What You Would Like To See in Windows 7

[Fox-HTV]

I thought it'd be good to have a thread for everyone to post their ideas on what Win7 should and shouldn't have.

Here are some of my ideas, which I'm submitting to MS too (+others ideas are to come).

Windows Media Player (WMP) & Windows Media Center (WMC)

One Click Play/Pause

Adding an option to allow a single left-click anywhere on the picture, within the video playback window of WMP & WMC, to Pause/Play the video would increase efficiency.

It is one of the major reasons people revert to Media Player Classic (found in Codec Packs) and is a popular feature for video playback in Media Players.

SpaceBar Play/Pause

Adding an option to allow pressing the spacebar to Play/Pause video playback in WMP and WMC would be a popular feature and is featured on virtually all popular Media Players.

Instant-Off Controls

Often people viewing videos with subtitles miss some text and rewind slightly to replay the text.

In such cases, the presence of the controls becomes a hindrance, since when playback is resumed, it takes some time before they disappear, thus obstructing subtitles.

Adding an option that would allow people to set the time controls are displayed would counter such a problem, ie 0sec: instant off, 1sec: 1sec delay, etc.

Also, making the controls only reappear when the mouse pointer is over the region of the window that has them, would reduce the frequency that they pop-up, rather than having the controls reappear from any mouse pointer movement on any region of the window.

This is also a popular feature found in most Media Players.

Scroll-Wheel support for Volume and Seek Adjustment

Adding an option to enable volume control in WMP and WMC through vertically scrolling the mouse scroll-wheel, would ease volume adjustment generally, and for those trying to do so with a wireless mouse from a distance.

Adding a similar option for time seek using the horizontal scrolling on a mouse scroll-wheel would also be great.

SoundClips Category/Library

Today's cyberculture has a lot of sound clips such as PodCasts, AudioBooks, etc, that disturb music playback when put under the "Music" category when shuffle is enabled.

It would be an improvement if a separate category is made within WMP and WMC, so that these sound clips can be put separately so that they are not shuffled with music.

Also, because of 'folder monitoring', if these sound clips are placed in the music folder of the "Library", they will automatically be added to the Music category of the Media Player(s). Perhaps renaming the "Music" folder to 'Audio' and making 'Music' and 'SoundClips' subfolders would be a good means of resolving such problem. Thus, folder monitoring would automatically add music from the 'Music' subfolder to the "Music" category in WMP & WMC, and AudioBooks, etc to from the 'SoundClips' subfolder to a 'Soundclips' category in WMP & WMC.

Windows Explorer

Navigation: Drag & Drop

Within Vista, 'buttons-for-folders' were introduced in the address bar of Windows Explorer, allowing faster navigation.

Adding support for dragging files/folders from within an Explorer Window to over a 'folder-button' in the address bar, then dropping it there to quickly copy or move to different or the same drive respectively would further improve navigation.

Also dragging and dropping files/folders directly onto the previews from the "Superbar" would also make file moving more efficient.

Hope everyone thinks these are good suggestions (much more to come) and that we'll see them in the RC onwards... ;)

Edited February 13, 2009 by Fox-HTV

[jakem1]

I like the Explorer suggestion even though the full path is available in the tree pane. The breadcrumb button may be a larger target to hit for a drag and drop.

[Fox-HTV]

The more options there are the merrier right?

It doesn't have to be an either/or situation, where if one method exists, all other methods are left out.

[Calum Veteran]

I find it hard to fault any of your suggestions ;)

I agree that "Music" is too narrow, especially when we have other types of audio we would like to organise, such as audiobooks and podcasts.

"Audio" is a much better name for the folder, but I think instead of "SoundClips", subfolders should include "Audiobooks", "Podcasts", etc.

I also believe "Pictures" should be changed to "Images" and "Videos" should be changed to "Video", to keep consistency.

[NotSoBad]

I'd like to see a dedicated Game mode on boot, so that only the services etc. needed to play the game are loaded.

You could have a menu on boot listing installed games, pick the game you want to play, and off you go, without unneeded services running in that background reducing frame rates etc.

Game writers would provided a small config. file telling windows what it needs to run on boot.

[rakeshishere]

All this will be available............ in Windows 9 :/ I really wished they could improve it by adding (copying) some features of 3rd party s/w into OS like Tabbed Explorer,Mounting of ISO images as Virtual drives,Improvement in Flip3d with Text of Window,driver backup,Improved disk cleanup

[.Neo]

An actual consistent interface.

[Fox-HTV]

Guys please be specific in your answers, Microsoft promised to read forums like these to see just this, so if you give an accurate description of what you want, then maybe it will be seen and included. I've "Sent Feedback" with all my suggestions so far, as well as bugs I've found and links to this page to see more suggestions.

Here are some more of my ideas:

Explorer & System

Navigation: Roll-up Windows

When one makes a double RIGHT-click on the titlebar of an Explorer window, it is maximised.

It would be a nice innovation if a double left-click would cause a 'roll-up' effect of the window, where the the lower part of the Window slides up to the top of the Window until only the Back&Forward Buttons, Address bar and Search bar are visible (ie only the glass part of the window). Once like that, another Double Right-Click 'unrolls' the Window back to the normal size.

To repeat the effect I'm suggesting, open Notepad, hover the mouse over the bottom of the Window until the vertical resize mouse cursor is displayed, press and hold the bottom of the Notepad window, then slide it up until only the title bar is visible.

This would offer another way one could temporarily clear us some space on the desktop without needing to minimise the window.

|

V

Gadgets: 'Open on Desktop' function

Aero Peek allows one to make all the Windows transparent and view the desktop (including gadgets) without need for minimizing.

It would make more use of the gadget feature, if an option was added into the context menu (possibly named 'Open on Desktop') that would open files such as text and/or word documents and images as gadgets rather than windows.

In this idea, clicking on 'Open on Desktop' would start an animation, where the icon itself expands into a gadget, with all corners being resizable, to show the contents of the file. For text documents, the contents would be editable. The gadget would be movable to any part of the screen as needed and act as a replacement to the icon while active. Either the gadget's close button or right-clicking that gadget, and clicking a context menu option to close it (eg 'Close to Desktop') would start an animation that returns the file to a normal icon with the name underneath again.

The benefits of such a feature would be that, when one is working on something, where for example, they have something in a text document / image that is on the desktop that they need to regularly view (eg IP address) and return to the window they are working on quickly, they could use the "Aero Peek" to see this 'gadget view' then go back to the window they're working on, without needing to click on seperate windows or minimize.

It would improve efficiency by reducing confusion when many windows are open because one wouldn't have to 'hunt' for the necessary window. This would help with repetitive jobs, that require comparison &/or checking something quickly to input into another window since the point of selection in the window being worked on won't change, as one won't need to click anywhere else in order to see the information from the gadget.

Edited February 13, 2009 by Fox-HTV

[Fox-HTV]

@CalumJR

I thought the same but:

1) PodCasts comes from the iPod, which is in turn from Apple, thus it's unlikely MS would want to use such a name;

2) It's also unlikely that MS would want to rename everything too much;

3) I doubt MS would want so many sub-folders as some people would complain about it being too much.

If Pictures was called Photos, I'd agree it's too specific, but I think it's okay as is; however I get your consistency idea.

On the other hand, renaming Videos to Video, would be practically like renaming Images to Image, which is unnecessary and potentially confusing to some.

[wguimb]

....Mounting of ISO images as Virtual drives.....

Yes, this is needed for sure.!!!

[Andy1369]

A truly consistent interface, as .Reo pointed out, would be a blessing. Windows 7 is better than Vista in that respect, but they still have a long way to go.

[Fox-HTV]

@ wguimb & rakeshishere:

If I'm not mistaken, unfortunately it's unlikely there'll be a virtual drive feature, as it was supposed to come in Vista, but companies that make 3rd party software to do the same thing blocked the idea. (I'm not completely sure if Virtual Drives was one of the things blocked though.)

Isn't that also why MS is removing some software from Win7 that normally came bundled with Windows; so that 3rd party vendors have a chance?

@ Andy1369 & .Reo:

Please specify what exactly you're saying is inconsistent in the interface, you're a bit vague and I personally don't get what you mean.

[cbosdell]

All this will be available............ in Windows 9 :/ I really wished they could improve it by adding (copying) some features of 3rd party s/w into OS like Tabbed Explorer,Mounting of ISO images as Virtual drives,Improvement in Flip3d with Text of Window,driver backup,Improved disk cleanup

Agreed with all of those. Now those would make windows much more useful and make 7 a "must buy" for me.

[Calum Veteran]

@CalumJR

I thought the same but:

1) PodCasts comes from the iPod, which is in turn from Apple, thus it's unlikely MS would want to use such a name;

2) It's also unlikely that MS would want to rename everything too much;

3) I doubt MS would want so many sub-folders as some people would complain about it being too much.

If Pictures was called Photos, I'd agree it's too specific, but I think it's okay as is; however I get your consistency idea.

On the other hand, renaming Videos to Video, would be practically like renaming Images to Image, which is unnecessary and potentially confusing to some.

Ahh yeah, you're right! I didn't think of that ;) "Videos" should stay as "Videos".

[»X«]

Firstly, let me be the first to say, fantastic post. The effort you went to. (Y)

Secondly, in regard to features etc. I would love the Win95/98 approach to installing. As in a true custom option where you can choose what addons to install. So you can remove games, screensavers, themes and other applications you never use before you install. And allow you to set up usernames etc before you click install. Then you can be safe in the knowledge that when its finished installing, your on your desktop rather than having to fill in more dialog boxes.

[Jayayess1190]

I want the battery meter to display the percentage remaining next to it. I have downloaded a program that can do that, but I want it to be built into Windows.

[MagicAndre1981]

I want the ability to (un)install applications into the install.wim in offline mode without installing Win Vista/7 in Audit mode and recapture it into a new install.wim which takes a lot of time, but MS closed this request on connect :(

[eitch]

1) "Tile to the left", "Tile to the right" items on the window context menu.

2) "Open command window here".

3) Dynamically colorized UI elements (not only the frame, but the buttons, etc as well.) Because the light blue can look ugly when you change the frame to a completely different color. If all UI elements colorized dynamically, it would remain coherent and would enhance the experience in my opinion. (I've actually sent this over feedback)

4) Ability to somehow pin batch files (or shortcuts to batch files) to the taskbar.

[Guest xiphi]

The only thing I'd want that is the ability to have the Windows Explorer toolbar match the color of the theme's. Windows Live Mail lets you choose the color, why not Windows 7?

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

The ability to install other browsers from the DVD such as:

1. Firefox.

2. Opera

3. Google Chrome

4. ...etc!

IE should not be the only choice. That is the sole reason that it has the market share that it does. MS is a monopoly and should practice fair business practices.

[Ricardo Gil]

The ability to install other browsers from the DVD such as:

1. Firefox.

2. Opera

3. Google Chrome

4. ...etc!

IE should not be the only choice. That is the sole reason that it has the market share that it does. MS is a monopoly and should practice fair business practices.

Newsflash: it isn't.

And please, don't make me bring out a car analogy.

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

Newsflash: it isn't.

And please, don't make me bring out a car analogy.

What other Browser can you install off of the DVD??

[rakeshishere]

The ability to install other browsers from the DVD such as:

1. Firefox.

2. Opera

3. Google Chrome

4. ...etc!

IE should not be the only choice. That is the sole reason that it has the market share that it does. MS is a monopoly and should practice fair business practices.

Firefox/Chrome is better compared to IE... I agree upon that but it doesn't make sense they should bundle other browsers in their product? They give you a full choice to use whatever you want .... If you want this to happen, then Winamp or other media player companies may whine over WMP and say the same argument .

Finally its their product, they can do what they want . And asking for bundling other browsers or products into OS is not considered as "What You Would Like To See in Windows 7"

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

Firefox/Chrome is better compared to IE... I agree upon that but it doesn't make sense they should bundle other browsers in their product? They give you a full choice to use whatever you want .... If you want this to happen, then Winamp or other media player companies may whine over WMP and say the same argument .

Finally its their product, they can do what they want . And asking for bundling other browsers or products into OS is not considered as "What You Would Like To See in Windows 7"

The question was What would you like to see in Windows 7. That is what I would like to see. I believe that there is a current lawsuit requesting this.

[hdood]

The ability to install other browsers from the DVD such as:

It would be completely unreasonable to expect Microsoft to support third party products.

If other browsers were going to be bundled, it would have to be done by the OEMs -- provided they wanted to keep supporting them for the entire lifespan of the product.