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Windows 11: Just say no

computerworld.com

351–360 of 539 posts

Re: Windows 11: Just say no

#351

Windows 11 is half-baked. But it isn't just half-baked because it was rushed out while ignoring all the feedback (although it absolutely was). It is also half-baked because Microsoft's management has no particular strategy or plan for what they want Windows to be. So Windows 11 just feels like an "and kitchen sink" where someone picked up an iPad, noted down a bunch of random features without rhyme or reason and then…

It continues a decades-long tradition where every other Windows version is borderline unusable and universally hated. As long as I remember:

* Windows 3.0 was perceived as buggy

* Windows 3.1/3.11 was a major improvement

* Windows 95 was extremely unreliable

* Windows 98 sort of addressed most of the issues

* Windows 2000 was a weird amalgamation of the NT kernel and 98/ME look'n'feel that wasn't received well

* Windows XP fixed that

* Windows Vista was universally hated

* Windows 7 addressed most of its issues

* Windows 8 was a nonsense with phone-style UI on desktops, tablets and servers

* Windows 10 fixed it

Now it's time for another crappy release to get people really excited about upgrading to Windows 12 in a year or two.

Re: Windows 11: Just say no

#352

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> so much more pleasant to use than windows Is there anything in contention with windows in that regard? Maybe the mobile OSes?

In what regard? In being unpleasant to use? No, I believe modern Windows to be singular in its unpleasantness. In seriousness, though, try as I might I can't seem to parse your first sentence even using my "native English speaker" plug-in.

> In being unpleasant to use

Yea.

Re: Windows 11: Just say no

#354

Windows 11 is half-baked. But it isn't just half-baked because it was rushed out while ignoring all the feedback (although it absolutely was). It is also half-baked because Microsoft's management has no particular strategy or plan for what they want Windows to be. So Windows 11 just feels like an "and kitchen sink" where someone picked up an iPad, noted down a bunch of random features without rhyme or reason and then…

It continues a decades-long tradition where every other Windows version is borderline unusable and universally hated. As long as I remember: * Windows 3.0 was perceived as buggy * Windows 3.1/3.11 was a major improvement * Windows 95 was extremely unreliable * Windows 98 sort of addressed most of the issues * Windows 2000 was a weird amalgamation of the NT kernel and 98/ME look'n'feel that wasn't received well * Wind…

Where's Windows ME?

Re: Windows 11: Just say no

#355

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Even Apple and Google have both figured out that screwing around with UX every release is a recipe for making your customers HATE you. ...are we talking about the same Apple and Google? Big Sur? Material You? Sure, maybe it’s not “every” release, but only because they have a faster release cadence than Windows.

I don’t know about Google but I would say that the majority of Apple’s design refreshes are iterative in such a way that someone coming from the previous release is very unlikely to get “lost” when presented with the latest UI. And this is the key. UI refreshes are fine as long as they don’t add unnecessary friction to the user experience. Apple’s refreshes are also generally complete, cohesive and coherent. Yes they…

Why did they rearrange everything in System Preferences on Big Sur? Years and years of the same layout and then musical chairs and can’t find anything quickly anymore.

Re: Windows 11: Just say no

#356

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Everything is pretty much the only thing I miss from Windows. Maybe paint.net too. I haven't found a suitable Linux equivalent for either.

fsearch replaces "Everything" for me

fsearch is fantastic. Bind it, or various configured states of it, to keystrokes and never look back...

Re: Windows 11: Just say no

#357

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It continues a decades-long tradition where every other Windows version is borderline unusable and universally hated. As long as I remember: * Windows 3.0 was perceived as buggy * Windows 3.1/3.11 was a major improvement * Windows 95 was extremely unreliable * Windows 98 sort of addressed most of the issues * Windows 2000 was a weird amalgamation of the NT kernel and 98/ME look'n'feel that wasn't received well * Wind…

Where's Windows ME?

Probably a repressed memory.

Re: Windows 11: Just say no

#358
post #197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is what drives me nuts. Why do they keep messing with the UI? Nobody wants that! Even Apple and Google have both figured out that screwing around with UX every release is a recipe for making your customers HATE you. What I, and probably non-power users want out of windows is for it to be faster and use less power. I'd honestly be happy to go back to a Win95 interface with the latest kernel. Microsoft needs to fi…

How do you notice new control panel elements, if not looking for damned “them appliances for interchange connectivity” or whatever bullshit they came up with this time for networking cpl? fire the idiots that keep messing around with the UX Don’t push on them too hard, maybe they are bound by some evil contract. Legend has it, one guy sold his soul to make the new PATH= editing dialog after 666 weeks (~13 years) of n…

> new PATH= editing dialog

But that one in Win 10 at least seems like an improvement

Re: Windows 11: Just say no

#359

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is what drives me nuts. Why do they keep messing with the UI? Nobody wants that! Even Apple and Google have both figured out that screwing around with UX every release is a recipe for making your customers HATE you. What I, and probably non-power users want out of windows is for it to be faster and use less power. I'd honestly be happy to go back to a Win95 interface with the latest kernel. Microsoft needs to fi…

> Why do they keep messing with the UI? UX folks don't get paid to leave things alone.

Ux is snake oil nonsense and has no place in software design. They create change for the sake of change and dumb everything down as if complexity were a sin.

Re: Windows 11: Just say no

#360
I don't see how it would be a good long term financial strategy to keep asking people to upgrade, and how are those financials looking when there are free upgrade paths?

I don't think we need more Windows. It's "good enough" as it is. As was 10. I think we need more doors, ceilings and kitchen sinks

What if 11 is it for now, and going forward focus on creating a Windows Store that is filled to the rim with MS-quality software that rivals those of their competitors. What if there was a MS quality Photoshop light for cheap in the Windows store? Or tooling for pretty much anything you can imagine, some for free some with a cost.

I say don't focus on the next Windows, focus on making it silly to even consider buying a Mac, or other popular software from other companies.

Upgrades to the 11 is of course needed, but we are talking touchups not rewrites.

I have been using 11 for a while, and I'm very happy with it. It feels generally more snappy, and a lot of features I ended up not using before because they just didn't work well enough are now polished and I use them every day.

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