Six new annoyances introduced in Windows 7
Summary: As a flip-side to Ed Bott's "Six Vista annoyances fixed in Windows 7" I thought I'd play Devil's Advocate and offer up what I think are a selection of potentially new annoyances that Windows 7 introduces.
#4 - For some users, Windows 7 will mean more time spent setting up
Gone are applications such as Windows Mail, Windows Messenger, Movie Maker and so on. Anyone wanting apps of this sort will need to download then via Windows Live Essentials. Problem is, one person's trash is another person's treasure and if you use these apps Windows 7 means having to download and set up the apps that you need.
#5 - Search is odd
Why is it that when I search for say "Note" from the Start Menu I get Sticky Notes above Notepad? I've noticed countless such examples of strange behavior from the search system. Either it's not been fully refined yet, or there's some strange logic at work there.
#6 - Jump Lists are messy
Jump Lists is a new feature that Microsoft claims will give the user access to tasks related to specific applications. Depending on the applications, you get a different set of options in the Jump List, and that's a problem because there little consistency to what you can expect from a Jump List to make them useful.
The best thing about Jump Lists is that they are buried behind a right-click which means that most users will never see them!
Bonus Annoyance: System Explorer gone from Windows Defender
Why? This was the simplest, safest method users had to prevent applications running at boot time.
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Talkback
I knew there had to be bad news somewhere
Thanks for the article.
Not bad.
That was the problem with search all along
Search is just fine.
sigh
. . . and that means more typing, more clicks. More guesswork. More lost productivity. If I know what the icon looks like, or what category I filed it under, what will cool things like file size help me with?
_sigh_
Another example would be all Word Document files that have "Exercise" in their name, are in the map "University", are created in this season and have "Not Done" in their comment. Just search for it once in Windows Explorer and same the search (yes, you can do that), when you need to know what exercises you haven't made you just open up the "Not Made Yet" search in your Searches folder.
Lots of examples are there, and they require less clicking, less guess and look work, more productivity. Why search slow yourself if the system can do it for you?
Search folders are GREAT. Major productivity enhancer. I can't believe....
I've seen forums where people are complaining that file and file contents search is completely missing from Vista. I couldn't believe they didn't see how that works, how much better it is, esp. with the search folders, and were stuck in their old XP way of doing or nothing attitudes. Unbelievable. <br>
I have very little indexed on my Vista machine. email and my user folders. That's it. <br><br>
But if i am on a drive and start typing in the search box, upper right and it doesn't find what i'm typing instantly, which it does most often, it immediately comes up with 2 links.<br>
Search contents, or <br>
Advanced search. <br>
If i click the former and type something i know is buried on my 500GB external drive, it finds almost instantly, with no indexing. <br><br>
If i choose advanced, i get a world of choices and there are some great additions that were not in XP. <br><br>
Of course I'm one of those strange people that find Vista to be a very great OS. I love it. <br>
Every complaint I've heard goes one of a few ways. <br>
It is a problem that has been fixed for 20 months. <br>
It is something the user simply has not figured out but is very intuitive. I have to chuckle when people post that they forgot the "up" button in windows explorer, apparently not seeing the breadcrumbs style path window that is much more productive and handy. You can get anywhere in the filesystem very quickly with it, or, of course, back one folder. :) <br><br>
Or people claim problems that don't exist. Apparently Apple and it's users are all perfect and understand inherently how to run programs for the old system.<br>
But soon as someone can't figure out that their XP driver needs to be installed in compatiblity mode, it's OMG, another reason to HATE Vista. <br><br>
even better . . .
"Why search slow yourself if the system can do it for you?"
Exactly, why be slowed down by search when we can make the system more intelligent about where it puts things in the first place?
"specify cool things ... (eg. All AVI's bigger than 512 M)"
With Windows now offering this much power and immense progress I might end up reformatting all of my Linux machines when I feel like donating money to some sick filthy greedy liars.
cap* ext:.avi size:>512M
Bizarre. In the most serious way
When you get Windows on all those old Linux machines buddy, give me a call, I'll have about $3000 worth of fantastic Windows programs and games I'll have to pitch in the garbage once I'm on Linux. I sure hope Linux is cool as you make it sound.
Re: Search is not a magical cure ...
There have been times when Vista's Search came up bone dry, but a [dir /s /a \whatever] in a Command Prompt window bore copious fruit for me.
What's more, Vista's Start Button Search tool just plain disappears as soon as you try to do anything else while the Search is going on.
RE:Six new annoyances introduced in Windows 7
Sincerely i don't see what annoyance could come from the new taskbar especially as it is customizable.
Moreover i have hard time to acknowledge that one would get troubles to see the difference between apps which are running and shortcuts.Unless of course one gets easily disturbed by relative simple things or has significant eyes troubles.
#2:
I personally don't know anyone,include me,who uses or who like Classic theme.Even those who have moved recently from Window 2000 to Windows XP or even to Vista.
Don't think that its removal would disturb too many people.
#3:
I don't see how the Ribbon could disturb people for applications as basic as both Paint and WordPad.
#4:
If people can go on the net to download apps, i don't see why it will disturb them to do the same for Windows live Apps. Moreover there should be good alternatives to most of these applications thus their lacking would perhaps enable people to seek for these alternatives.
#5:
This one could be a real annoyance. Moreover i guess the explorer such use the same or similar algorithms than those used by MSN or on search engine on Microsoft site ?
If so it is not surprising that it send weird results.
However this is a beta thus we will see if things get better with the R.T.M.
#6:
And why Jump Lists would be the similar for different applications ?
The logical would want that different applications have different Jump List like they have different menu.
Moreover it is the responsibility of applications developer to take advantage of this new feature to offer customized Jump List.
From my point of view Microsoft can offer only basic Jump List or no Jump List at all for no Microsoft Applications.
Maybe but....
#2: I still know people who install XP (and/or vista) and immediately switch to the classic view. I'm not sure why as the new one is much more useful, but whatever people still do it.
#3: People hate change. I chose to learn the new ribbon and I like it. But I will admit that it makes it hard to find some things now. Regardless, people who hated the Ribbon (and plenty exist) will be kicking and screaming over this choice. Or they switch OSes for their next OS.
#4: You are assuming that A) they know what apps to download and B) they have high speed internet. I happen to know people still using dial up. They won't be happy.
#5: I thought the Vista search was nice for finding apps; sounds like they need to tweak this one.
#6: I completely agree. This is no different than what we have now. (In basic theory)
Re:Maybe but....
As the taskbar is customizable this shouldn't be a trouble for people who can customize it.
I think that virtually any user of Windows can,or know someone who can, cust
"#2: I still know people who install XP (and/or vista) and immediately switch to the classic view. I'm not sure why as the new one is much more useful, but whatever people still do it."
I think that those people will have to deall with the removal of classic or will have to stick to previous version of WIndows for the time being. I have always be fascinated by people who don't want to change their habits even if those habits are restraining them.
"#3: People hate change. I chose to learn the new ribbon and I like it. But I will admit that it makes it hard to find some things now. Regardless, people who hated the Ribbon (and plenty exist) will be kicking and screaming over this choice. Or they switch OSes for their next OS."
If the Ribon could be disturbing for applications as complex as those of the Microsoft Office Suite,they shouldn't be for applications as simple as Paint and WordPad.
However some people effectively resist change even if it is for their own good.
"#4: You are assuming that A) they know what apps to download and B) they have high speed internet. I happen to know people still using dial up. They won't be happy."
I assume that people which would be interested by these applications would either be able to download or find someone to download these applications for them. I am not even sure that Microsoft won't do a deal with OEM to have them preinstalled,just to piss off the alike of Google which plan to exactly do this for Google Chrome.
However an intermediate solution could be that those applications were available from the DVD but not installed by default.
"#5: I thought the Vista search was nice for finding apps; sounds like they need to tweak this one."
Well, i haven't have too many troubles myself with the search of the start menu but i sure have some troubles with the search of the explorer.Last week it was unable to find a file which was effectively on one drive and i have had to seek for it myself.Moreover if the algorithm used are the same than the one used on Microsoft site then it shouldn't exceptionnally good.
Dial up?
Regarding (B), the majority of people who would choose to upgrade to Win7 is likely have some broadband connection. Those people who still have dial-up would most likely still have and stick with their old PCs that still have Win98 or XP.
huh?
(Mostly) no problem
That's a BIG assumption..
And even in heavily populated areas, there are those who are cheapskates who can't see the logic of getting broadband. I know a guy who FINALLY saw the broadband light when I pointed out that he could get DSL for $5 bucks more than what he was paying for his dial-up account. And for that extra $5 bucks, he'd get WARP speed surfing compared to his 53K connection.
Granted, it wasn't quite as portable - he didn't get a nationwide list of phone numbers he could dial up with, but he couldn't have everything. So he's done his share of procrastinating...
RE: Six new annoyances introduced in Windows 7
#1 The task bar works perfectly, you can even make it back smaller as in Vista. It is good that it does much, that is better than a task bar that does nothing. It isn't kludgey either, the options only show up when you need them. I also don't agree with " One failure is that it's hard to tell the difference between apps that are running and shortcuts that have been pinned to the taskbar. ", you can clearly see a box around the shortcuts that have been opened and have a window running currently.
#2 Good, there is classic support, and the only difference I can see on that screenshot is a more productive task bar. If you don't want that and want to be really classic, you should stay with Windows 2000/XP.
#3 The ribbon is designed with being user friendly in mind, people that hate it are just people that haven't used it much. When you read more technical information on the ribbon there isn't a reason to hate it after all, unless you're addicted to the old hidden menus with wicked hotkeys. What other applications are being reffered to? The design guidelines of the Ribbon say that not every application has the need for a Ribbon, why would you need one in something simple like Notepad?