fine if you're using a mouse and keyboard on a desktop machine -- and we've no doubt tablets are going to be increasingly important in the next few years.
But on the other hand, Windows' great strength is its flexibility. Diving recklessly into file folders and tinkering with bits of software, painstakingly arranging all your windows until they form a perfect logarithmic spiral and accidentally deleting your System32 folder because a very persuasive Hotmail chainmail told us to -- that vast complexity is the essence of Windows, so does Microsoft risk restricting users by confining them to a screen full of tiled apps?
It's time to have your say. Vote in our poll and make yourself heard, and if you find our selection of tick boxes too restrictive don't hesitate to let fly on our Facebook wall, or in the comments below. We'll be writing up the results next week (assuming some of you vote), so be sure to check back.