The Out of Box Experience

[PowerOutageBaby]

Windows has come along way with user experience but not nearly enough. Too many things still linger in the past and just don't work out of the box. Not enough well thought out new ideas to make usability better. It's time to show Windows in it's best light and remain that way even from 3rd party vendors. I have yet to read about any measures in Windows 7 to cure this.

When you first buy a new computer with Windows, you turn it on, set up a user account and off you go to a fresh desktop. As usual with HP, Dell, Sony etc. there is some add ons like Google, Creative, Antivirus. Forget get that for the moment.

Lets discuss a clean install of Windows 7 on your new PC or Laptop. It's freshly installed, your logged in. Windows 7 presents itself..

Does it have all you need in a simple accessible fashion ?

Is there Windows software that immediately works with the built in webcam forgoing the need to install bloat from creative that has to run in the taskbar?

Does Bluetooth work good enough in Windows, easy to use ?

Are simple things like USB memory sticks overly complicated in Windows.

Can I message friends on Live messenger without it starting in the taskbar in default mode when I'm not using it ? (Not on Windows from fresh install but still a sloppy implementation of Windows software that shouldn't happen.)

Will windows be lean, fast and have measures to make sure it stays that way and this leads mean on to my first point, 3rd party software.

Programs that begin at start up putting Windows PCs on the slippery slope of poor performance. There must be a simplified solution to this. People's computers are clogged with unnecessary start up entries that ruin the Windows experience and only savy users know how to overcome this. When you buy from Dell, HP, Sony etc. it's already fallen into the trap and for the majority will never make it out. Why has this been allowed to go on for so long ? This is one area that must be resolved becasue no amount of cleaning and optimising of the Windows Experience will overcome this.

What are you thoughts on this subject and generally some points I made ?

Edited October 13, 2008 by PowerOutageBaby

[Mr. Dee]

Using a USB Thumbdrive with Windows as far back as XP has got to be the easiest experience. Insert into USB port, Auto Play Starts and you have a number of logical options, Open Thumb drive, Play Music, Play videos if that type of content is on the drive. Its trying to give you best options possible without you having to do a lot of work.

I personally have noticed new systems out of the box that are slow with Windows Vista in particular. Dell is the number 1 culprit for this. But what are the factors here, RAM, Processor speed, graphics? The specs on these things determine if your experience is a great one or not. My brother purchased a Dell Inspiron in March: 1.8 GHz Celeron, 1 GB of RAM, Intel Graphics X3100. The performance is just disappointing, I have help to overcome this especially where start up is concerned by telling him to hibernate the notebook during the week days, so it cuts down the startup time and he reaches the Desktop faster and he can just click the AutoCAD 2009 button window on the Taskbar without having to launch the actual program.

As for crapware, it still remains a problem, I have suggested a reset Windows 7 Settings; reset Windows 7 to its default settings. Meaning, when I buy an OEM branded computer, I can remove all the third party programs that OEM?s often include without having to reinstall the OS from scratch, this should not affect device drivers. But even virus protection software must be removed in the reset process. Let me the user; decide what I want to put on my computer. IE 7 has a similar setting.

As for Windows Live Messenger, just go into Options and choose not have Messenger Startup with Windows. You can also have its Notification Area behavior set to always hide by going to Taskbar Properties > Notification Areas > Customize.

There is a lot of work to be done and the OEMs and Industry Partners need to work more closely and effectively to deliver really great experiences and value to customers. Sometimes, the focus on bottom line really affects the final outcome and usually backfires.

[Mugwump00]

Indeed!

Your last point is a particular issue - UAC filters installations to just the software I want installed, but it would even better if it filtered installs that try to add themselves to the startup list. Of course MS might get some vendor heat for allowing the intervention in the installation process of "essential" boot-time apps like Google/Adobe updater etc., however it is rarely made clear to the user who is installing Picasa/Adobe etc. that they are also about to increase their logon time.

I find Win Defender fails totally to make management of startup items any clearer.

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

Windows is an OS. Is it the job of that OS to provide software to make your webcam work?

No.

It is the job of the system builder to install such software, as provided by the webcam manufacturer.

[Quillz]

The only thing I wish Windows did was allow you to join a wireless network immediately after setting up your user account, just like Mac OS X does.

[roadgeek9]

All I ask for from Windows is an interface similar to GNOME, and the usability of a Mac.

[PowerOutageBaby]

Windows is an OS. Is it the job of that OS to provide software to make your webcam work?

No.

It is the job of the system builder to install such software, as provided by the webcam manufacturer.

I think since in built webcams are a pretty standard feature on laptops, Microsoft should make it simple and effective from the get go, you know just like having your mouse and sound work. It's all about user experience and it's one I would like to see Microsoft conquer. One less thing to bloat your new machine. Trying creative's and Dell's effort on my laptop compared to an Apple laptop really shows up Windows. It should be much better and being part of the OS is the only way to make sure.

[Quillz]

All I ask for from Windows is an interface similar to GNOME, and the usability of a Mac.

What do you mean by similarity? The actual look, or the way that you can have multiple taskbars, move them anywhere you want, move around the taskbar buttons, etc? If so, I agree. As for the usability of the Mac, I don't think it will happen. Because to have the usability of the Mac, you essentially need to be running Mac OS X. The look and feel of Windows produces its own usability, and you can't just somehow rework it without essentially changing all of Windows.

I think since in built webcams are a pretty standard feature on laptops, Microsoft should make it simple and effective from the get go, you know just like having your mouse and sound work. It's all about user experience and it's one I would like to see Microsoft conquer. One less thing to bloat your new machine. Trying creative's and Dell's effort on my laptop compared to an Apple laptop really shows up Windows. It should be much better and being part of the OS is the only way to make sure.

I'd agree. And with Windows 7 now natively supporting biometric devices, I think Microsoft agrees, too. All types of hardware really need to be natively supported by an OS, whether it's a webcam, fingerprint reader, printer, etc.

[Mr. Dee]

I think since in built webcams are a pretty standard feature on laptops, Microsoft should make it simple and effective from the get go, you know just like having your mouse and sound work. It's all about user experience and it's one I would like to see Microsoft conquer. One less thing to bloat your new machine. Trying creative's and Dell's effort on my laptop compared to an Apple laptop really shows up Windows. It should be much better and being part of the OS is the only way to make sure.

The difference is, Microsoft does not have control over Tier One OEM vendors who include integrated web cams in their laptop units. Microsoft cannot dictate to all them to use one brand or a particular model. Apple is a different Company, they control the entire experience, developing the software, developing and manufacturing the hardware. Apple tends to use one particular hardware model across their product lines. Windows would have to support all these various models and drivers out of the box and that would put a definite strain on development. Again, the OS is a traffic cop, its work is to manage the communication between your hardware and software and prevent apps from invading other apps memory space. In fact, Windows does a good job at hardware support already, by giving you the basics to be functional, if you need more improvements, check the OEM or manufacturer of the devices web site for better drivers.

Also, try installing a hacked OS X on PC and you are bound to experience the worst compatibility problems in an OS. Windows on an Intel Mac is different, because OS X provides the device drivers, so support on a Mac seems seamless. Apple controls the entire show, Microsoft - only parts of it. I think that is what makes the Windows/PC platform so special, choice and degree of control over the experience for the end user.

[PGHammer]

Windows is an OS. Is it the job of that OS to provide software to make your webcam work?

No.

It is the job of the system builder to install such software, as provided by the webcam manufacturer.

However, some webcam vendors (notably, Logitech) add their software to the driver installation process (the Logitech software for Vista audo-installs when the Communicate STX is detected; no driver/application CD is required). I did NOT purchase the webcam with the computer, but acquired the webcam separately (via Microsoft, oddly enough, as part of testing of Windows Live Messenger 9). For every Logitech (software installs with the driver) there are many other vendors that, for whatever reason, *don't* do things that way.

[MMaster23]

Talk about misleading title .. I tought this was about OOBE or Windows Welcome.

I really have to get my head out of OEM-land :)

[Brandon Live Veteran]

All I ask for from Windows is an interface similar to GNOME, and the usability of a Mac.

Got any specific details on that? Other than GNOME being uglier, I'm not sure what its distinguishing differences are.