iwod Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 Any chance they could refine the Control panel for RTM surprise? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViperAFK Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 There's nothing wrong with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phot0nic Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 I agree that the Control Panel sucks, but no, it's unlikely to change before RTM. At least in Vista we could switch to classic view, but they've managed to botch that up in 7. It's a shame that they failed in this area while bringing so many improvements in other areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I8PP Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 Isn't setting the view to Large Icon pretty much the same as "Classic view"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hell-In-A-Handbasket Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 could always just do what i do, put control panel as a menu on the startbar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phot0nic Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 Isn't setting the view to Large Icon pretty much the same as "Classic view"? Well, it's close, but it's what I meant by "botching it up". The labels make everything much larger, and it seems like there are many more items. The default control panel view is annoying to navigate, but the classic view presented everything in a clean, compact way. This new Large Icon view is just cluttered and overwhelming. It seems that the only reasonable way to find anything is to use the search. I'm glad it's there, but I should not have to pull out my keyboard just to navigate the UI. could always just do what i do, put control panel as a menu on the startbar Yeah, that's probably what I'll end up doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timmah339 Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 you could always search for what you'd like to do in the search bar? want to add/remove windows features? type in fea, click on the link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ambroos Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 Eh? I like category view a lot, it's very easy to find things in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
User6060 Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 theres tons of different views, plus its all searchable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rakeshishere Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 theres tons of different views, plus its all searchable I know its there, but still i need to search :wacko: The Control Panel is pathetic in Windows 7 and i don't think they would change it. In vista you could Sort and Group them by category but i dont see how could do this in Windows 7 Add Control Panel to superbar and using jumplists kinda saves time a lot, but control panel as a whole is so damn ugly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calum Veteran Posted June 14, 2009 Veteran Share Posted June 14, 2009 Eh? I like category view a lot, it's very easy to find things in there. I've never tried it in that view as I am used to the old way of doing it, but I'm going to try it in the default view for a bit and see if it is easier to find things or to see if I like it more. I often use the search anyway. I think so many people complain about the 'catergory view' because they haven't given it a chance and actually tried it first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phot0nic Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Well, I haven't used 7's category view much, but I have used Vista's category view. I can find things, yes. However, I have to scan through an entire page of options to find the one that looks like it might contain the option I'm looking for, and keep clicking until I narrow it down. It takes far more clicks, and far more time to scan each page. The ONLY way that category view becomes useful is if I memorize where each link is. The classic view presented a few icons. You just clicked on the one that made sense. The new views that replace category view are pretty much as efficient, however, the text labels are needlessly large, and it seems like there are MANY more items. These are more aesthetic problems than anything else, but it's worth mentioning. The new views are definitely worse, and nothing useful was gained. I'm not sure what the rationale was behind changing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOHW Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Searching for stuff using the start menu is much faster! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrGriggs Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 I would say that neither is more efficient than the other in general, it's just preference, the only thing that is actually "wrong" in the control panel is not allowing to go to the old preference you speak of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zhangm Supervisor Posted June 15, 2009 Supervisor Share Posted June 15, 2009 The Start Menu search is the new digging through hierarchies of icons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salty Wagyu Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Try getting to Windows Defender from category view, can't seem to do it. Only in that huge icon view list it's there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phot0nic Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Look, I see a lot of people shrug this off by just saying that someone should "search". I see this same response in every UI criticism within this particular sub-forum. I should probably make a thread out of this because it's about much more than the control panel, but let me make this one point: Having a search option does not excuse a poorly designed UI. The search is nice. It's very powerful, and I enjoy having the ability to use it if I forget where a certain option is located. However, the GUI should be as structured and efficient as possible. I should be able to use the search as a supplement, not be forced* to use it as a replacement. I keep my keyboard on a standard keyboard tray under my desk. I use the mouse to navigate my UI (seeing that GUIs were created to supersede CUIs), and pull out my keyboard when text entry is necessary. I should not have to pull out my keyboard to do something as simple as navigate a UI. To preempt the fanboy responses that run rampant on this forum: I am a "Windows guy". I like Windows Vista/7 far more than my alternatives. I do not want to see a "love it or leave it" type response. That said, NO software is perfect, and I feel that this is a fair criticism. * I understand I'm not really forced. It just feels like I am because of how poorly designed the alternative is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuckeratlarge Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 I don't see what's wrong with the Control panel in Windows 7... (btw I just used 'Paint' in Windows 7, I can't believe how great it's got) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViperAFK Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Use the search in the control panel and you will find what you need than using the icons in any version of windows. Wanna partition? type partition, wanna defrag? type defrag it literally can't get any more simple than that. And the category view is fine anyway I have no trouble using it. It's not much different than xps category view... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panda X Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 Wait for 8 again? I don't recall waiting for 8 ever before... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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