win8 Thoughts: Windows 8 should have eliminated the legacy right click menu.

[Dot Matrix]

Every regular forum visitor here knows how passionate I am about Windows 8, but there are a few things things that I would have done differently. I have been using Windows 8 on a regular basis across my devices, which includes both touch and non-touch hardware. I have come to the conclusion that Microsoft did not do enough to eliminate old, troubled paradigms from Windows to make them more "Modern", and one of those is the classic right-click menu. Now, there's a few reasons for this. It would make the right click menu more keyboard and touch friendly, while doing more to merge the old with the new.

Since Microsoft has the desktop enabled by default in all forms of Windows 8 and RT, there should have been more done to eliminate troubled code. The right click menu is just not satisfactory enough anymore, and since Windows 8 introduces the new "slide-out" menu on the right side of monitors, they could have easily added right-click menu functionality into the slide out menu. The Settings Charm would be the logical option to go with here. Now, obviously, I think the Charm would need to be re-named... "Functions", "Options", or something more consumer friendly along those lines.

Now, I know there are those that don't like Metro at all. Please, if you're just going to slam Metro and Windows 8, then obviously, now is the time to keep your thoughts to yourself. This is a discussion about a design option I feel should be there but isn't, and not one about whether or not Metro "sucks". Thank you.

Here's what it could look like on the desktop. The crossed off options are either better placed elsewhere, or are considered by me to be obsolete.

The Explorer right click option is even more obsolete in Windows 8, due to much of the functionality appearing on the Ribbon at the top of the window. In fact, upon further inspection, ALL of the right click's functionality is duplicated in the Ribbon. So, it would be nice if the right click menu was gone, and I could access the entire Charms Bar (Win+C on the keyboard) just by right clicking here.

In essence, this guy's usefulness has come to an end, and should have been eliminated before Windows 8 RTM'd, but for some reason it was overlooked, and now users forced into the desktop on less than ideal devices have to put up with this, which is truly and awful experience. Microsoft, I hope you see this and take this into consideration for future releases.

Thanks.

[Max Norris]

Personally, I'm not a fan of the idea.. well I do like the concept, but not nuking the context menu entirely. Some of us have either customized and/or added on various shell extensions that really make that context menu rather large, never mind compatibility with previous stuff would be problematic or non-existant. Just between SVN and Git alone there's an awful lot of entries that would be problematic or cumbersome, and I've got a fair number more besides that from various utilities, scripts and whatnot.

Definitely make it in addition to what's already there, that would be handy in certain scenarios, but not kill it outright. I've dealt with context menus on a Windows tablet since the XP days, it's certainly not easy to hit accurately with a finger, and this setup would definitely be handy, but on a desktop system the context menu would just be a lot more convenient and efficient. Make it an optional and I'd be sold for sure.

[ZakO]

Thankfully they didn't do this. I like Windows 8, but the day they make a change like this is the day I switch to a different operating system.

On a touch screen, perhaps, but with a traditional keyboard/mouse set-up this would just be an annoyance and make people less productive (significantly more mouse movement).

[Arceles]

No thanks, as someone has pointed out "some people DO real WORK"

[bandit_liberty_rumble]

You seem to completely miss one of the context menu's main advantages... :huh: (namely, the way they reduce the distance to your click target to zero or close enough)

[Jose_49]

Just no.

[AJerman]

Ugh, no thank you. Usability has already taken enough of a hit as is.

[Dot Matrix]

I know this increases travel time, but with the way you can increase cursor speed today, it's a non issue. I can can cross my screens with only a slight bend in my wrist.

[bandit_liberty_rumble]

I know this increases travel time,

So in what way is it an improvement then?

[Arceles]

I know this increases travel time, but with the way you can increase cursor speed today, it's a non issue. I can can cross my screens with only a slight bend in my wrist.

So can I with a 5200 dpi RAT 5 mouse, the answer is the same.

[Dot Matrix]

So in what way is it an improvement then?

Did you read the rest of my reply?

[Max Norris]

So in what way is it an improvement then?

Use Windows on a tablet and try to bullseye the context menu items with your finger, it would be a huge improvement. Just needs to be an optional feature, on a desktop setup it would drive me batty having to navigate through a bunch of menus because of all the shell extensions I'm using, assuming they'd work at all. Simple on/off toggle and everybody's happy.

[Dot Matrix]

Ugh, no thank you. Usability has already taken enough of a hit as is.

There's no usability being lost here.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the idea.. well I do like the concept, but not nuking the context menu entirely. Some of us have either customized and/or added on various shell extensions that really make that context menu rather large, never mind compatibility with previous stuff would be problematic or non-existant. Just between SVN and Git alone there's an awful lot of entries that would be problematic or cumbersome, and I've got a fair number more besides that from various utilities, scripts and whatnot.

Definitely make it in addition to what's already there, that would be handy in certain scenarios, but not kill it outright. I've dealt with context menus on a Windows tablet since the XP days, it's certainly not easy to hit accurately with a finger, and this setup would definitely be handy, but on a desktop system the context menu would just be a lot more convenient and efficient. Make it an optional and I'd be sold for sure.

It could be something Microsoft could look into opening up for custom entries. It would certainly eliminate the amount of white space currently on the slide out.

[Nazmus Shakib Khandaker]

I disagree completely! People know me as a big Windows 8 fan, but even I admit that there are certain UI paradigms that work better with mouse and others work better with touch. Context menus work great with mouse, but not touch. At the same time, buttons on the edge of the screen work better with touch. This is why using the Mail app in Windows 8 is so cumbersome. I have to travel my mouse in large distances using my mouse. Mail app using touch is fantastic. I propose that Windows 8 is more adaptable to mouse and touch. Both context menu and app bars should be present so all types of input can be used. Finally, I would suggest that the desktop context menu be the same as the Metro style context menu, just for the sake of consistency.

[AJerman]

There's no usability being lost here.

There is indeed, everything about Windows 8 takes more clicks, more mousing around, more scrolling. Usability has taken a HUGE hit with Windows 8. This would be the icing on the cake.

[Max Norris]

It could be something Microsoft could look into opening up for custom entries. It would certainly eliminate the amount of white space currently on the slide out.

If it's an optional I'm all for it. In fact, if they'd extend the thing to not just simple menus but actual little "widgets" (whatever you'd want to call it), some little extensions that can do basic things besides a menu and it would be even more of a tasty option. Preview videos, view a changelog or edit a Subversion commit, toggle things on or off, etc etc.. lends itself to all sorts of possibilities. Put that RT stuff to good use.

[Dot Matrix]

There is indeed, everything about Windows 8 takes more clicks, more mousing around, more scrolling. Usability has taken a HUGE hit with Windows 8. This would be the icing on the cake.

I am just as productive on Win8 as I am on Win7, and the desktop is unchanged. So, define "everything" for me please...

[AJerman]

I am just as productive on Win8 as I am on Win7. Define "everything"....

No thank you, I'm not going to turn another thread into a why we don't like Windows 8, you said so yourself in your first post. My opinion is that this would be a big hit in terms of usability, which is likely the biggest reason I don't like Windows 8, so really, I'm surprised they didn't do this. Chalk it up to another feature that wouldn't be bad on a touch interface, but is terrible for a desktop. I like your creative thoughts, don't get me wrong, but I in no way think it's a good idea for a desktop. If you're offering it for a tablet, then perhaps it's not as bad of an idea.

[Dot Matrix]

No thank you, I'm not going to turn another thread into a why we don't like Windows 8, you said so yourself in your first post. My opinion is that this would be a big hit in terms of usability, which is likely the biggest reason I don't like Windows 8, so really, I'm surprised they didn't do this. Chalk it up to another feature that wouldn't be bad on a touch interface, but is terrible for a desktop. I like your creative thoughts, don't get me wrong, but I in no way think it's a good idea for a desktop. If you're offering it for a tablet, then perhaps it's not as bad of an idea.

Windows 8 is a new way to do old things, it's a fresh take on the desktop OS, but at the same time, it's incomplete. The little things like I detailed are why. If anything I certainly hope Microsoft updates their Mouse and Keyboard Center to support Windows 8 commands via my mouse. I'd settle for just invoking Win+I just by right clicking.

[Nazmus Shakib Khandaker]

I am pretty sure 99% of the people would hate this option. There is a reason MS didn't do this: it would have been disastrous. I am going to say that context menus are not going away any time soon. Even in the next few versions of Windows.

[Dot Matrix]

I am pretty sure 99% of the people would hate this option. There is a reason MS didn't do this: it would have been disastrous. I am going to say that context menus are not going away any time soon. Even in the next few versions of Windows.

It's not going away per se here either, just being moved to fill in the white space in the new slide out menu, while making things more universal. The current right click menu is a mouse driven bit that all users a re forced to deal with no matter what device they are using, which in Windows 8 makes no sense anymore when it can be moved to a better spot. It would still exist, as is, in third party apps, since Windows cannot possibly fill that role.

[Denis W. Veteran]

I know this increases travel time, but with the way you can increase cursor speed today, it's a non issue. I can can cross my screens with only a slight bend in my wrist.

Not so if you're on a laptop with a touchpad. Hence the app bars are a pain to use on a laptop. Depending on your sensitivity and speed settings, crossing the screen takes two finger swipes across the touchpad.

[Nazmus Shakib Khandaker]

Sorry, still don't buy it. It would still be a terrible UI decision in my mind. People expect to get feed back at point of input, not some distance away. Context menu at the point of click is very natural for the brain and less jarring. I am going to say it now: as long as the mouse exists, context menus will continue to be at the point of click, not some distances away. But that's my opinion, but I know that's how it should be.

[Josh the Nerd]

The Explorer right click option is even more obsolete in Windows 8, due to much of the functionality appearing on the Ribbon at the top of the window. In fact, upon further inspection, ALL of the right click's functionality is duplicated in the Ribbon. So, it would be nice if the right click menu was gone, and I could access the entire Charms Bar (Win+C on the keyboard) just by right clicking here.

Wouldn't that be an inconsistency, since right-click is used to activate the app bar and not the charms bar in Metro apps? It would be like a Start button that only appears on the desktop.

[Dot Matrix]

Not so if you're on a laptop with a touchpad. Hence the app bars are a pain to use on a laptop. Depending on your sensitivity and speed settings, crossing the screen takes two finger swipes across the touchpad.

Laptops are also getting special touch drivers pretty soon.