Windows Vista and the Native UI
Overall, I’m a fan of the visual refresh brought on by Windows Vista; I think it has successfully revitalised the stagnant UI’s generally found in Microsoft’s Operating Systems. In fact, the biggest problem lies not with Microsoft’s work (not entirely; more on this later), but with certain developers inability to conform to Operating System UI guidelines. Cases range from the occasional misstep, to a full blown visual nightmare.
Bizarrely, Microsoft does not always conform to its own UI guidelines. The best example of this is the Windows Live family of products. Windows Live messenger sports a non-standard UI border (although, to be fair, this can be changed in the settings); as does Windows Live Mail.
Windows Live Writer, by far my favourite app in the Live Suite (in fact, Writer is my favourite blog editor on or off-line), has an undeniably beautiful aesthetic to it; in many ways it is prettier than Windows Vista’s native Widgets. Regardless, this is a poor move; Microsoft should be leading by example; all their applications, from every department, should use the OS’s native Widgets.
Come on Microsoft: follow your own rules.
Postscript: I knowingly excluded Microsoft Office 2007 from this post; for the simple reason that, although I would prefer a totally native UI if possible, in it’s current incarnation Office in fact benefits from having a distinct UI. Also, I find it difficult to visualise presenting the magnificent Ribbon in any other way.
