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Windows GUI – Good, Bad and Pretty Ugly (2023)

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Re: Windows GUI – Good, Bad and Pretty Ugly (2023)

#51

Post by nullpoint420 »

reddalo wrote: post #46
derleyici wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fair point, but the article praises Windows 11 for "cohesion" while the right-click menu literally has two different visual styles, and many system apps still use old UI. Even judging purely on aesthetics, that's inconsistent.

On the surface, Explorer looks more modern on Windows 11. But when you use it, you can "feel" it's still based on old Win32 APIs with just a layer of paint on top.

IMO, in a good way. It has a nice feel compared to the new laggy context menus and selections

Re: Windows GUI – Good, Bad and Pretty Ugly (2023)

#52

Post by cubefox »

cubefox wrote: post #44

I really hated the depressing grey GUI of Windows 95/98/NT/2000/Me. It looks like working in a dull grey concrete office with a grey PC and grey monitor while wearing a grey tie. I get that Windows XP and 8 look too colorful for many people (I like them), but Vista & Co, with their glass design, managed to avoid colors while still not making everything a drab grey.

This begs the general question: why were PCs (and monitors, keyboards, mice etc) always sold in ugly grey, for decades? Before they finally relented and switched to black?

Re: Windows GUI – Good, Bad and Pretty Ugly (2023)

#53

Post by ahartmetz »

spankibalt wrote: post #8
adastra22 wrote: post #3

I cannot accept this slander of Windows XP.

It is, strictly going by looks, one of Microsoft's ugliest UIs. I will never understand how people tolerate it, let alone defend it publicly. Shameful, absolutely and thoroughly shameful!

I hated XP's style at the time, too, and switched to the classic style. I also hated the look of Vista and 7, but they weren't my problem anymore because I'd switched to Linux.

Re: Windows GUI – Good, Bad and Pretty Ugly (2023)

#54

Post by vrighter »

cubefox wrote: post #52
cubefox wrote: post #44

I really hated the depressing grey GUI of Windows 95/98/NT/2000/Me. It looks like working in a dull grey concrete office with a grey PC and grey monitor while wearing a grey tie. I get that Windows XP and 8 look too colorful for many people (I like them), but Vista & Co, with their glass design, managed to avoid colors while still not making everything a drab grey.

This begs the general question: why were PCs (and monitors, keyboards, mice etc) always sold in ugly grey, for decades? Before they finally relented and switched to black?

Bring back the 2000s transparency in the hardware. Transparent phone (nokia 3310, of course), transparent PC, transparent everything!

Re: Windows GUI – Good, Bad and Pretty Ugly (2023)

#55

Post by ahartmetz »

cubefox wrote: post #44

I really hated the depressing grey GUI of Windows 95/98/NT/2000/Me. It looks like working in a dull grey concrete office with a grey PC and grey monitor while wearing a grey tie. I get that Windows XP and 8 look too colorful for many people (I like them), but Vista & Co, with their glass design, managed to avoid colors while still not making everything a drab grey.

2000 had a nice shade of blue for its desktop background, IMO.

Re: Windows GUI – Good, Bad and Pretty Ugly (2023)

#57

Post by pathartl »

mcny wrote: post #48
cuber_messenger wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IMHO the right-click menu these days seems to get better, at least I can find "Open with Code" or "Open in Terminal", etc. Except that I need the old menu to create a desktop shortcut occasionally.

I want to opt out though. I use 7 zip all the time and I don't want this menu that can't have 7 zip...

Just use NanaZip

Re: Windows GUI – Good, Bad and Pretty Ugly (2023)

#58

Post by smackeyacky »

cubefox wrote: post #44

I really hated the depressing grey GUI of Windows 95/98/NT/2000/Me. It looks like working in a dull grey concrete office with a grey PC and grey monitor while wearing a grey tie. I get that Windows XP and 8 look too colorful for many people (I like them), but Vista & Co, with their glass design, managed to avoid colors while still not making everything a drab grey.

I liked it although that was maybe because Windows 2000 was a great OS. Having seen the awful mess the Unix vendors made of CDE/Motif, 2000 felt more professional.

Re: Windows GUI – Good, Bad and Pretty Ugly (2023)

#59

Post by wink »

dag11 wrote: post #32

I'm surprised nobody caught this, but both the screenshot for Windows 8.1 is not Windows 8.1, it's Windows Threshold, the development phase of Windows 10. The specific screenshot they show is the very first start menu they cobbled together for Threshold, which would later be redesigned again before shipping as Windows 10. The screenshot is also showing off early adaptations of Windows 8 apps running in movable window…

I am not surprised, from memory I only know like 3 people who ever willingly used 8.x. The active user base must be tiny compared to Windows 7 and 10 users (if we just stick to that range).

I have personally not used it for more than an hour total (on anyone's PC combined) and I have (co-)owned and used at least one Windows PC continuously since 1995.

Re: Windows GUI – Good, Bad and Pretty Ugly (2023)

#60

Post by eitland »

zootboy wrote: post #9
derleyici wrote: post #5

8 for Windows 11? An OS that includes ads in the Start menu, made with React. I'm not even mentioning right-click, which has basically two views: you open it and see some uselessly chosen tools, and you still need to open the old version (with the old design, breaking design consistency) to access actually useful things. Viva Windows XP!

But this article is only grading the styling of the OS GUI elements, not the functionality (or lack thereof) of the OS itself.

They actually do mention bloatware in Windows 11, so it is a bit confused.
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