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

[HoochieMamma]

OP has obviously never taken any courses on UI design.

Of course not, he likes the Windows 8 start screen and comes up with these retarded ideas.

[Joni_78]

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.

But if you would have to go to ribbon instead of right click, you would have to move your mouse alot more. That would be against the guidelines on how to desing good UI. Why go backwards when the goal is to make fast and easy to use UI.

Right click menu is there so you can for example make a new folder where your mouse is currently.

[SiCKX]

As if MS hasn't taken enough chances with removing the Start Menu, some other bright mind wants something even more radical. As someone already said, you'd bury our beloved MS if you were having any power in your decision. Thank God it's only a sort of funny thread on the Internet.

Please refrain from suggesting horrid actions and build your own MobileLike OS next time. I am all for change, but this is ridiculous.

Thanks.

[@Leo]

Ever since when is Windows only aimed at tablets?

"Ever since" Windows 8.

[MFH]

"Ever since" Windows 8.

So how are they going to develop Windows 9? Oh, the Windows division stayed at Windows 7 :)

[Dot Matrix]

As if MS hasn't taken enough chances with removing the Start Menu, some other bright mind wants something even more radical. As someone already said, you'd bury our beloved MS if you were having any power in your decision. Thank God it's only a sort of funny thread on the Internet.

Please refrain from suggesting horrid actions and build your own MobileLike OS next time. I am all for change, but this is ridiculous.

Thanks.

It's a decision I agree with. There was no saving it. Not if Windows is to have any forward viability.

[phailyoor]

It's a decision I agree with. There was no saving it. Not if Windows is to have any forward viability.

Forward viability? The idea that touch is going to take over Mouse+KB is complete bull, and we should all know it. Take your grubby, 100 pixel wide, oil covered, inaccurate fingers and shove them up your iPad. While you do that, I'll keep on using my pointing device that has accuracy to the pixel, multiple buttons, and doesn't cover my screen in grime.

[ShMaunder]

Seems like a good idea on a tablet / touch interface. Not on something with a mouse :| - RSI at whole new levels. Maybe it should switch depending what hardware is detected?

Take your grubby, 100 pixel wide, oil covered, inaccurate fingers and shove them up your iPad.

:rofl: So true.

[Orange Battery]

I don't think some people will be happy until there are no options at all.

I really wish MS has not tried to merge the desktop and tablet together because of posts like this. The main reason I don't use Android or iOS as my main OS (apart from the obvious) is because its so basic - thats fine on my phone but not on my main interface to my files and folders.

I really think there should be Windows basic - for people who have really basic needs (and there is nothing wrong with that) and Windows Pro for users who want to customise where their menus appear - right click, taskbar or with their own useful keyboard shortcut - surely MS has got to the stage where this is possible.

[Rickkins]

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

What an absolutely moronic idea.

[The King of GnG]

What an absolutely moronic idea.

That's exactly what I thought the first time I saw Windows 8. And I still think this way.

[.Neo]

Newsflash: Most third party applications still use native Windows menus.

I was thinking the same thing the moment I read the first post.

[Rickkins]

Ya gotta wonder what the hell is going on with this site, when they allow such moronic troll bait to continue for 6 pages, and counting.

[farmeunit]

As mentioned, I use the right-click extensively for other things than the default. I extract and compress files a LOT with 7zip, and not having right-click would be bad.

[Detection]

Right click context menus are the next best thing to having 20 programmable buttons on your mouse and having to memorise them all :p

[PGHammer]

Whatever your point was, it's entirely lost with this response because now you're talking about the convenience of wireless over wired. I have a wireless mouse for work myself (verbatim touch) and a RAT 5 for home, I don't mind having a lot of cables in my home, my desk is clean though. I choose wireless by convenience for work, avoiding a lot of cables while in movement is always a great feature.

That convenience is still a feature; how important it is (as I stated) depends on the user - remember, wired HIDs haven't folded their cables and slid silently into obsolescence and museums.

[code65536]

I sometimes wonder if Dot Matrix is just toying with us...

The really ironic thing is that dot matrix printers are horribly obsolete (and virtually extinct--and rightfully so).

[phailyoor]

I sometimes wonder if Dot Matrix is just toying with us...

The really ironic thing is that dot matrix printers are horribly obsolete (and virtually extinct--and rightfully so).

Laser printer. Cheaper, faster, and crisper than a dot matrix printer. Luddites and people who like the sound keep using their dot matrix printers.

Windows 8 Modern UI. WTF? Is this supposed to be better than "legacy" desktop UI? Nah. Just different, not better.

[Calum Veteran]

I was thinking along the same lines, Dot Matrix. I would like to see the right-click menu concept removed at some point, and I suspect it will be. When it is removed, and people see that it isn't needed, we'll be the ones laughing and reminding those in this thread of what they said about your suggestion ;)

As mentioned, I use the right-click extensively for other things than the default. I extract and compress files a LOT with 7zip, and not having right-click would be bad.

As explained by Dot Matrix, those kind of options (all of the options for 7-Zip currently in the right-click menu) should be in the Settings Charm.

[Dot Matrix]

I was thinking along the same lines, Dot Matrix. I would like to see the right-click menu concept removed at some point, and I suspect it will be. When it is removed, we'll be the ones laughing and reminding those in this thread of what they said about it ;)

Well, it will be. Question is when, how, and what will replace it? It can be pretty much eliminated from Explorer already, but I have a feeling many third party apps will still cling to it for sometime playing off the fear of users.

These were just concepts. There's plenty of room for improvement in them.

I still would like to see it moved to the new flyout menus on the side. It cleans up the UI and utilizes the whitespace currently seen in them. Mouse travel be damned. People need to get over their fear of moving around more.

[ToneKnee]

Hmm, I use the right menu a lot, so no, I don't want it gone.

[Calum Veteran]

Hmm, I use the right menu a lot, so no, I don't want it gone.

Most things are used a lot by users when they are removed. The Start Menu was used a lot by users, but it was removed and replaced with an improvement :) Dot Matrix's suggestion isn't to remove the right-click menu and not replace it with anything; it's to remove the right-click menu concept and replace it with something better :)

[psreloaded]

Laptops are also getting special touch drivers pretty soon.

Special drivers!!! I never read a story on that... link please...

Even so... it would be a bad design selection in my opinion and counter productive... the very reason of the context menu being there is to minimize cursor travel... Almost everything in the context menu can be achieved without using the right click even in older windows version... So one can use that if it please.

[Dot Matrix]

Hmm, I use the right menu a lot, so no, I don't want it gone.

I'm not removing it, just moving it.

Having it off to the side cleans up the UI, IMO, better utilizes space, and further integrates Metro into the desktop. Plus it would make it more device friendly, since touch users are still forced onto the desktop in certain scenarios.

Special drivers!!! I never read a story on that... link please...

Even so... it would be a bad design selection in my opinion and counter productive... the very reason of the context menu being there is to minimize cursor travel... Almost everything in the context menu can be achieved without using the right click even in older windows version... So one can use that if it please.

http://www.synaptics.com/solutions/technology/windows8

[psreloaded]

I'm not removing it, just moving it.

Having it off to the side cleans up the UI, IMO, better utilizes space, and further integrates Metro into the desktop. Plus it would make it more device friendly, since touch users are still forced onto the desktop in certain scenarios.

http://www.synaptics...nology/windows8

Thanks for the link... I don't agree that moving it to a side makes it better and more modern in any way. There is good reason as stated in earlier posts as to why it pops up where clicked and not some where else. The top menu bar of an application or Windows explorer as it is has most right click commands...