Windows 7 Wish List

[Brandon Live Veteran]

Yeah and the only way to eliminate fragmentation is to make things much slower (defrag-on-write). Of course there are ways to make things better perhaps, but really it's all moot since solid state disks will likely take over at least for system drives in the relatively near future. And fragmentation means essentially nothing on them.

[limcf]

Mojave is only for people who complaining Vista is bad without knowing any of its features. It will not work for me as I'm an experienced Vista user. Vista is just not good enough.

[andy2004]

i was thinking yesterday after watching a research video for future mozilla browsers, how about a feature like flip 3d (winkey+tab) for internet explorer except it displays intenet browser history. Sometimes i look through internet history to find something ive visited the previous day or week and sometimes i have to click on alot of links to find the page. Why not have a 3d visualisation of history so that i can bring up a 3d flip like feature except it would display browser history, the first window being the most recent page ive visited and the last flip 3d window being the oldest page i visited.

[Andre S. Veteran]

While I agree that search UI is kind of messed up your problems seem to be more of a user issue than anything. You failed to notice a very obvious refresh button, some finite time required to index and so on.

The point is, I shouldn't have to care about how Windows searches and finding buttons on the interface. There's a search bar in the start menu, why doesn't it find what I want? It should, since that is its function. I call that malfunction, plain and simple.

[Mouldy Punk]

Multiple desktops on a single screen. *nix has been doing it for years - it's a really useful feature, I don't see why Microsoft didn't implement it in Vista, especially as they made an XP Power Toy that did it.

[Brandon Live Veteran]

The point is, I shouldn't have to care about how Windows searches and finding buttons on the interface. There's a search bar in the start menu, why doesn't it find what I want? It should, since that is its function. I call that malfunction, plain and simple.

The start menu is for finding your stuff quickly. The things that users generally want to get to every day.

It is NOT an entrypoint for finding system files (which are intentionally hidden from the user's view as much as possible).

[EduardValencia]

i was thinking yesterday after watching a research video for future mozilla browsers, how about a feature like flip 3d (winkey+tab) for internet explorer except it displays intenet browser history. Sometimes i look through internet history to find something ive visited the previous day or week and sometimes i have to click on alot of links to find the page. Why not have a 3d visualisation of history so that i can bring up a 3d flip like feature except it would display browser history, the first window being the most recent page ive visited and the last flip 3d window being the oldest page i visited.

Nice idea mate! :yes:

This will extend further functionalty to flip3d!

[Andre S. Veteran]

The start menu is for finding your stuff quickly. The things that users generally want to get to every day.

It is NOT an entrypoint for finding system files (which are intentionally hidden from the user's view as much as possible).

Well, flac.exe isn't exactly a system file, it just so happened that it wasn't in the user folder, but I'm not supposed to know about it before I actually do the search, which should find it and tell me where it is! It really is a search area, that's what written on it, if it can't find what I'm looking for, or has a 20% chance to be looking in the right place, it's pretty useless to me, now I always do Windows+F + advanced search + look in non-indexed folders for any search.

The one thing I really like about the pseudo-search bar is that I can start applications simply by typing their name in, as long as they are registered in Windows as being installed, not just exes unzipped somewhere (now that would be even more awesome).

[Zlain]

I want something that works.

[Julius Caro]

The start menu is for finding your stuff quickly. The things that users generally want to get to every day.

It is NOT an entrypoint for finding system files (which are intentionally hidden from the user's view as much as possible).

well, it does sometimes find configuration files of programs, which is annoying. I guess its not vistas fault though

[Melfster]

I'm pretty happy with Vista it must be said but off my head I still fins anything related to moving files slow at times even after SP1.

I'd also like to see some really smooth way to synchronise data between multiple networked computers so people who have a laptop can have it auto sync with their desktop.

There already is a way. Its called live Mesh.

[Melfster]

I think that definitely need stripped down version of the OS that can run on net books. They also need to cut down the versions of Windows to no more then 3.

[Brandon Live Veteran]

Well, flac.exe isn't exactly a system file, it just so happened that it wasn't in the user folder, but I'm not supposed to know about it before I actually do the search, which should find it and tell me where it is! It really is a search area, that's what written on it, if it can't find what I'm looking for, or has a 20% chance to be looking in the right place, it's pretty useless to me, now I always do Windows+F + advanced search + look in non-indexed folders for any search.

The one thing I really like about the pseudo-search bar is that I can start applications simply by typing their name in, as long as they are registered in Windows as being installed, not just exes unzipped somewhere (now that would be even more awesome).

Well, the expectation is that most users only search for programs they have installed (and thus, have a Start Menu shortcut), not .exe's in random folders.

If you want it to find .exe's in some random folder, just add that folder to your %PATH% variable. I have a "bin" directory in my user profile that I use like this with tons of random deveopment tools, scripts, and one-off little apps I wrote.

That way you don't even have to add them to the index, they'll simply be found by the path expansion logic in the start menu (same thing the Run box and command line do).

[zhangm Supervisor]

Windows spawns too many windows. In many cases, you should be able to rethink the way users navigate throughout different system settings (use that breadcrumb bar), and limit the spawning of new windows. Yes, you need to let the user retain a sense of how they got to where they are currently, but it's absolutely absurd to expect someone to backtrack through six different settings windows (how do you tell which came first, Display Properties, or Advanced Settings?). Nested Properties windows are perhaps the worst.

Expand the Wireless popup so that the user can view and select a wireless network. Right now, you open the little box and allow the user to Connect or Disconnect. That's great, but why do you need to spawn that next window to let the user carry out that task? Give a simple rundown of the network names in that list (and add the ability to connect/disconnect to each), and let the user show detailed information of it in a new window should they choose. Maybe add some good tidbits in there, like encryption protocol, hardware address, etc.

Oh, right.

Desktop > Personalize > Display Settings > Advanced Settings... > Color Management > Color Management (does anyone else think this bit is stupid?) > Profiles

Notice that the profiles button actually toggles a dropdown menu. Who did that?

[EduardValencia]

Updated :cool:

My Windows 7 suggestion guide.

-------------------------

- Animated log-on screen

- Show a clock on log-on screen

- Ability for animated flip instant account switch (No log-on screen

intermediate process)

- Better file system (Better than NTFS) that won't require defragmentation.

- Internet Explorer : Full CSS 3.1 standards compliance,SVG support,HTTP

Pipelining,Integrate multiple separate windows into tabs and viceversa,3D tab

switching (optional,could work alongside Flip3d),spellchecker, in-line

search, download manager,faster rendering engine,better add-on interface

manager (similar to firefox).

- Strict 3rd party driver hardware installation policies,automatic driver

diagnostic tool to determine the quality of the written driver.

- Option to restore default services running on memory configuration

(services.msc )

- Preload similar services and applicatios from different accounts before

user logs in the Welcome screen,seems that Vista starts loading everything nly when user types it user name and password.

(Reduced boot time)

- Ability to undock playlist from Windows Media Player. (More compact

interface),more skins.

- Ability for synchornized work between perfomance features

(Readyboost,Readydrive,Superfetch)

- Computarized service AI module,(this module will disable uneeded services

based upon usability of the OS in time,add ability to switch off this feature upon request of power users).

- Full modularity

- Constant hardware analisis and reports,adding it to the windows error

reporting tool function process.

- Animated UAC prompt,less intrusive (fade effect?)

- Root out old windows icons and interfaces and standarize for future relases like windows 7...see (istartedsomething) by Zeng

- Ability to switch to Internet Explorer 8..9? mode from exploring my pc and viceversa,add interoperability between these instances.

- Expand Mojave Proyect further,open Microsoft demonstartion stores at mayor cities around the globe,in partership with mayor OEM builders, teach all the people how Windows vista works flawlessly,and teach where windows is going in build 7,great feedback you should recieve,and revive Windows image,apart from this microsoft products could be sold in the demosntration store,like keyboards mouses and different OEM computers.

- When UAC prompts for authroization,the dialog box displays in Vista basic mode when aero is enabled.

- Windows 7 must check and detect if the BIOS is compatible with the operating system.Add automatic in-built check tool.

- Add virtualization enviroment box natively ( Hyper - V or Microsoft Visrtual PC 2007) ,add MAC OSX support for god sake!

- FTP locations support

- Give more functionality to paint,update it.

- Aero UI is perfect,leave it default for windows 7,polish it,microsoft should follow Apple OS guidline evolution,The same OS,more functionality,more stable,faster,robust,better usability interoperating functions etc.

- Different maximize and minimize windows animations.

- Add Microsoft Baseline Security Analizer integrated to the security center functionality

[KayMan2K]

- Windows Vista UI should follow Windows Vista UI Guidelines! (You know there is a problem within the company when the 'bad' examples from the style guide are from the shipping product!)

- Windows Explorer should follow hard links.

- 'ProgramData' folder renamed to 'Program Data'. Really, the lack of a space just looks wrong sitting underneath 'Program Files'.

- Fix network file transfers. With SP1, my Vista install takes 4x longer than my XP install.

- Improved multiple monitor support. Let me tell Windows that I have a second monitor on the RIGHT of my primary display.

- Improve the font management ui.

- Expose the GAC, and other .NET settings, from a Control Panel applet.

[Brandon Live Veteran]

- 'ProgramData' folder renamed to 'Program Data'. Really, the lack of a space just looks wrong sitting underneath 'Program Files'.

It's a hidden folder though.

- Improved multiple monitor support. Let me tell Windows that I have a second monitor on the RIGHT of my primary display.

We've had this since Windows 98?

[Linkinfamous]

- Windows Vista UI should follow Windows Vista UI Guidelines! (You know there is a problem within the company when the 'bad' examples from the style guide are from the shipping product!)

Agreed. There are a few nasty cases there. Hopefully they'll flush out all the old control panel applets and merge them back into the explorer window, like they did with the desktop background selector, network center, etc.

- 'ProgramData' folder renamed to 'Program Data'. Really, the lack of a space just looks wrong sitting underneath 'Program Files'.

Spaces suck in folder names. Program Files shouldn't even have one.

- Improved multiple monitor support. Let me tell Windows that I have a second monitor on the RIGHT of my primary display.

If it can't remember your settings, my guess would be that your graphics drivers are to blame. I seem to recall a few old catalyst versions forgetting settings, then it was fixed in the next, broken in the next, etc.

- Expose the GAC, and other .NET settings, from a Control Panel applet.

There has always been an MMC snapin installed with the .NET Framework that does just this. Type '.NET' into your start menu search.

Edited August 19, 2008 by MioTheGreat

[simsie]

Make Windows Update a central hub for updating everything, or atleast most major things.

I noticed that Java, amungst other applications all load their own update checkers at startup. I think it'd be better if Windows Update was responsible for updating major components like Sun Java and the like, to save on resources.

[slr2006]

A feature that I would love to see in Windows 7 isnt a feature that is brought up that often but I feel is very important. It's called Resolution independence. Windows Vista was an improvement over Windows XP but it's not perfect, some elements in Vista scale fine while others do not and some dont scale at all (gadgets, software). For anyone who owns a high resolution display you know that text can become quite tiny. The entire UI in Windows 7 needs to be totally resolution independent, it should automatically detect the resolution of your monitor and scale accordingly.

[Linkinfamous]

A feature that I would love to see in Windows 7 isnt a feature that is brought up that often but I feel is very important. It's called Resolution independence. Windows Vista was an improvement over Windows XP but it's not perfect, some elements in Vista scale fine while others do not and some dont scale at all (gadgets, software). For anyone who owns a high resolution display you know that text can become quite tiny. The entire UI in Windows 7 needs to be totally resolution independent, it should automatically detect the resolution of your monitor and scale accordingly.

The DWM can (and does) scale older non-DPI aware apps with bitmap scaling of the window contents. More developers need to either use WPF (where your app will most likely be resolution independent just by not doing anything stupid in development), or make their apps DPI aware.

The Vista magnifier will give vector scaling on any WPF apps (It's actually really cool), but it shuts off ClearType, which sucks. Hopefully they can make it possible to do screen zooming like OSX has, too.

[slr2006]

I agree with you, more developers need to focus on making there applications dpi aware.I use this program called Rhapsody to listen to music, unfortunately the text is very tiny on my 24" lcd. I could turn off Windows XP scaling but then the program would look pretty bad. Microsoft needs to focus on improving the scaling capabilities in Windows 7. Some elements in Windows Vista such as the gadgets dont scale at all, Microsoft needs to correct this.