Windows 8: Immersive Tablet tile UI and PDF reader revealed

By Tom Warren, on 4th Apr 11 8:33 pm with 16 Comments

Fresh Windows 8 leaks on Monday reveal Microsoft’s Tablet tile UI and PDF reader functionality.

Rafael Rivera posted a number of screenshots on Monday that reveal Microsoft’s “Immersive” browser in Windows 8. Rivera speculates that the application is designed to run full screen only and that he is witnessing limitations trying to enable it on a pre-beta version of Windows 8. “One clue to the Immersive UI, however, exists in a new Immersive version of Internet Explorer, which looks and works much like Windows Phone’s IE Mobile, but uses the desktop IE 9 renderer,” writes Rivera.

Windows 8 - Immersive UI tiles

WinRumors has previously written about Microsoft’s Immersive tablet experience. The UI will be driven by Microsoft’s Metro based design language. Microsoft will include a new application model codenamed “Jupiter” that will allow developers to create Silverlight based applications, deployed as AppX packages (.appx). The packages will be part of a new Windows application store, pre-installed with Windows 8. WinRumors understands the company will be looking to provide an easy way for existing Windows Phone developers to scale their applications for use with Jupiter.

The second secret that Rivera has uncovered is the existence of a “Modern Reader” application in Windows 8. The application includes its own PDF reader. Modern Reader is installed using Microsoft’s new AppX application package type. Rivera says “The application itself is simple enough. It displays PDFs in full fidelity, as you’d expect. You can zoom in and out, and there’s a page scrubber on the side of the application window for document navigation.”

Windows 8 - Modern Reader

Image Credits: Rafael Rivera (WithinWindows.com)

  • http://twitter.com/ThelVadumee Thel Vadumee

    :D

  • Mordenkainen

    I know you have a recent history with Thurrot but you should also credit him, not just Rafael for these articles.

    • http://www.winrumors.com Tom W

      I have no “recent history” with Paul. He’s been a close friend for years. Rafael is uncovering this information so I am linking to him.

    • Guest

      He has mentioned Paul’s Link at end of article. So you better be also linking to that

    • Guest

      Even it is “Enough” that He is Linking someone. otherwise he is known for not to linking

    • GeekGosssip

      What’s the “recent history” you speak of? Lets gossip…

      Anyway, on Twitter, most links are to Rafael’s so maybe he is discovering the goods and sharing with Paul, his friend and co-author? Paul and Rafael are working on Windows 8 Secrets.

  • Anonymous

    Sounds like the UI is going to be SWEET on Win8. I’m excited about what they are doing for the tablet space with it. It has taken Microsoft a couple years, but it sounds like there are finally going to be devices that can be a great alternative to the iPad. Thank God.

  • Grannyville7989

    I am very happy to have a built-in PDF reader. This should have been built in since Windows Vista. I couldn’t understand why I had to download an install a third-party PDF reader.

    • GP007

      Because of Adobe. MS was going to add PDF support in Office 2k7 as well but Adobe bitched and made MS take it out, now you have to download office pdf support as a addon.

  • Guest

    I wonder if the Office team are similarly making changes to Office 15 to add enhanced support for use in “tablet mode” (for instance making it easier to review and annotate documents). I sincerely hope that as everyone realises that as great as it will be to have a tablet UI that apps too need to work in this mode. I wonder if Microsoft might maintain a “compatibility list” of applications so that if say someone opens Photoshop in Windows 8 tablet mode that there is some warning to say that this application is not designed for the current user experience

    • Timiteh

      From what i have seen from early Office 15 screenshots, it seems that it is getting enhanced support for tablet mode.

    • Timiteh

      From what i have seen from early Office 15 screenshots, it seems that it is getting enhanced support for tablet mode.

  • Anonymous

    You know, mix in the extra sessions at Mix 11, and I’m hoping they really push Silverlight 5 on all platforms. Develop once, deploy on many. Add in the fact that Xbox 360 could get silverlight (which had best be sandboxed) and you could open a market to 30+ million consumers immediately.

  • http://twitter.com/borax99 Alain Chappaz

    Sorry, looks dumbed down to a degree I can’t live with. Hope MS includes the ability to revert to a useful interface. This + an active or two-way digitizer = massive fail… IMHO, anyway :)

  • http://twitter.com/bosslinks BOSSLINKS

    looks totally fail! really. just like their BING logo

  • Shoaebhameed

    I’m anxiously waiting for a completely revolutionary BRAND NEW Windows 8. I would love to see an operating system on a PC, inspired from WP7. Sounds like it’s gonna be gorgeous.