Microsoft Looks to Add Transparent Tiles to Start Menu with Redstone 3

This fall, when Microsoft release the next iteration of Windows 10, currently called Redstone 3, they will be making a few design changes to the interface of the OS. Currently called Project Neon, this design language looks to bring a bit more transparency to the OS.

As you can see from the image above, the Start menu will get further refinements as Microsoft will be bringing transparent live tiles to the Start menu. But, the implementation isn’t perfect as you can see in the mockup, posted to Twitter by Tom Hounsell, as not all tiles in the menu support the feature and can create an awkward appearance.

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Also, there is a Snapchat icon in the menu too, I wouldn’t hold your breath for that app to be showing up on the Windows desktop anytime soon.

The entire Start menu is almost completely transparent as the left side of the menu is less opaque but does not appear to be a solid color. Further, the taskbar uses the same level of transparency as the bar down the left side of the menu; we also get a better look at the updated icons Microsoft may use when this UI update ships.

It’s important to point out that these design mockups are not a final representation of what will ship when Neon makes its debut. But, before the release of Windows 10, there were similar design concepts that were close to what the company did end up shipping with Windows 10 which means that these images are likely a good representation of the final product.

The Neon design language is also being brought to other applications as well. As Paul wrote up earlier today, the company’s first-party apps are starting to show off the new design language too.

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Conversation 22 comments

  • Ugur

    05 April, 2017 - 9:29 am

    <p>I'd be much more thankful if they would address way bigger issues like:</p><p>-on several of my computers running windows 10 i have it that it triggers mouse up while i still have the mouse button pressed.</p><p>My mouse is fine and works fine on other computers which don't have that issue and these computers having the issue never had it before windows 10</p><p><br></p><p>-on all my computers with windows 10 on them file operations like copy, delete etc all take longer and longer the bigger the folder/filesize is over time.</p><p>So it starts out fast and degrades massively the longer the operation goes on.</p><p>This was not nearly as much a problem while those comps ran windows 7 and is driving me mad.</p><p>I have a very fast ssd and fast hdd and this is ridiculous as one can watch how while copying a few GB it starts ot many MB/s and then stepwise degrades in operation speed until it is less than 1 MB/s in less than 2 minutes.</p>

  • rameshthanikodi

    05 April, 2017 - 9:29 am

    <p>wait…isn't this already a thing on Windows Mobile? It should have always been a part of Big Windows as well, good to see it coming. I've always liked the transparent tile look that they introduced in Windows Phone 8.1, and this looks goregous as well.</p><p>The important thing is if or not developers can actually take advantage of this. Right now I believe devs have no choice but to create opaque tiles. Tiles that change with the accent color seem to be exclusively reserved for Microsoft's system apps.</p><p><br></p>

  • SherlockHolmes

    Premium Member
    05 April, 2017 - 9:41 am

    <p>Oh please. Why dont they work on something important, like: Putting the control panel completely into the Settings App? </p>

    • elitemike

      05 April, 2017 - 10:46 am

      <blockquote><a href="#95666"><em>In reply to SherlockHolmes:</em></a></blockquote><p>Windows explorer with tabs is high on my list</p>

  • navarac

    05 April, 2017 - 10:04 am

    <p>"Awkward appearance". Same as Windows Phone 10, then.</p>

  • Subhadip Sen

    05 April, 2017 - 10:07 am

    <p>Pretty funny how far ahead of its time Windows Phone was. </p>

    • Tony Barrett

      05 April, 2017 - 2:55 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#95672">In reply to Subhadip Sen:</a></em></blockquote><p>Windows Phone had a unique UI, primarily as a differentiator, but I'd hardly call it 'ahead of it's time'. Everything else was flat, black and white and feature lacking. It was always playing catch-up, and was like the fat kid on sports day, always at the back, lagging behind and way behind the pack.</p>

      • Jules Wombat

        05 April, 2017 - 4:40 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#95836"><em>In reply to Tony Barrett:</em></a></blockquote><p>And yet Windows Phone and WM10 is still superior user experience than the now&nbsp;very dated iOS and Android UI.</p>

        • boots

          05 April, 2017 - 10:52 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#95868">In reply to Jules Wombat:</a></em></blockquote><p>I have been using a Windows phone for about 3 years, and I haven't had the superior user experience that people talk about. Different but not superior.</p><p>Apart from better battery life, what is the superior user experience that I'm supposed to be getting? Am I holding it wrong?</p>

      • boots

        05 April, 2017 - 11:11 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#95836">In reply to Tony Barrett:</a></em></blockquote><p>I think the Reply feature is using people's real names not their display names.</p>

  • glenn8878

    05 April, 2017 - 11:14 am

    <p>Have they thought of medium sized tiles? Large tiles takes up too much space. Small tiles are useless. Can't even tell what they are. How about replacing tiles with icons and by default, no live tiles. </p>

  • jwpear

    Premium Member
    05 April, 2017 - 11:44 am
    • jwpear

      Premium Member
      05 April, 2017 - 11:45 am
      • jwpear

        Premium Member
        05 April, 2017 - 11:47 am

        <blockquote><a href="#95728"><em>In reply to jwpear:</em></a></blockquote><p>Ah, the lost/empty comment bug.&nbsp; I'm not even going to waste my time re-entering it.&nbsp; :-(</p><p>Repro steps:</p><p>1) Enter a comment and post.</p><p>2) Tap edit.</p><p>3) Edit and post update.&nbsp; Observe no feedback&nbsp;about save.</p><p>4) Refresh page and observe empty comment.</p>

        • jwpear

          Premium Member
          05 April, 2017 - 11:50 am

          <blockquote><a href="#95730"><em>In reply to jwpear:</em></a></blockquote><p>And by the way, the editing is needed because the style rules are adding space between paragraphs after saving, but those aren't reflected while editing.&nbsp; Spacing between paragraphs&nbsp;&nbsp;used to be&nbsp;reflected during editing but got lost in one of the updates.</p>

  • bbold

    05 April, 2017 - 2:22 pm

    <p>I like! Hope it makes its way to Insider Preview soon.. </p>

  • Jules Wombat

    05 April, 2017 - 4:41 pm

    <p>So Windows 10, RS3, is finally catching up with WP8.1, Sigh.</p>

  • Narg

    06 April, 2017 - 3:02 pm

    <p>Is the Aero 2?</p>

  • gyrptech

    06 April, 2017 - 6:04 pm

    <p>Facepalm. This is being touted as a marquee feature of RS3?</p>

  • rahul07

    11 October, 2018 - 12:35 am

    <p><span style="background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">My mouse is fine and works fine on other computers which don't have that issue and these computers having the issue never had it before windows 10 – </span><a href="https://pictureviral.in/roman-reigns-photos/&quot; target="_blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">roman reigns wallpaper</a></p>

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