Microsoft.com, A New Look

Have you seen the prototype for the new Microsoft.com? It isn't final yet, but an obvious improvement. These are the issues Microsoft web designers are currently aware of:

Known Issues:

• Throughout the user interface we are still working on “fit and finish” adjustments that will improve the look and feel of the pages.

• On the home page the spaces between lines of text are wider than they should be. These will be tightened up before the final release of the page.

• If you are running Internet Explorer 6 and are in high contrast mode, some typefaces appear larger than they should.

• When text size is set to Largest in Internet Explorer, parts of the page layout become broken, and content at the bottom of the page may not be viewable.

• When your browser is in high contrast mode, the container that displays secondary navigation links has a transparent background, which makes the thumbnail graphics and links difficult to see. The container should have an opaque background that makes the graphics and links stand out clearly.

• The container that displays secondary navigation links does not scroll with you as you move down a page, as it should.

• When you reduce the size of your browser window, the container that displays secondary navigation links does not adjust itself accordingly as it should. As a result you may need to scroll to view all links.

With those issues aside, I think you will appreciate the updated look and feel of the new home page. Interestingly, displaying the current home page in side-by-side tabs in IE7, the Zune image doesn't display on the old page on my computer yet is beautifully displayed on the new page.

I like the cleaner, less cluttered look and hope the final transformation takes place soon.