Where is Notepad in Windows 10? (2015) • Hacker News Board

Re: Where is Notepad in Windows 10? (2015)

#71

Post by kyberias » Thu, Oct 24, 2019, 6:00 PM UTC

dTal wrote: post #59

pradn wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The windows button looks more like a flag than a window, nothing to do with starting anything!

The "Start" button was never really about starting things in the first place. After all, clicking "Start" was the first step to shutting down your computer! Perfectly intuitive... Now it doesn't even say "Start" on it, and yet they persist in calling it the "Start menu".

Just because you could Shut down thru Start-menu doesn't mean it was not meant to start things. That definitely has always been it's purpose.

Re: Where is Notepad in Windows 10? (2015)

#72

Post by baking » Thu, Oct 24, 2019, 6:02 PM UTC

ahbyb wrote: post #15

smacktoward wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Visual cues matter. Lots of people will never realize that typing is an option if they don't see a big visual indicator that says "you can type here."

There's a huge searchbox in the taskbar by default that says "type here to search". You can click there and type "notepad" as well.

Step 1. In the interest of "simplicity" and hiding details from users, make more and more functionality only available through the search box.

Step 2. Move the search box to an annoying position on the task bar.

Step 3. Give users the ability to hide the search box.

Re: Where is Notepad in Windows 10? (2015)

#73

Post by TeMPOraL » Thu, Oct 24, 2019, 6:04 PM UTC

overgard wrote: post #43

basch wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>it appears when you start typing. This is a shockingly common problem for people. I can tell they feel uncomfortable just typing without a place "where" the typing will go. Many people will click the magnifying glass and then again place the cursor into the search field. Same with google, they will click the search field, then the cursor moves to the address bar, they feel surprise, and then place the cursor in the…

It's also really annoying on a tablet. I can't get an onscreen keyboard without some sort of target.

I think in the current iteration of Windows, you're supposed to get a permanently visible keyboard icon in a taskbar when in tablet mode, clicking which will summon the on-screen keyboard. At least that's how it worked on the two Windows 2-in-1s I worked on over the last year.

Re: Where is Notepad in Windows 10? (2015)

#74

Post by kevin_thibedeau » Thu, Oct 24, 2019, 6:05 PM UTC

jmull wrote: post #33

stoolpigeon wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I teach a class in a small high school about building websites. Right now I'm teaching CSS. For HTML and CSS I have the students use notepad or textedit. It's really nice to have a plain text editor that doesn't help them in any way, produces files that will work in the browser and they get to learn better I think. Maybe a small use case but one that makes me glad the tools exist.

It looks like notepad still only has one level of undo. I don't think that's reasonable for any kind of composition or editing.

People used to use line editors on teletypes.

Re: Where is Notepad in Windows 10? (2015)

#75

Post by prepend » Thu, Oct 24, 2019, 6:06 PM UTC

ChrisSD wrote: post #16

prepend wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I prefer txt files for config and notes. I don’t care about formatting so word or word pad are too much. I also use notepad as my goto “paste without formatting” as it’s typically faster to wash the clipboard through notepad than use whatever “paste special” ui an app has.

I prefer something like notepad++ for config and notes. Syntax highlighting is useful for config files (especially larger ones). The auto storing of unsaved files is great for notes. Many of my notes are temporary but I still want them to survive a reboot when necessary. Plus I find tabs easier to manage when I have a lot of notes and files open. The Windows task switcher becomes awkward in that case.

I prefer notepad++ over notepad, but notepad is always installed. If I’m on a computer for a long time, I’ll install notepad++. But most of the time I’m in transient computers that have notepad but not notepad++.

It’s a similar preference to how I like vim. Vim is ubiquitous on *nix systems. Lots of better stuff, but I’m ok enough with vim.

Re: Where is Notepad in Windows 10? (2015)

#76

Post by notadoc » Thu, Oct 24, 2019, 6:08 PM UTC

This reminds me of trying to explain the "Home" button and Touch ID on an iPhone to an older relative a few years ago. They could not figure out how to reliably unlock the phone and they'd most frequently end up with Siri from holding the button down.

Design is how it works...

Re: Where is Notepad in Windows 10? (2015)

#77

Post by baochan » Thu, Oct 24, 2019, 6:09 PM UTC

blihp wrote: post #68

dTal wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The "Start" button was never really about starting things in the first place. After all, clicking "Start" was the first step to shutting down your computer! Perfectly intuitive... Now it doesn't even say "Start" on it, and yet they persist in calling it the "Start menu".

I think the intent of the name was for the millions of new computer users at the time to think 'start here' when their computer booted up. And besides, if they didn't call it Start their Windows 95 ad blitz with Rolling Stones music would have made no sense at all! ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chTftktWmto )

If I remember correctly, the very first time you ran Windows 95 a little animated text box saying "<-- Click Here!" would fly across the taskbar to draw you to it. Coming from Windows 3.11 with Program Manager, it was initially a little confusing. Where was everything?

Re: Where is Notepad in Windows 10? (2015)

#78

Post by notadoc » Thu, Oct 24, 2019, 6:09 PM UTC

ogre_magi wrote: post #37

I have a hard time considering people who aren't natural power-users of technology human. I recognize that this is a failing of mine.

Do you have elderly friends or relatives? They're often a good reference point.

Re: Where is Notepad in Windows 10? (2015)

#79

Post by ninju » Thu, Oct 24, 2019, 6:11 PM UTC

squilliam wrote: post #63

giancarlostoro wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've owned many a keyboard, I don't recall a single one without a Windows key.

Ruggedized keyboards for self-service kiosks don't typically have a windows key or ctrl, alt, and ESC (and if they do there is usually a hardware switch that disables them)

"Ruggedized keyboards for self-service kiosks" does not fall into the category of most keyboards

Re: Where is Notepad in Windows 10? (2015)

#80

Post by antod » Thu, Oct 24, 2019, 6:14 PM UTC

ilkan wrote: post #70

komali2 wrote: post #29

This is a pretty fun submission. I like peering into the lives of computer users that don't have the level of computer literacy I'm used to day to day. It's a good reminder. > This answer is not helpful. There is no start button. Because it's just a little windows icon now - easy to forget that that doesn't just make sense to some people. > Thank you, Brian- I would surely never have looked there, for anything, never…

I was troubleshooting WhatsApp over the phone for a relative work different hardware... Took me a bit of time to realize "solid triangle-ish" was wifi and "cup" was microphone. But for the Gen-Z and after, how would you intuitively represent Save and Call to people who've never seen a floppy disk or a phone handset?

Floppy disk, sure. But phone handset? Old movies and TV shows set in the past will keep that image alive like it did for us with knowing what phones looked like before our time. Unless you think movies/TV will go away too...