Live data from Hacker News

Microsoft is planning an 'Advanced Windows Settings' panel for power users

xda-developers.com

41–50 of 78 posts

Re: Microsoft is planning an 'Advanced Windows Settings' panel for power users

#41
post #30

Windows 10 already has developer settings in one panel including powershell security settings, always show file extensions, and show hidden and system files.

It's doubly insulting to me as a user and as a developer that those basic things are considered "developer settings" though ;)

Re: Microsoft is planning an 'Advanced Windows Settings' panel for power users

#42
post #2

Yes, all we need, another layer in Windows. I recently went to Windows 11 and it is stunning that you still have multiple places for settings. How are we going to name the classic settings? Classic classic control panel?

There's a talk that I enjoy a lot about this "multiple places for settings" problem. About how lots of software end up resembling

1. The maker's org chart (Conway's law) ...

2. ...multiplied by time

Casey Muratori: The Only Unbreakable Law - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IUj1EZwpJY

His examples are precisely the Windows settings :) . More precisely, the various audio/mixer UIs.

Re: Microsoft is planning an 'Advanced Windows Settings' panel for power users

#43
This is interesting as a blog article from 2003 "Why doesn't Windows have an 'expert mode'?"[0] was posted here a couple weeks ago. [1]

The reasoning was that users self-rating at being advanced because they are good in one domain might lead them to messing with things they have no idea on.

I suppose the flaw is that people find ways to mess with stuff regardless, even if just following the first google result's instructions.

At least if they use advanced settings people's misfortune won't be because they ran a strange program, but I doubt this will stop them from doing so anyway.

[0] https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20030728-00/?p=43...

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38337292

Re: Microsoft is planning an 'Advanced Windows Settings' panel for power users

#44
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Adult Control Panel? I always think "Adult" when I'm trying to bring up the legacy panels instead of the function-crippled slow modern iterations.

I would love concept of "adult computing", where I can mark a checkbox "I herby guarantee that I'm not going to blame $company for me being a moron and installing malware/destabilizing device due to changing random options". Then device starts behaving like piece of hardware I own, shows error messages that actually tell something and in general doesn't assume if I drop dead if presented with more than two buttons on…

Do you also agree to pay me compensation if your computer is part of a bot ring that is ddos’ing me or spamming me or spamming my users, because you installed malware?

Can you put up a bond for this or proof that you carry insurance for this?

Re: Microsoft is planning an 'Advanced Windows Settings' panel for power users

#47

I miss Windows XP / 7, everything went downhill after.

Comments like these make me wonder if you are looking back with rose colored glasses. You didn't mention Vista, which is universally regarded as a failure and in the same timeframe as you described. While some of Microsoft's more regrettable decisions have yet to be made by 7, but there are still plenty of bad ones to choose from. Games for Windows Live, Fisher Price UI, massive software vulnerability, Office "ribbon", Admin Popup, Internet Explorer, Silverlight...

Microsoft, especially after Windows launched, has always been the poster child for greedy, monopolistic, anti-consumer business practices.

Re: Microsoft is planning an 'Advanced Windows Settings' panel for power users

#49

This is interesting as a blog article from 2003 "Why doesn't Windows have an 'expert mode'?"[0] was posted here a couple weeks ago. [1] The reasoning was that users self-rating at being advanced because they are good in one domain might lead them to messing with things they have no idea on. I suppose the flaw is that people find ways to mess with stuff regardless, even if just following the first google result's inst…

Arguably, the average user's proficiency has increased in the last TWO DECADES

Re: Microsoft is planning an 'Advanced Windows Settings' panel for power users

#50
This seems more like a configuration UI for new developer-targeted features, more like PowerToys-for-devs than the traditional Control Panel settings. “For power users” is a bit misleading.

Also, maybe they should just go back to the old concept of an extensible Control Panel, instead of accumulating a growing set of independent “settings” apps?

Post reply on HN