Windows 8 Early Build -- Explorer is Built Around Office 2007-like Ribbon

From DailyTech: Microsoft's "Ribbon" graphical user interface, first introduced with Office 2007, was a dramatic departure from its straightforward menus of yore. It offered users quicker access to more options and more visual cues. But for some, it also brought more distraction and headaches.

For better or worse, the Ribbon has migrated to Window 7's Paint tool, to the WordPad app, and to Microsoft Live essentials.

Now Microsoft is preparing to take a bold next step, adding the ribbon to arguably its most integral part of Windows -- the Windows Explorer.

According to iconic Windows bloggers Paul Thurrott and Rafael Rivera an early build of Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8 operating system sports a partially finished Ribbon design driving menus within Windows Explorer. They show off screen shots of the design in action.
Mr. Thurrott and his colleague seem less than thrilled about the idea. They write:

In early builds of Windows 8, this Ribbon UI is only half-finished and, frankly, of dubious value. In fact, based on the divergent ways in which various related UI elements are repeated around the window frame, we get the idea that the use of the Ribbon in Explorer is, in fact, quite controversial inside the halls of Microsoft’s Redmond campus.

...

In the current pre-release builds we’ve seen, the Ribbon is a serious work in progress and is quite unattractive. It’s unclear whether Microsoft intends to move forward with this UI as-is, or whether it will appear only in certain UI types. Based on what we’re seeing, however, it does seem that there will at least be a toggle to disable this top-heavy UI. So if you don’t like the Ribbon in Windows Explorer, hopefully you’ll be able to turn it off.

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