Is Microsoft ignoring the desktop again?

[georgevella]

Vista -> Win 7 - huge architectural changes, lots of improvement to file system, kernel, lower layers, changes to Explorer, desktop

Win 7 -> Win 8 - again major changes (even if you ignore Metro), new task manager, kernel hibernation, File history, MS account

 

Features like these will probably be announced around BUILD.  At this moment they are fixing up the chasm in usability created by Windows 8, hence why all this focus on user interface and non-power-user oriented features. 

[binaryzero]

All this fuss about an Operating system - a piece of software that's designed to help run the actual applications that matter (and hopefully help you achieve something).

 

TBH, every version of Windows for the past 20 years has been pretty much the same concepts.

[chrisj1968]

As someone who owns an E-ATX motherboard with two AMD video cards, I miss features like Aero Glass, I don't like the direction some software including Windows has taken where power users are cast aside - and desktop users - in favor of mobile platforms. Today's Windows 10 event did not show much of anything that would benefit someone like me who only uses desktop PCs. DirectX 12 and maybe Cortana.

That said, I found this official photo interesting, note the transparency:

Perhaps there is a new desktop oriented eyecandy GUI in the works but it wasnt quite ready to show off today:

https://winpreview.catalysis.com/images/laptop_device_start.png

 

I think MSFT "dumbed down" windows so it appeals to everyone. the hardware side was blessed/cursed with plug and play which played into the beginning of dumbing down of windows. this started with Windows 95. (not having to deal with ports and settings like win 3.1) now they built the easy to build PC that is already set for users to simply turn on a PC and "go for it." 

 

I'll agree maybe the UI wasn't ready for prime time as deion sanders would say. part of enjoying using a PC is being able to install icons and make the underlying UI look appealling. I guess that's asking to much around here. I have NO qualms about the modern UI. use it if you like it. conversely, have a feature in settings to turn off the desktop all together for modern UI users.

 

if this is MSFT's vision of future computing, MSFT has shown their hand and will have to go down that road or break promises to modern UI users and go back. this might not be an accident.  ithink MSFT has a road map for windows and how they will develop new UI's and such. this new guy who took over MSFT, what's his name? he's just going off the play book.

[Anibal P]

I think MSFT "dumbed down" windows so it appeals to everyone. the hardware side was blessed/cursed with plug and play which played into the beginning of dumbing down of windows. this started with Windows 95. (not having to deal with ports and settings like win 3.1) now they built the easy to build PC that is already set for users to simply turn on a PC and "go for it." 

 

I'll agree maybe the UI wasn't ready for prime time as deion sanders would say. part of enjoying using a PC is being able to install icons and make the underlying UI look appealling. I guess that's asking to much around here. I have NO qualms about the modern UI. use it if you like it. conversely, have a feature in settings to turn off the desktop all together for modern UI users.

 

if this is MSFT's vision of future computing, MSFT has shown their hand and will have to go down that road or break promises to modern UI users and go back. this might not be an accident.  ithink MSFT has a road map for windows and how they will develop new UI's and such. this new guy who took over MSFT, what's his name? he's just going off the play book.

 

Not sure why you keep spouting this nonsense that you can't customize win 10, have you actually USED Win10? Because it sounds like you are just regurgitating some Windows hate site's lies. Me ad a few others would love to see what you mean or how you can't customize as much as you wan

[George P Global Moderator]

Talk about jumping the gun, just because they didn't talk about under the hood changes people think they're ignoring the desktop??? Whaaa?

 

And WinFS, seriously? WinFS was nothing more than a custom db running on top of ntfs, probably built on SQL. You don't need that, you can already index and search the filesystem just fine. 

[Defcon]

WinFS wasn't actually a file system though, at least not in the traditional sense.

It was a layer on top of a FS that enabled a ton of features that are still amazing more than 10 years after they were demo'd.

[Ci7]

I think MSFT "dumbed down" windows so it appeals to everyone. the hardware side was blessed/cursed with plug and play which played into the beginning of dumbing down of windows. this started with Windows 95. (not having to deal with ports and settings like win 3.1) now they built the easy to build PC that is already set for users to simply turn on a PC and "go for it." 

 

I'll agree maybe the UI wasn't ready for prime time as deion sanders would say. part of enjoying using a PC is being able to install icons and make the underlying UI look appealling. I guess that's asking to much around here. I have NO qualms about the modern UI. use it if you like it. conversely, have a feature in settings to turn off the desktop all together for modern UI users.

 

if this is MSFT's vision of future computing, MSFT has shown their hand and will have to go down that road or break promises to modern UI users and go back. this might not be an accident.  ithink MSFT has a road map for windows and how they will develop new UI's and such. this new guy who took over MSFT, what's his name? he's just going off the play book.

 

his name satya nadella, i believe 

[Anibal P]

Talk about jumping the gun, just because they didn't talk about under the hood changes people think they're ignoring the desktop??? Whaaa?

 

And WinFS, seriously? WinFS was nothing more than a custom db running on top of ntfs, probably built on SQL. You don't need that, you can already index and search the filesystem just fine. 

 

Starting to believe all these people want is ugly XP back and nothing MS does will appease them because it will never happen 

[Defcon]

Not sure why you keep spouting this nonsense that you can't customize win 10, have you actually USED Win10? Because it sounds like you are just regurgitating some Windows hate site's lies. Me ad a few others would love to see what you mean or how you can't customize as much as you wan

Maybe you haven't actually tried to customize Windows?

 

In Vista, Win 7 etc, you could choose any color you want for any element like title bar, change fonts, button sizes, have multiple themes. All of this is severely limited in Win 8 and its the same in Win 10. e.g. can you change the background color of a Window? No.

[Ian W]

It was a layer on top of a FS that enabled a ton of features that are still amazing more than 10 years after they were demo'd.

Of course, yes. I think its features are long overdue.

[SledgeNZ]

I have Win 8.1. And we ARE getting another Win 8, if you don't have a hybrid, there's very little new. Did you not read my 1st post?

 

Not improving is same as ignoring. This thread is about desktop users. The other poster said Continuum is a desktop feature and I pointed out its not.

You've said it all there. You have 8.1.

 

Have you tried the Win 10 Technical Preview? It so far has been ALL about the desktop. What was shown today was how all form factors enter the mix.

[Anibal P]

Maybe you haven't actually tried to customize Windows?

 

In Vista, Win 7 etc, you could choose any color you want for any element like title bar, change fonts, button sizes, have multiple themes. All of this is severely limited in Win 8 and its the same in Win 10. e.g. can you change the background color of a Window? No.

 

I can throw on any gaudy theme they have on DevArt i I so please, so yes you can obviously change it  

[HawkMan]

On a desktop pc or laptop, Continuum has zero relevance and in fact you will never even see it.

 

that's the point, thanks to continuum they can still have a m+kb focused desktop interface. without it the whole ui would be more touch focused, because that's the direction computing is going.

[Defcon]

You've said it all there. You have 8.1.

 

Have you tried the Win 10 Technical Preview? It so far has been ALL about the desktop. What was shown today was how all form factors enter the mix.

I posted earlier I've been running the TP from day 1 on multiple machines. What I meant is I've used 8 and 8.1 since the other poster thought I hadn't.

[nosense]

Maybe you haven't actually tried to customize Windows?

 

In Vista, Win 7 etc, you could choose any color you want for any element like title bar, change fonts, button sizes, have multiple themes. All of this is severely limited in Win 8 and its the same in Win 10. e.g. can you change the background color of a Window? No.

http://www.deviantart.com/browse/all/customization/skins/windows8/visualstyles8/?order=9

[Defcon]

I can throw on any gaudy theme they have on DevArt i I so please, so yes you can obviously change it  

 

If you mean visual styles, you can't without hacking the OS with UxStyle.

 

And theme is not the same thing as customizing window elements. This feature was clearly removed from Win 8.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_features_removed_in_Windows_8#Appearance_and_personalization

 

Stop arguing about it, its a known fact.

[chrisj1968]

I can throw on any gaudy theme they have on DevArt i I so please, so yes you can obviously change it  

 

theme you say= "change taskbar color and background picture."

 

my definition =" install icon packs, wallpapers(background pictures), color schemes, Aero on/off, windows shapes (gothic, sci-fi). that's real customizing.

 

see here

 

or

 

[HawkMan]

Talk about jumping the gun, just because they didn't talk about under the hood changes people think they're ignoring the desktop??? Whaaa?

 

And WinFS, seriously? WinFS was nothing more than a custom db running on top of ntfs, probably built on SQL. You don't need that, you can already index and search the filesystem just fine. 

 

libraries and saved/smart searches are already more than WinFS ever was.

[nosense]

theme you say= "change taskbar color and background picture."

 

my definition =" install icon packs, wallpapers(background pictures), color schemes, Aero on/off, windows shapes (gothic, sci-fi). that's real customizing.

 

see here

 

or

 

You can still do that.....

[Defcon]

libraries and saved/smart searches are already more than WinFS ever was.

Then you clearly don't know what WinFS was. I'll try not to get technical, but it was a mechanism any app could use to expose their data as objects vs files.

 

e.g you could define a folder 'imp mails' in Explorer which would show emails from Outlook/Gmail etc that ere labeled important. Its a far cry from 'smart search' which tries to do the same thing but relies on files and filters.

[Ian W]

libraries and saved/smart searches are already more than WinFS ever was.

You're not serious? Libraries and Saved Searches don't allow users to create relationships between data, nor do they enable the operating system and its applications to share a single notion of a type of data, such as a "contact."

[nosense]

If you mean visual styles, you can't without hacking the OS with UxStyle.

 

And theme is not the same thing as customizing window elements. This feature was clearly removed from Win 8.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_features_removed_in_Windows_8#Appearance_and_personalization

 

Stop arguing about it, its a known fact.

Talking about something like this?

 

(9901 Build)

[chrisj1968]

You're not serious? Libraries and Saved Searches don't allow users to create relationships between data, nor do they enable the operating system and its applications to share a single notion of a type of data, such as a "contact."

 

If I'm clued into what you are saying, If I install office then libreoffice, click to open a word file, I'm always asked if I want word to be the default program to open this file type (assuming I'm reading you correctly)? if so, it does that already.

[spenser.d]

The desktop has been static since Vista or probably even Windows 98.

 

Just off the top of my head, what they could do -

 

- remove confusion with Homegroups, Libraries, This PC, My PC

- expose NTFS features like hard links, junction points, and actually use them

- per monitor dpi

- object oriented file system with smart searches - I don't know how many of you actually remember WinFS

- improved kernel

 

Trust me, there is TONS of stuff that can be done. Just take a look at Microsoft Research projects sometime, they do a lot of cool projects that never make it into a real product because of marketing reasons.

 

I think you're confusing deprioritizing things only a small group of users will ever care about with ignoring desktop...

[chrisj1968]

Talking about something this?

 

(9901 Build)

 

no. Windows XP through 7 had a place for a user to install total themes like i posted earlier. or.. if you wanted to just change to a set of new icons, download the icon pack, install and icons would be placed into the correct folder for icons and you would reboot, and change to the icons you liked. some people made fantastic icons.. microsoft could have learned a thing or two from some of those icon/theme developers. many were talented

 

or install a complete theme all together for: