Is Windows 7's taskbar really better than Mac OS X's dock?
The Windows 7 taskbar is the single most important change to the Windows interface since Windows 95, and it's expected to dramatically change the way users use Windows in the 21st century.
And, according to Gizmodo's Matt Buchanan, it's better than the Mac OS X dock. Period.
Let the battle royale begin!
The oft-called "superbar" of Windows 7 gets its name because it's no longer just an open window manager, but also a high-powered application launcher -- and it integrates the two functions seamlessly. (See ya later, Quick Launch.)
According to Buchanan, it breaks down like this:
- The translucent style is now more than eye candy, integrating management and visual notification of launched and unlaunched applications/windows;
- Thanks to live thumbnails and Aero Peek, usability is actually working for you;
- Right-click "jump lists" give you the depth of instant functionality that a static icon can't;
- And ultimately, the Windows 7 "superbar" for the first time truly addresses users who run and manipulate multiple applications all the time.
...which all adds up to being better than Mac OS X Leopard. (Snow Leopard, well, we'll see.)
Now, ZDNet readers are generally PC and Linux users, so I don't expect the same firestorm rebuffing of "Windows beats Mac" as Buchanan will get on his site. After all, there are a lot of "Expose" and bouncing-icon fans out there.
Still, I ask you, readers: How does Windows 7's "superbar" match up to whatever you've got running on your machine?
Do you find Windows 7's changes helping productivity? Tell me in TalkBack.