I've taken in several of your ideas and considerations into this updated version of my last concept. Mainly, I've simplified the taskbar quite a bit and slimmed down some of the lines. (Old concept here.) I've decided to keep a view of all the desktops that you may have open in a single taskbar. By removing the icon backgrounds and thinning down some of the old lines, I have achieved this. (I apologize in advance for the shadowing behind the OneDrive app. Publisher does not have good shadow effects. There was no immediate way to make them look better.)
The New Windows
Click to enlarge.
Notes from before:
Notice in the Taskbar how after the first 5 apps there is a white bar. This divider between the groups of apps represents dividers between desktops. I really hope they keep all apps visible in the taskbar and make only a small distinction between the desktops like this (I feel like it would be less like playing "where's my app?"). Obviously, the background should change with each desktop. You could then zoom out to see a summary of all your desktops and running apps by double clicking the "Show Desktop" button in the lower right corner.
Also notice the last app section on the taskbar that has the IE, File Explorer, Zune (wishful thinking), phone, and messaging apps. This is your phone (or other device) with Microsoft apps synced. I feel as if this is the best implementation of "continuity" or "handoffs"- like features in any operating system. Also, I've placed a couple of status symbols here that indicate the battery life and connectivity of your device. Clicking these can put your device (phone, tablet, etc.) into certain modes, such as if you click the battery, you could put your phone on power saver or clicking the connectivity button could turn on hotspots. This continuity-like feature would be great for other devices that you have running under your Microsoft ID including phones and other computers (or Xbox for that matter).
Ultimately, clicking the "+" at the end adds a new desktop with a couple of app icons. Apps/programs can be moved easily from one desktop to another by clicking and dragging the icon of the app from one desktop divider to another.
Thanks and let me know what you think! Constructive criticism is appreciated.
