Hi guys, thought I’d just want to weigh in on Windows RT, which can be considered to be a direct competitor to the iPad. The thing is, the system is beautiful and unlike Android and like iOS, it is silky smooth. I have upgraded my laptop to Win8 so I can speak on this personally. However, once I got into the Windows Store to download the Metro apps (these will be the only apps available on Windows RT devices), I realized how weak the apps were. The problem seems to be the metro interface design language that MSFT has imposed on developers. Fair enough if only system apps like Skydrive, IE 10, Skype and Xbox Live used it...but every app needs to rather strictly follow the design language. The problems in brief are: 1) Lots of wasted space 2) Too little information displayed on a single screen 3) Repetitive design (don’t blame devs – MSFT makes them do this) 4) Lack of room for creativity within the given confines I think Android and iOS are better in this respect. No strict design guidelines. I mean, look at the Box version on Windows 8...totally poor compared to AN and iOS. Does anyone else feel the same ‘blandness’ as me in Metro Apps? Were MSFT wrong to impose such a strict design guideline on developers?
The excellent and wonderful Lisa Gade of MobileTech said it best when referring to the sparse Surface RT App Store..."Games are a little bit sad"
I love the look of them to be honest, it's this gorgeous Swiss style minimalist design. I also love the fact that apps have to be able to run with all (or most) features in 16:9, 4:3 or as a sidebar. I thought the 'snap' multitasking was going to be really lame and 'squish' everything in like the Galaxy Note 10.1, but it's actually incredibly useful and makes sense why the tablets are 16:9 as well. The number of times I am browsing on my iPad and have IM+ open, and have to keep switching between the two apps to converse (takes me back to when I used to use Windows, and chatting while working would be this constant switching between flashing taskbar buttons), whilst on a Win8 device I can have the browser running perfectly in 4:3 and Windows Messenger in a sidebar using the 1 column view like a phone app. Fantastic multitasking for such an interface, only downside is it means only two tasks at once unless you're on the desktop.
I really liked the look of the the surface at first I have to admit it was the tiles and the amount of storage space it took up that put me off it. I just don't think tiles look that great to me it's like a single widget on Android all over the screen with no real customisation options, I've no doubt underneath it's likely a great OS with tons of potential but it just seems a little boring.
