14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 10 is still work in progress on both PCs and phones, so many of the features that we use right now on the technical preview builds for these devices are going to be tweaked before the final release of the operating system.
Case in point, the transparency effect that's not yet ready in any of the builds that Microsoft has released until now as part of its insider program.
Gabe Aul, head of the Windows Insider program, has confirmed that “transparency is coming,” revealing that Microsoft is now working to add this effect not only to phones powered by Windows 10 but also to PCs that will be updated to this OS version.
Transparency effects are part of Microsoft's plans to make the operating system as a whole more appealing to the eye and are supposed to make both the PC and the phone builds feel more modern and fresh not only for new users but also for those who upgrade from a previous version.
Where we're going to find transparency
Windows enthusiasts will recall that Microsoft removed the Aero effects when it brought out Windows 8, the first version of its modern operating system that embraced a flat look on the desktop and in the Modern UI.
Many asked Microsoft to bring Aero back and some actually tried by themselves to get the old visual styles on Windows 8 with the help of third-party themes and other software, but it was pretty clear that the company itself wasn't planning to do that in a future Windows version.
And yet, transparency will survive, pretty much because it's the easiest way to make a new product look modern and Microsoft knows this very well.
On PCs, the transparency effect will be available on both the Start menu and the Start screen, so whenever you launch any of them, you should be able to see the desktop background behind it. Surprisingly, the company might not make this visual effect available for the taskbar, so the new Windows 10 might come with a fully flat, fully solid taskbar. With new icons, that is.
On phones, transparency could be all over the place, including Start, notification center, and other menus. No final decision has been made yet, but you can be sure that the Start screen will definitely have transparency for live tiles, as the existing preview build only comes with a minor translucency effect that doesn't make the background beneath too visible.
As for the release date of these effects, it's hard to anticipate anything, but transparency could be part of the next PC build scheduled to see daylight next week. Phones could get it next month as part of the March update, which will also bring support for more phones, but all of these can be changed at the very last minute if some major bug is found.
@nithinsuren Transparency is coming.
— Gabriel Aul (@GabeAul) February 19, 2015