In a message posted to a forum on the MSDN site about 2 weeks ago, one of Microsoft’s programming writers said that “A Windows 7 interoperability pack, known as the Windows 7 Client Platform Update, is to be released alongside Windows 7 in October of this year.” This update will be made available as a “Recommended Update” on the Microsoft Download Center and will support all versions of Vista, including the entry-level Basic and Starter editions. The “Ribbon” interface is a wide, ribbon-like display at the top of a window that replaces traditional drop-down menus and toolbars that have been the norm for Windows applications for decades. This update would allow Vista users to take advantage of the ribbon-menu in applications that have been written to support it. Windows 7 applications that have taken advantage of the ribbon interface include the re-designed Paint and Wordpad programs. One good example of the Ribbon Interface is Office 2007′s “Fluent user interface”, which so many people had a hard time adapting to. You can see this interface in action at Microsoft’s Website.
Many people have expressed concern about the switch from traditional drop-down menus to the Ribbon interface. What do you think of the new Ribbon interface that may become the new norm for Windows applications?
