4 ms·

As much as I hate to defend Microsoft you have to admit they're essentially doing the same thing Apple is in OSX Lion. Just substitute Metro for the Mac's ne

As much as I hate to defend Microsoft you have to admit they're essentially doing the same thing Apple is in OSX Lion. Just substitute Metro for the Mac's new iPad like interface. Both are splitting the difference by implementing a more modern system while hanging onto the desktop metaphor. In some ways I'd even give Microsoft the edge (in that Metro Widgets/Gadgets can be interactive)

TheMoonMaster 15y ago
I disagree, Microsoft seems to be making a "shell" that is completely separate from the traditional desktop while OS X integrates the two together.
- TomOfTTB 15y ago
  I don't understand what you mean. Microsoft has said you'll still be able to access the file system from Metro. You'll still be able to access hardware devices and system settings too. So how is it any more of a shell than what Apple has done?
  - WayneDB 15y ago
    Because in Win8, Metro is a completely separate shell that exists independently of the existing Windows shell. In Lion the new iPad-like interfaces are directly integrated into the existing OS X shell.
WiseWeasel 15y ago
The difference is that Apple isn't shipping Lion on their iPads; they're shipping iOS. This is significant because it forces developers to write iOS apps for the iPad, and Lion apps for laptops and desktops, both very different usage contexts and user expectations. This means that any app you run will have been written specifically with your particular type of device in mind, typically leading to a more efficient and effective experience.
- jjcm 15y ago
  How is that different from what windows is doing? Their metro style is based off of the UI that was shipped with the latest windows 7 phones. If I write an application for winphone, it wont run on windows 8 (and vice versa).
  - WiseWeasel 15y ago
    The Lion "iPad interface" is not at all like the iPad interface (it's intended for a mouse and keyboard), and the apps a Lion user runs are regular Mac apps. There's only one app runtime environment on Lion.

TheMoonMaster 15y ago

I disagree, Microsoft seems to be making a "shell" that is completely separate from the traditional desktop while OS X integrates the two together.

TomOfTTB 15y ago
I don't understand what you mean. Microsoft has said you'll still be able to access the file system from Metro. You'll still be able to access hardware devices and system settings too. So how is it any more of a shell than what Apple has done?
- WayneDB 15y ago
  Because in Win8, Metro is a completely separate shell that exists independently of the existing Windows shell. In Lion the new iPad-like interfaces are directly integrated into the existing OS X shell.

WiseWeasel 15y ago

The difference is that Apple isn't shipping Lion on their iPads; they're shipping iOS. This is significant because it forces developers to write iOS apps for the iPad, and Lion apps for laptops and desktops, both very different usage contexts and user expectations. This means that any app you run will have been written specifically with your particular type of device in mind, typically leading to a more efficient and effective experience.

jjcm 15y ago
How is that different from what windows is doing? Their metro style is based off of the UI that was shipped with the latest windows 7 phones. If I write an application for winphone, it wont run on windows 8 (and vice versa).
- WiseWeasel 15y ago
  The Lion "iPad interface" is not at all like the iPad interface (it's intended for a mouse and keyboard), and the apps a Lion user runs are regular Mac apps. There's only one app runtime environment on Lion.