Microsoft Accidentally Shows Prototype UI For Next Windows Version

[LAwLz]

During a Microsoft Ignite keynote, Microsoft briefly showed a computer running Windows with a different GUI. It seems like this was accidentally shown since the actual keynote was about something else.

The leading theory right now is that this is a prototype of the GUI that will launch in 2024, when the next major version of Windows is expected to be released.

 

The new GUI features a MacOS like dock at the bottom as well as a status/search bar at the top with things like battery life and the weather. 

This leak that was shown by Microsoft themselves looks fairly similar to previous leaks, but with some minor differences. It is therefore not too far fetched to assume the final UI will look something along these lines, but with some minor tweaks.

 

 

Here is the official picture that was shown:

 

 

The image is very low quality, but Zac at Windows Central recreated it in higher quality for us:

Quote

The brief look at the UI mockup during Ignite is very low quality, so I've recreated it to give you a better idea as to what it's supposed to look like:

 

 

I've seen different variations of this design layout, including a version that houses the system icons/elements along the top in a translucent bar instead of just floating on the desktop. There are also plans for more sweeping UI updates that were not shown at Ignite, including a new lock/login screen, notification center, and more. 

 

 

My thoughts

 

I don't likt it. I really don't like it.

• The dock is taking up too much space. I want my taskbar as small as possible. Vertical space is precious, especially on laptops, so ever pixel counts.
• The dock doesn't seem like it will group programs just like you are forced to in Windows 11. Being able to separate windows is a key features and is the main reason why I dislike Windows 11 so much. Seems like Microsoft has no intention of bringing that feature back despite it being one of the most, if not the most, requested features in the feedback hub.
• Having a bar at the top means it breaks Fitts's Law when using things like browsers and other programs with common UI elements at the top.
• I don't like the idea of losing the start menu.
• Microsoft should stick to one design and not jump around so much. The selling pitch of Windows 11 was to unify and modernize Windows, that they paid attention to every single pixel to make sure it was perfect. I think it is fair to say that it has been a complete failure since the UI is still very inconsistent and full of ugly bugs/visual elements. The fact that they are once again thinking of throwing everything out the window and starting over does not give me the impression that they know what they are doing. It seems like they are just throwing things at the wall to see what sticks. It is jarring for me, and I am sure it will be jarring for the average user as well. I think they need to sit down, think about how they want Windows to look, and then commit to that design for more than a couple of years. And when they finally decide to change it again, they need to change it everywhere. Not just in 60% of the OS while leaving 40% untouched.

 

 

 

Sources

https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/microsoft-accidentally-revealed-a-ui-design-prototype-for-the-next-version-of-windows-at-ignite-2022

[RedRound2]

That definitely starting to eerily look like macOS...

The new UI also looks very touch-screen optimized even though 90% of the computers running the OS has mouse and keyboard as their primary input device smh

 

I agree, all seniors at Microsoft seriously need to have heartfelt meeting over what Windows should look like and then bloody stick to it.

 

It seems like they're changing it for the sake of changing something and completely forgetting the fact that there are some stupid issues on Windows like having two different settings screens or having some parts of Windows look like from XP days while others look something in between of current design and Windows vista.

[StephanTW]

honestly the only way to not make win 12 look like win 11 is to just not go to win 11 and show we don't like the UI

[lewdicrous]

If the weather and search bar can be removed, then I wouldn't mind this change.

[jaslion]

My biggest gripe with 11 to this day is that the taskbar is too damn tall.

 

Also like for real stick with a design and keep it. Its been enough. Give us a start menu on the left, a slim taskbar and simple info blorbs and time on the right. That was nailed in the 90s already.

 

Windows wont ever be a touch screen os competitor its far too bloated for that so just quit it and just have an optional touschreen interface and for that just rip it straight out of 8. That was excellent 10 and 11 are just bad compared to that.

[Doobeedoo]

Feels so early too. Also nah doesn't look good or functional much. Why go Mac OS style it's crap. And big spacings cuz touch btw.

They're still unifiying things today and we still have legacy UI elements and windows from last century.

At times I wonder how do they use their own OS I'd like to see it. I'm a heavy multitasker and I operate on desktop fairly fast with both kb and mouse. So when they change something taking more clicks or digging for no reason.. I just wonder. How do they use their OS though.

For me W10 was quite solid, while they promised to improve some things it even took them years. W11 fixed number of those though some small things is not there or are moved, those missing will return. Modern Settings are better. Tray Windows controls could be better. Still legacy white old windows exist. 

This early so called W12 looks quite meh really. We will see. 

They could move to free model by then. At least for consumer side. The Enterprise and obviously Server versions no.

[Avocado Diaboli]

So they're basically copying iOS / iPad OS and the "dynamic island™® ©" but instead of a carrier, they put the weather in the top left. I mean really, look at that screen and tell me it's not intended to look like an iPad with the status icons at the top and the menu bar at the bottom.

[Needfuldoer]

So they moved the clock and search out of the taskbar, and detached the taskbar from the bottom of the screen. I don't see how else it's different from Windows 11's default, other than that.

 

Then again, I always disable the "task view" and Cortana buttons, taskbar search box, and the "news and interests" junk when I start up a fresh Windows install anyway.

[LAwLz]

1 hour ago, Needfuldoer said:

So they moved the clock and search out of the taskbar, and detached the taskbar from the bottom of the screen. I don't see how else it's different from Windows 11's default, other than that.

 

Then again, I always disable the "task view" and Cortana buttons, taskbar search box, and the "news and interests" junk when I start up a fresh Windows install anyway.

The desktop only has about 3-4 elements, and this changes all of them. I don't see how they could have made it more different from Windows 11's default look.

The taskbar is changed.

The search box is changed.

The notification area is changed.

 

 

I just realized this UI redesign is objectively worse for mouse and keyboard users as well. I was worrying about the top portion of the screen breaking Fitts's Law, but now I realize the bottom does too. 

They made the taskbar slightly easier to click for touch users, at the expensive of making in mathematically infinitely harder for mouse and keyboard users to use.

 

 

 

I think whoever came up with this design needs to get fired, because this is truly one of the worst UIs I have ever seen from a major company. It not only ignores the needs of their core users, they wipe their ass with them.

I hope they change it before launch.

[williamcll]

All I care is performance.

[xAcid9]

Maybe they're showing a new tablet mode?

[sof006]

Looks alright, nothing to offensive

[bcredeur97]

Looks ok, I just know inside they just keep building new things ontop of old things. I want them to focus on updating/fixing old things, but they never do.

[Helpful Tech Witch]

3 hours ago, LAwLz said:

The desktop only has about 3-4 elements, and this changes all of them. I don't see how they could have made it more different from Windows 11's default look.

The taskbar is changed.

The search box is changed.

The notification area is changed.

 

 

I just realized this UI redesign is objectively worse for mouse and keyboard users as well. I was worrying about the top portion of the screen breaking Fitts's Law, but now I realize the bottom does too. 

They made the taskbar slightly easier to click for touch users, at the expensive of making in mathematically infinitely harder for mouse and keyboard users to use.

 

 

 

I think whoever came up with this design needs to get fired, because this is truly one of the worst UIs I have ever seen from a major company. It not only ignores the needs of their core users, they wipe their ass with them.

I hope they change it before launch.

Youre assuming that this is meant for mouse and keyboard users at all
This looks like its very toutch optimised and makes me think its a new tablet mode more than anything

[jagdtigger]

*yawn*
Still ugly AF.....

[RedRound2]

52 minutes ago, Helpful Tech Witch said:

Youre assuming that this is meant for mouse and keyboard users at all
This looks like its very toutch optimised and makes me think its a new tablet mode more than anything

Seems like its running on a Surface Studio (why would someone use tablet mode on a desktop grade PC)

[Forbidden Wafer]

Looks bad. Win10 taskbar was the best thing Microsoft have ever accomplished in terms of UI.

[TetraSky]

So, windows 11 but with a bigger useless taskbar.

[Shreyas1]

8 hours ago, StephanTW said:

honestly the only way to not make win 12 look like win 11 is to just not go to win 11 and show we don't like the UI

I remember when a lot of people (especially on this forum) were very adamant about not switching to windows 10 from windows 7, and at the time it made a lot of sense not to. Not to mention how a lot of people still prefer the look of windows 7 to 10. But today I don't think I see anyone not on at least windows 10.

 

Point being, at some point people are going to start switching regardless of how you think it looks. Probably when MS turns off support for WIndows 10.

56 minutes ago, Forbidden Wafer said:

Looks bad. Win10 taskbar was the best thing Microsoft have ever accomplished in terms of UI.

5 or so years ago people were saying the same about 7 and how bad 10 looks.

[divito]

It's a pretty big design shift, if they're actually transitioning to a more mobile OS look for all devices.

I think it's more likely this is a tablet/touch mode, but who knows. There is a decent amount of runway left for them to tweak or alter things through their testing and focus groups.

1 hour ago, RedRound2 said:

Seems like its running on a Surface Studio (why would someone use tablet mode on a desktop grade PC)

As it's a prototype, perhaps the desktop version is in rougher shape or undergoing more tweaks than what they happened to showcase here. Also, the Surface Studio has a battery?

[StephanTW]

52 minutes ago, Shreyas1 said:

Point being, at some point people are going to start switching regardless of how you think it looks. Probably when MS turns off support for WIndows 10.

but that wasnt my point, my point was to not go to win 11 so long as you can to show we don't like it, yeah sure people will switch to win 11 when 10 goes off support.
but we can still show ms that it isnt what we want by not making the step any earlier then really is needed due to lack of support

[fiddletheleem]

10 hours ago, LAwLz said:

During a Microsoft Ignite keynote, Microsoft briefly showed a computer running Windows with a different GUI. It seems like this was accidentally shown since the actual keynote was about something else.

The leading theory right now is that this is a prototype of the GUI that will launch in 2024, when the next major version of Windows is expected to be released.

 

The new GUI features a MacOS like dock at the bottom as well as a status/search bar at the top with things like battery life and the weather. 

This leak that was shown by Microsoft themselves looks fairly similar to previous leaks, but with some minor differences. It is therefore not too far fetched to assume the final UI will look something along these lines, but with some minor tweaks.

 

 

Here is the official picture that was shown:

 

 

The image is very low quality, but Zac at Windows Central recreated it in higher quality for us:

 

 

My thoughts

 

I don't likt it. I really don't like it.

• The dock is taking up too much space. I want my taskbar as small as possible. Vertical space is precious, especially on laptops, so ever pixel counts.
• The dock doesn't seem like it will group programs just like you are forced to in Windows 11. Being able to separate windows is a key features and is the main reason why I dislike Windows 11 so much. Seems like Microsoft has no intention of bringing that feature back despite it being one of the most, if not the most, requested features in the feedback hub.
• Having a bar at the top means it breaks Fitts's Law when using things like browsers and other programs with common UI elements at the top.
• I don't like the idea of losing the start menu.
• Microsoft should stick to one design and not jump around so much. The selling pitch of Windows 11 was to unify and modernize Windows, that they paid attention to every single pixel to make sure it was perfect. I think it is fair to say that it has been a complete failure since the UI is still very inconsistent and full of ugly bugs/visual elements. The fact that they are once again thinking of throwing everything out the window and starting over does not give me the impression that they know what they are doing. It seems like they are just throwing things at the wall to see what sticks. It is jarring for me, and I am sure it will be jarring for the average user as well. I think they need to sit down, think about how they want Windows to look, and then commit to that design for more than a couple of years. And when they finally decide to change it again, they need to change it everywhere. Not just in 60% of the OS while leaving 40% untouched.

 

 

 

Sources

https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/microsoft-accidentally-revealed-a-ui-design-prototype-for-the-next-version-of-windows-at-ignite-2022

It's not that I don't like it personally, per say... as I do like to have my info stuff separated from the icons for apps, and it would definitely improve workflows for users who use both, as having consistency between devices and different OSs is nice, but at the same time, I really don't like them copy-pasting Apple basically. Also, don't do this after decades of a somewhat consistent UI with all of it at the bottom. This is how you break applications and make devs hate you/developing on your systems.

 

Also, I assume that they are gonna work on the start menu button at some point as otherwise the most important button on ANY keyboard is dead in the water and wasted space.


And they DEFINITELY need to focus on consistency and adding features instead of remove the features Windows users such as myself love so much about their products, OR at the very least make it a toggle-able feature for stuff such as the separating windows feature.

 

[Forbidden Wafer]

1 hour ago, Shreyas1 said:

5 or so years ago people were saying the same about 7 and how bad 10 looks.

Win10 start menu = trash when compared to Vista and 7.
Win10 notifications = trash, trash, trash.
Win10 Settings = garbage. They are still trying to fix the mess from 8 and 8.1, but haven't managed to do it. It is hard to build good stuff on top of a bad foundation.

[Arika]

I hope the floating taskbar is optional and can be turned off....

[BlueChinchillaEatingDorito]

10 hours ago, jaslion said:

My biggest gripe with 11 to this day is that the taskbar is too damn tall.

 

Also like for real stick with a design and keep it. Its been enough. Give us a start menu on the left, a slim taskbar and simple info blorbs and time on the right. That was nailed in the 90s already.

 

Windows wont ever be a touch screen os competitor its far too bloated for that so just quit it and just have an optional touschreen interface and for that just rip it straight out of 8. That was excellent 10 and 11 are just bad compared to that.

What tiny resolution are you running at for it to be a problem...