The interface picked by Microsoft for the Windows Explorer file manager, included in the Developer Preview version of Windows 8, was received with criticism by users unhappy with the inclusion of the ribbons system from the Microsoft Office 2010 suite.
As a response, Microsoft said that they will consider the feedback they received, but they are not going to remove the ribbons system, in the hope that it will be eventually accepted by users.
Ilana Smith, manager la Microsoft Engineering System Team, explains some of the Windows Explorer optimizations included in Windows 8 Beta. Smith says that despite the high number of opponents the ribbon interface is here to stay, reminding people of the existence of some apps developed outside Microsoft, capable to offer users with a interface they like.
In the mean time, the 2000 comments about the Windows 8 Developer Preview Windows Explorer determined radical changes on the interface. For starters, it was decided to keep the ribbon set miniaturized, so that the interface can have a cleaner look. Unexperienced users and those who think that the ribbon system is uncomfortable or ineffective have the possibility of learning the keys combinations through which they can activate the commands they want, reading the instructions automatically when the cursor is positioned above the menu elements.
The “Sync Your Settings” Utility program integrates more Windows Explorer options, so users will have a easier time to apply the preferred settings.
The dialogue box presented to solve problems when copying files was also fixed. Starting with the new Windows 8 Beta version, when we need to compare files with the same name we can consider details like the date they were modified and dimensions, when the option of excluding the files that do not fit the criteria automatically. Another change affects the way copy or file moving operations are resumed after the PC is restarted from stand-by or shutdown.