14 DAY TRIAL // Following the launch of Windows 8 Consumer Preview in late February, Microsoft is offering some stats on how the platform is being used.
The new OS flavor came along with a series of visual changes over earlier flavors of Windows and when compared to the previously releases Developer Preview.
One of them was the presence of Microsoft’s ribbon interface in Windows Explorer, though minimized by default.
Based on the user feedback that we’ve seen before, we might have guessed that the ribbon was not one of the features in Windows Explorer to become a favorite.
However, it appears that more than one fifth of those who downloaded and installed Windows 8 Consumer Preview on their PCs keep the ribbon expanded.
Considering the fact that it came minimized by default, this shows interest from users, and a recent tweet from Microsoft confirms that.
“Windows 8 CP usage stat -- in 22.5% the Explorer ribbon is expanded (closed was the default) and kept that way,” Microsoft's official Twitter account (@BuildWindows8) states.
Through the ribbon in Windows Explorer, users benefit from fast access to a variety of features and capabilities. Moreover, people also have the option to customize the interface to better fit their needs.
Many Windows users considered that the ribbon UI would bloat the Explorer, and voted against it, this being the main reason for which Microsoft decided to have it minimized by default in Windows 8 Consumer Preview.
For the time being, it remains to be seen whether the ribbon will appeal to more users or not. One thing that appears to be certain, however, is the fact that Microsoft will have it available in the final flavor of Windows 8.
The company might even decide to have it maximized by default, if user reactions are positive. This means that more similar stats should be unveiled soon, so stay tuned for more on this.