This isn't a good example to use to critique the Start Menu because it's a special case --- downloading Chrome is an action that Microsoft does not want you to complete, so making it a good experience is a Microsoft non-goal.
Microsoft's ex-UI chief is shocked about the Windows 11 start menu
41–50 of 151 posts
Re: Microsoft's ex-UI chief is shocked about the Windows 11 start menu
#42I would pay so much money to just be able to use Windows 7's UI with Windows 10's performance improvements. Try spinning Windows 7 up in a VM sometime. Using it is such a wonderous experience. It's almost perfect. I miss it so much. To me, Windows 8/8.1/10/11 have all been massive downgrades to different extents.
Personally I like Windows 11 fine except I want my taskbar on the side.
My biggest gripe is they finally removed the option to have windows not combined with labels in the taskbar. I guess it was bound to happen eventually.
Re: Microsoft's ex-UI chief is shocked about the Windows 11 start menu
#43Earlier quoted context omitted.
Loved this comment. There was a time when we used to say the same about Windows Xp. And Windows 2000. I wonder if each next generation of user prefers the new layouts each time? I’m sure (or at least, I imagine) MS put a lot of resources into testing these UI overhauls.
XP was fine. 2000 was good. Nobody pines for Windows ME. People said those things and they meant it. Windows 8-11 feel pretty bad, overall. 7 was okay.
The Windows 2000 UI was not "good," at least compared to what they have today.
Re: Microsoft's ex-UI chief is shocked about the Windows 11 start menu
#44I work in IT. The Windows 10/11 "settings" are a hole pile of shit. It seems like Microsoft almost purposefully took the 10 things you would most often use, and nested them so deep that you cant even memorize how to find them anymore. So you get forced into using the god awful search, which returns results FROM THE GOD DAMN INTERNET. If I am in Windows setting, or hell even on just the normal Start Menu, I DON'T WANT…
Windows button and start typing what you're looking for. I don't understand users that still point and click at everything.
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Re: Microsoft's ex-UI chief is shocked about the Windows 11 start menu
#45This article quotes Jensen Harris... the guy responsible for Windows 8 UI, which was a disaster.
I still like the time they put the full screen win8 metro style start menu on their server OS. Pure genius!
I'm still not sure I understand what made that so heretical other than being different. I can't really imagine any scenario where I'd be using the start menu and want to see something else at the same time.
Re: Microsoft's ex-UI chief is shocked about the Windows 11 start menu
#46I would pay so much money to just be able to use Windows 7's UI with Windows 10's performance improvements. Try spinning Windows 7 up in a VM sometime. Using it is such a wonderous experience. It's almost perfect. I miss it so much. To me, Windows 8/8.1/10/11 have all been massive downgrades to different extents.
Personally I like Windows 11 fine except I want my taskbar on the side.
Right click taskbar > taskbar settings > taskbar behavior > taskbar alignment: Left
Re: Microsoft's ex-UI chief is shocked about the Windows 11 start menu
#47Earlier quoted context omitted.
Windows button and start typing what you're looking for. I don't understand users that still point and click at everything.
ever tried to test microphone volume levels? every fucking time I have to search three different things before I can find it. I try "microphone", "audio", "volume", and its always the last one I try, and I can never remember for the next time. Search is not a good UI, because you never get muscle memory with a search.
> I have to search three different things before I can find it
I've had the same problem; Microsoft has been changing the keyword that triggers the audio input/output control panel, but the official and unchanging (so far) name of the panel is "Change system sounds" and "sys" in start menu search returns that as the 1st or second result.
Re: Microsoft's ex-UI chief is shocked about the Windows 11 start menu
#48I work in IT. The Windows 10/11 "settings" are a hole pile of shit. It seems like Microsoft almost purposefully took the 10 things you would most often use, and nested them so deep that you cant even memorize how to find them anymore. So you get forced into using the god awful search, which returns results FROM THE GOD DAMN INTERNET. If I am in Windows setting, or hell even on just the normal Start Menu, I DON'T WANT…
Disable web search. I think I’ve done something like that on Win10. https://nerdschalk.com/how-to-disable-web-results-in-windows...
Any setting that they hide this much is not long for this world.
Re: Microsoft's ex-UI chief is shocked about the Windows 11 start menu
#49Harris was chief of the Windows User Experience for Windows 8. He created Windows 8. He created Metro UI. He created the Windows 8 Start screen, charms, allowed ads in its inbox apps (e.g. Weather), etc. Keep that in mind when Harris says things like "the Start menu is Microsoft's flagship user experience. It should represent the very best UI design the company is capable of."
Can you still use win+r for the important stuff? That right there is a classic of Windows UI
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Re: Microsoft's ex-UI chief is shocked about the Windows 11 start menu
#50Earlier quoted context omitted.
Windows button and start typing what you're looking for. I don't understand users that still point and click at everything.
Poor discoverability. This means you have to know that the setting exists in the first place, and then remember its precise name. Type "static IP" into search, do you see a way to set static IP? I don't get any results at all.
I would have typed "network," which seems to work.