Windows 8 desktop to replace Aero UI with Metro look

Microsoft is bringing more of the Metro user interface to Windows 8's desktop, swapping frosted glass for sharp edges and minimalist icons.

The aesthetic change, spotted by Engadget, was quietly revealed on Microsoft's Building Windows 8 blog in screenshots from a post on the operating system's new task manager. Gone is the Aero interface, introduced in Windows Vista, with its translucent window frames. The Metro aesthetic is sharper and simpler, with solid colors throughout.

By adding more Metro to the desktop, Microsoft is addressing complaints about the jarring switch between the desktop and Windows 8's new touch-optimized Start screen, which is decked out entirely in Metro. As the Chicago Sun-Times' Andy Inhatko put it, "Every time the classic Windows 7 interface pops up, it looks like a drunken uncle at an otherwise elegant family wedding."

:story: Full story: InfoWorld