This sort of comment makes me think that actually you don't WANT to like the new interface. You only use one hand for the mouse, so why not use that other hand for the [Win] key and type "p" for photoshop, then press enter? Seriously it's that easy to open Photoshop or PowerPoint: [Win], [P], [Enter]. Worst case scenario is you press [Down] a couple of times or type [P], [H], [Enter]. Plus, the Network and Sharing Center is a huuuuuge step forward from ye olde Network Status. Basically, everything you've expressed annoyance at has been given a solution above. Come back in a few days when you've really got stuck in!
With free utilities like Classic Shell in existence which allow for complete customisation, if you don't like the start menu, you only have yourself to blame. Seems a bit odd no one mentioned this.
I must admit I don't like Windows 7 one bit. In an attempt to make it user-friendly it has been made more limited and inflexible. Kind of ironic when you think that most people complained about OSX for the same reason. I think I'll stay with Vista for now. It has its flaws but I can work with it.
Oh my goodness - the new start menu is excellent. As mentioned by several forum users it is based on typing in one or two letters to display your application. It will over time anyway make your regular applications as sticky. For me it is utter ridiculous to click through to my programs or resort cluttering my desktop with program shortcuts. Took me about 1 week to get used to it and now i look at the traditional start menu approach in disgust as it is just a waste of time with mundane click.
In what respect? Comments of this nature seems to be made by a few people when they first move to Win 7 yet is down to them just not having got to grips with the new ways in which Win 7 works rather than any actual flaw in the OS. I'm not saying this is necessarily the case for you but some examples of where you feel it's been made more limited and inflexible would be nice.
I do this too, except using the search functions. I never liked it And while you're at the properties of the Start Menu change the Power button actions to Shutdown if you haven't already
How can anyone not want to like an interface? It is an observation after a week of Win 7. I have used Win 3.1, 95, 98SE, 2000 Pro, NT, XP Pro/Home, Ubuntu, Solaris and now Win 7. It just doesn't click with me for accessing programs. Sure it can be an eyesore moving the mouse over 5 subfolders as in the old system to get to a program but it was quicker and gave more of a view of installed applications. I am all for simplicity. I do like the Ubuntu Gnome menu system where programs are put into categories and the system tools are on a different menu. I also love the AWN docking system. It is so easy to use and looks much better than having 20-30 icons on the desktop. I guess I had too high an expectation of Win 7 interface. I will try out some of the above suggestions from the learned members of Bit-Tech Forums. In a modern day OS you shouldn't have to try loads of work-arounds just to have easy access to your programs.
I'm not sure having your screen filled with a massive tree of folders and subfolders in an attempt to get to the program you want is something i'd describe as simplicity. I certainly don't see how it provides any more simplicity than pinning the programs you use most often to either the start bar or the task bar, having a panel that auto-updates itself with programs you seem to be running frequently and having a search function that can be reached by a single push of the start button/windows key. To be honest it really sounds like you've just not spent much time actually trying to use the interface properly. With a little input of time and effort you can have very easy and quick access to any program you use to any frequent degree. You just need to get out of the mindset of how it used to operate and take advantage of the changes and improvements MS have made to the start menu/taskbar.
let me get this straight, you only use your mouse for all OS navigation? if that's true, you don't deserve to post any complains on the way interface works. good interface design is where mouse and keyboard can be used together to achieve greater effeciency and speed. WinKey and type or OSX's CMD+Space and type is a great example of ease of use. Apple OSX's CMD + Q/W is also a great interface design compared to ALT+F4.
i dont find win7 interface limiting at all, its much cleaner and nicer to use. items pinned to task bar, makes finding things easier, especially when used with jumplists, even pinning things to the jumplist. win 7 has also made troubleshooting easier for some things, and for things that aren't so easy, there is the problem steps recorder. i say get out of the dark ages and learn new things, you old farts
How many applications do you usually use anyways on your PC? I've got browser/email/messanger/mediaplayer/office-suite/graphic-software. That's probably some 15 shortcuts alltogether, which have easily place on any screen bigger then 5". On my 24" they have easily place within the hotbar... no searching, no nothing, just a single click away. If you don't like it cluttered, then start with not installing as many applications you don't actually need on a daily basis.
the aero in vista is better than windows 7.. if you saw bs you haven't used vista =] 7 is dumbed down in comparison- but I guess that's what people wanted it does have it's up side though.. faster boot times and when exiting a program, it's almost instant.. other than that though- nothing really cool about having your apps grouped in the bar (other than if your dyslexic xD).. it slows things down imo it's all defaults though that can be changed.. no big deal
Seriously, name one thing Vista's interface does better than Windows 7. Well tell it to not combine items on the taskbar, problem solved.
yeah thats how I run it.. with the quicklaunch and use gadgets to launch the rest- in vista try restore and maxing a window that's the first thing I noticed.. closing and opening windows in 7 looks rushed too.. the aero just isn't as nice as vistas.. like they threw the good things about aero out and made this version for the snuffaluffas it is supposedly better at managing memory, had no problems with vista though, even gaming it was a champ.. only picked up 7 because I bought a new rig.. not as impressed as someone who's come from xp
I originally disliked the new start menu because it didn't expand to fill the screen on clicking "programs" like XP did, allowing you to see several hundred shortcuts at once without scrolling. The thing is, most of the programs I use I have pinned to the taskbar (the ones I use most or those with useful right-click functionality when placed here) or to the start menu (the ones with fugly icons or that I don't use too often). Anything that's left over I just hit windows and type the first few letters and it finds it WAY faster than I could ever have found it by clicking programs and scanning my eyes over hundreds of links filling the screen. The other advantage is you don't have to be looking at the screen to launch something. I can, for example, launch Skype in about 5 seconds without even having to take my eyes out of CPC. To thehippoz: did you benchmark before and after the Vista-->7 switchover? I gained almost 15% performance by ditching vista, which is more than I got from overclocking my PC.
Don't get me wrong, I love trying out new ways to do things. I started with Dos so anything was an improvement. Every new Windows I have used brings new and better ways to do things. There are good and bad features in every system. I have even tried Ubuntu in the past 6 months and I love that, but it ain't perfect. But it feels easy to use and has some great nifty cool stuff just waiting to be explored. Win 7 has great potential and I hope it will prove to be a flexible and stable system. I am running XP, Ubuntu 10.04 64-bit and Win 7 Pro 64-bit on the same system. The only interface I don't like for selecting programs to run is Win 7. It is personal preference and I think they could of done much more for such a crucial function.
Thanks for the reply, Yslen. I guess I had hoped there was some nice nifty dock system but I will get over the disappointment and make the most of what the existing Win 7 interface has to offer. Here's hoping that with the large current take-up of Win 7 system developers can create some cool additions.
There are already loads of cool addons... and has been for ages. As for a dock, there have been loads available for years. You could have had a dock in XP if you wanted one. You can skin it, change the UI design, and literally add as many widgets as you want. Does it matter if it comes from MS with a dock? Why would they want to do that and just get accused of copying Apple? If you want one.. add one. Here's mine.. reskinned... with a dock
