Microsoft has introduced a new model of interaction (the Natural User Interface), and delivered changes to the graphical user interface to accommodate the NUI. One of the first traditional Windows components that were revamped was the Taskbar, referred to as the Superbar or the new Taskbar which is designed to put users in control, and to streamline tasks such as program switching.
In Windows 7 Build 6801, the Taskbar remains transparent when a window is maximized, a characteristic that is also valid for the window’s title bar as well. With the Quick Launch area killed off, Microsoft is allowing users to pin programs directly onto the Taskbar, via drag and drop, or through the contextual menu.
The new thumbnails delivered for the applications featured on the Taskbar have evolved consistently compared with Windows Vista, in the sense that they are now actual extensions of the Taskbar items themselves. In this manner, Microsoft introduced completely interactive thumbnails that also take advantage of the grouping capabilities of Windows.
Thumbnail Toolbars now delivers a set of controls for a specific program, such as play, stop, and rewind in Windows Media Player. The right hand side part of the Superbar is also changed. First off, it is now used to accommodate the Show Desktop button, and, secondly, it hosts the good, old, but brand new and overhauled, and less nagging Notifications Area. Overlay Icons and Progress Bars are also new additions, allowing users to monitor the progress of a certain task via the icon on the Superbar.
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