User Interface
| Component | Description | Introduced |
|---|---|---|
| Windows Aero | The file that contains the Windows Aero theme for Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8. | Windows Vista |
| Metro UI | Metro is a new design language. It has a new tile interface that shows important information. | Windows 8 |
| Windows Shell | The most visible and recognizable aspect of Microsoft Windows. The shell is the container inside of which the entire graphical user interface is presented, including the taskbar, the desktop, Windows Explorer, as well as many of the dialog boxes and interface controls. In Windows Vista, a new compositing glass-like user interface called Windows Aero has been shown. | Windows 95 |
| Windows Explorer | Provides an interface for accessing the file systems, launching applications, and performing common tasks such as viewing and printing pictures. | Windows 95 |
| Windows Search | Starting with Windows Vista, search is a tightly shell-integrated component of Windows. A downloadable Windows Desktop Search software is available for Windows XP and older versions. | Windows Vista, downloadable for older versions |
| Special Folders | Folders which are presented to the user through an interface as an abstract concept, instead of an absolute path. This makes it possible for an application to locate where certain kinds of files can be found, regardless of what version or language of operating system is being used. See also, Windows Shell namespace. | Windows 95 |
| Start menu | Serves as the central launching point for applications. It provides a customizable, nested list of programs for the user to launch, as well as a list of most recently opened documents, a way to find files and get help, and access to the system settings.
By default, the Start Button is visible at all times in the lower left-hand corner of the screen. |
Windows 95 |
| Taskbar | The application desktop bar which is used to launch and monitor applications. | Windows 95 |
| Desktop Gadget Gallery | A screen to place gadgets anywhere. | Windows 7 |
| File associations | Used to open a file with the correct program. File associations can be uniquely assigned to specific actions, known as verbs. | Windows 3.0 |
Read more about this topic: Windows Components
Famous quotes containing the word user:
“A worker may be the hammer’s master, but the hammer still prevails. A tool knows exactly how it is meant to be handled, while the user of the tool can only have an approximate idea.”
—Milan Kundera (b. 1929)