New Look for Windows Explorer in Windows 8 is... cluttered

A friend offered me a link to a blog named "Developing Windows 8" which turns out to be the blog of the team developing Windows 8. It provides in detail what the new operating system will look and feel like when it comes out.

This edition of the blog features a detailed explanation of Windows Explorer. The team trumpets that it will improve the Windows experience of the user because it will offer a more streamlined user interface.

Now look at this picture from the same blog and tell if this is streamlined. No, you are not looking at the command bar of MS Office Word or Excel. That is how Windows Explorer will look like soon. I think it is a bit cluttered.  With all those menus and buttons, the average might end up pining for the old menu bar.  I think it's more simple and streamlined

My Apple Fanboy friend told me that he's surprised that Microsoft is releasing all of this information in advance. Could it be that the developers are testing the waters and want to know how their target (or captured as my friend calls us) clients will react to it? Perhaps they don't want to make a mishap of giving their clients what they don't actually want.

Watch the video here to listen to Alex Simons of the Windows management team explain what they've been doing with Windows Explorer.

Smart Communications is official carrier of Windows Phone 7 in RP

Smart Communications is the official partner of Microsoft to bring the Windows Phone 7 to the Philippines in the last quarter of this year. 

The two companies have been working closely together since last year to provide a special combination of service platforms and bring the service locally.

"In the past year, we have seen a rise in the use of data—something that we have eagerly anticipated for quite some time now. We saw the surge in the use of mobile Internet—for e-mail, browsing and social networking—plus a host of other data-related transactions using Smart mobile phones. These developments are clear opportunities for Smart services to grow and move forward, to help us succeed in bringing our customers closer to the future of telecommunications."

Microsoft promises that Windows Phone 7 will bring a new experience to people and help them quickly fine and use data, information and services from the Internet and its applications.  The news phones are distinguished by unique design and integrated experience built from Microsoft's innovation such as, Microsoft Office Mobile, Windows Live, Bing and more.

By the way, unlike Apple which manufactured both hardware and software for its iPhone, Microsoft will not be making the devices for their platform. Instead it has partnered with handset makers Samsung, HTC, LG, among others, to produce the phones that will carry the new OS.