Windows/Visual Styles/Aero: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 06:19, 29 April 2013


Aero on Windows 7 RTM.

Caption buttons

Taskbar

Notification area
First seen	Longhorn 6.0.4039
Last seen	Windows 8 (8400)

Aero is the translucent, glass-like visual style present in Windows Vista and Windows 7. It originated in Longhorn, first seen in Longhorn 4039.

In Windows Vista and Windows 7, minimum hardware requirements for Aero are a DirectX 9 GPU which supports the Windows Display Driver Model; Pixel Shader 2.0; 32 bits per pixel; and a minimum 128 MB of video memory. If capable hardware is not present, the operating system will fall back to the Windows Basic theme.

In Windows 8, starting with Milestone 2, Aero is capable of being rendered by the software, allowing one to use the visual style without the appropriate hardware, though this may results in degradation of system performance.

A variation of the original theme, called Aero Lite was first seen in Windows 8 Build 7955, being made translucent in Build 7989. The original theme was revamped in Windows 8 Build 8102, and was later flattened in the Release Preview, with a similar appearance to the Watercolor theme in Whistler.

Post-RP builds of Windows 8 have replaced the Aero theme with a flat, opaque theme that matches the new Modern environment.

Screenshots

Aero borders on Plex in Longhorn 4039
Aero in Windows Vista
Aero in Windows 7 RTM
Aero in Windows 8 Consumer Preview
Aero in Windows 8 Release Preview

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 |lastseen = Windows 8 (8400)
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-'''Aero''' is the transparent, glass-like [[Windows:Visual Styles|visual style]] present in [[Windows:Vista|Windows Vista]] and [[Windows:7|Windows 7]]. It originated with [[Windows:Longhorn|Longhorn]]'s Aero Glass, first seen in [[Windows:Longhorn:4039.Lab06_n.030827-1717|Longhorn 4039]].
+'''Aero''' is the translucent, glass-like [[Windows:Visual Styles|visual style]] present in [[Windows:Vista|Windows Vista]] and [[Windows:7|Windows 7]]. It originated in [[Windows:Longhorn|Longhorn]], first seen in [[Windows:Longhorn:4039.Lab06_n.030827-1717|Longhorn 4039]].
-In Windows Vista (starting with about Beta 2) and 7, Aero requires a capable GPU with a WDDM driver to display (official requirement: DirectX 9, minimum 64 MB video memory). Otherwise only the basic style, which is rendered on the CPU like in XP, is shown. In [[Windows:8|Windows 8]] M2 and up, Aero can be rendered in software, allowing one to have Aero on any video card, but possibly taking a toll in overall system performance.
+In Windows Vista and Windows 7, minimum hardware requirements for Aero are a DirectX 9 GPU which supports the Windows Display Driver Model; Pixel Shader 2.0; 32 bits per pixel; and a minimum 128 MB of video memory. If capable hardware is not present, the operating system will fall back to the [[Windows:Visual Styles:Windows Basic|Windows Basic]] theme.
-A new Aero theme, [[Windows:Visual Styles:Aero Lite|Aero Lite]] was first seen in Windows 8 Build 7955 and was later seen as a transparent theme in Build 7989. The existing Aero theme was revamped in Build 8102, and was later flattened in the Release Preview making it appear similar to Whistler Watercolor.
+In [[Windows:8|Windows 8]], starting with Milestone 2, Aero is capable of being rendered by the software, allowing one to use the visual style without the appropriate hardware, though this may results in degradation of system performance.
-In Post-RC builds of Windows 8, the Aero theme has been replaced with a new, non-transparent theme which fits into the Metro environment.
+A variation of the original theme, called [[Windows:Visual Styles:Aero Lite|Aero Lite]] was first seen in Windows 8 Build 7955, being made translucent in Build 7989.
+The original theme was revamped in Windows 8 Build 8102, and was later flattened in the [[Windows:8:6.2.8400.0.winmain win8rc.120518-1423|Release Preview]], with a similar appearance to the Watercolor theme in Whistler.
+Post-RP builds of Windows 8 have replaced the Aero theme with a flat, opaque theme that matches the new Modern environment.
 == Screenshots ==