Will Windows 8's new interface herald full-screen scareware?

[DainBramaged]

Microsoft has designed a new user interface for Windows 8, with an emphasis on bright colours and friendliness.

Personally, the interface (dubbed "Metro") reminds me of a child's toy.



One of the interesting features of the Metro user interface is that apps are designed to be full-screen, without any surrounding furniture. That means you won't see scroll bars and the like, unless you interact with the interface.

One has to wonder whether this will lead to a wave of new scareware/fake anti-virus attacks.

Currently, malicious hackers poison webpages to display what appears to be a warning about malware found on your computer - tricking users into downloading software. The initial alert pops up in your web browser.

These phony alerts have proven to be a very effective way for cybercriminals to fool users into installing their malicious scareware. And it's very likely we'll continue to see hackers trick your browser into displaying bogus warning messages

But, with Windows 8, these browser-based fake anti-virus warnings will be shown full-screen, without the tell-tale visible signs that you're in a browser.

http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2011/09/15/windows-8-new-interface-full-screen-scareware/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=status%2Bmessage&utm_campaign=naked%2Bsecurity

[MilesColtrane]

1. Damn, that's ugly.

[Occulus]

22. Don't worry, you can turn it off.

The Win8 developer preview is at the moment sitting on my drive as a .iso because I don't have install media sufficient to hold it. However, I've been paying close attention to everything Windows 8 for a while now, and it seems to me that this is the right direction for operating systems to go in.

Note that this one-app-full-screen system has been the paradigm on the iPhone and iPad (and iTouch) for a long time now and nobody has made these complaints about those. Also, this interface is the same one used on Windows Phone 7, and everyone that has one (not many do) likes it a lot.

Bear in mind that Windows 8 is intended for touch devices. It's also a desktop OS, but it's meant for tablets, unlike Windows 7. What I'm hearing about Metro is that it's basically just a touch-enabled skin on top of Windows 7.

In a few days I'll either burn it to a dual-layer DVD or pop it on an 8GB USB stick and install it alongside Windows 7 and Ubuntu 11. Once I've used it for a week or so, I'll post a detailed review in Computer Help & Support, compare & contrast the three OSes, and let you know if it's worth the time and trouble.

I can say, on first blush, this seems to be the right direction for Microsoft. They're trying to unify the experiences between Windows Phone 7, their desktop OS, and the XBox interface. Apparently, all it takes to port an app from Windows 8 to Windows Phone 7 is a single line of code, which is quite the feat all by itself. If Microsoft can make it so that Windows 8 apps can also run on Windows Phone 7, well, that'll beat the snot out of Apple's offerings all by itself.

Another thing I've been hearing rumors of is the ability to run Xbox 360 games natively in Windows 8. That and that alone would make Windows 8 a must-have for me and a whole whole lot of other people.

[ClassWarrior]

27. Yeah, turn it off and get a Mac.

:rofl:

NGU.

[JoePhilly]

2. Fischer-Price Interface ... nt

[Hayabusa]

9. Agreed

That interface looks so much like a toy that it isn't funny. Dear Microsoft, the average age of your users isn't 5 years old...

[Speck Tater]

3. There's no way I will ever use a piece-of-shit-looking OS like that.

I've been a faithful Windows user since it first appeared, but if this is the new face of Windows I'm ready to go back to the command line. My computer is not a toy and I don't want to look like one. And most of all I don't want my computer thinking it's smarter than I am. It's not.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

5. you can always use the older desktop-style interface

this is the default but it can be easily changed...

sP

[frylock]

10. please. you're interfering with the two-minute hate.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

11. of course...you're right... I should know better by now...

:-)

[joshcryer]

13. Yeah, but I think for me it would be the first time I personally didn't use their default interface.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

14. this is just sort of a skin over the OS

and easily switched out for the older interface. but i get your point...this thing IS butt-ugly...

sP

[joshcryer]

18. Every time they change their interface it has been a improvement, imo.

Win95 had task bar and start menu, Win98 had Quick Launch, Win7 has Aero which changes how windows behave (they're sticky so you can move them around a lot easier). Each iteration I used the new behavior, and got used to it very quickly. I doubt I'd ever use this new method.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

21. right there with ya...i will give it a try

but i am a bit of a dinosaur so...

sP

[Occulus]

23. If you're going to use Win8 with a desktop, you'll probably want to shut Metro off.

Metro is intended as a touch interface for tablet computers. They're trying to unify the interface experience between all Microsoft devices, something I heartily approve of even if they don't get it "right" at first. It goes deeper than that, though- Microsoft wants you to be able to seamlessly move between the desktop/tablet OS, Windows Phone 7, and the Xbox.

I think Microsoft has the right idea here. Keep in mind that everything you're seeing right now is from the pre-beta developer preview. If you don't like it thus far, tell them! They are listening to all the users testing this right now and things will change between now and the final release.

[Major Hogwash]

28. When does Winders 8 come out?

Man, I can't wate!

[Occulus]

29. Next year.

That's why they're releasing the dev preview now- they want input.

No activation at the moment (though you do have to be online during the install), so if you want to play with it, have at.

[meegbear]

4. What a piece of shit article ...

Maybe this could happen or I bet this'll happen if this happens.

If you're gonna bitchslap a product, fucking use it for real first!

[DainBramaged]

8. Could you complain about my threads any more loudly than you do?

Being a FUCKING COMPUTER COMPUTR PROFESSIONAL I agree with them.

[trotsky]

19. LOL

Well put. :thumbsup:

[saras]

6. It's SIMON!!! Wow! A whole new level of stupid - Windows for the Tea Party.

They're still busy attacking people who have actual work to do on computers, who generally want MORE visible control and not LESS. As messy as Photoshop is for beginners to learn, that's what the interface of a functional program looks like. Or Autocad. Or Mathematica. Or for that matter, someone who does research on the net for a living generally has their browser STUFFED with tools to make the job more efficient.

Simon is a PERFECT metaphor. There's no text, so you don't have to be able to read. Push the buttons you're told to, when you're told to, as fast as you can. And don't expect anything productive to come of it.

[DainBramaged]

7. A woman cam in today who needed parts and complained to management that the people were PLAYING on

computer and weren't paying attention to her, when in fact they were on the phone filling orders and politely asked her to wait till they could complete the calls.


Fucking stupid shouldn't breed.

[quinnox]

12. lol, that looks like a pre-school friendly program

for learning at home or something. Microsoft has GOT to be kidding! Is this a late April Fools joke or what?

[City of Mills]

15. It looks like their Media Center app

I don't really like that interface, but as long as you can use a traditional GUI...

[Bonobo]

16. I hate Windows fanboys. nt

[tjwash]

17. The windows OS's are like the star trek movies...every other one is a piece of shit

7 is finally as half-assed solid as a winOS is capable of being,and they want to fuck it all up by pushing 8 already?

[Occulus]

30. 8 is 7 with a touch enabled skin.

Really, that's the easiest way to describe it.

[blogslut]

20. Ctrl+W

It looks like the Omnimo Rainmeter config, which is based on the Windows Phone 7 interface. It looks okay but I'm not going to install Windows 8 or Windows 7 for that matter, so, there's that.

[L0oniX]

24. Maybe incorporate Sponge Bob as the helper app.

[begin_within]

25. Wow, are they still trying?

Windows was a dog from day 1 and is still a dog today. I can't believe they're still carrying on with that crappy piece of software.

[Occulus]

26. Yeah, that's why games run like crap and Netflix doesn't work

:eyes: