I empathise with the ones who are annoyed with Vista | The Coffeehouse

Winston Pang

I've recently, for the first time, tried out Vista, on the Beta 2 released, and i've finally realised why people are annoyed with so it so much.

They've broken the entire UI, and 2 step tasks into 5 step tasks.

I don't understand why they've broken up the Display properties into 5 different dialogs, with just one tab-page, that surely annoys me.

Why on earth is the Windows Mail toolbar blue, that is so hideous, what on earth were they thinking, the blue is too eye blinding.

There's many more little annoyances, for example the Start Search in the task panel, when you delete all the text, it loses focus! WTH?

Windows Basic, without glass looks horrible, only glass makes it look appealing.

I find that the aqua/turquoise is over used in explorer and often destroys the UI.

Management console windows still look horrible. I still see a heap load of XP + 9x icons.

Sidebar gadgets arent even as hyped as it seems either, some seem redundant, some seem to be just there for the sake of it, like a calculator? What's the point of windows calc now?

Don't get me wrong, i'm not a basher, i initially decided to hold back till RC1 to try it, i haven't used one build since the longhorn reset either, but it's definitely rather dissapointing.

I just don't understand what they did to the usability of the OS, i feel that Control Panel is a maze to me now, they've over complicated it.

Windows XP's usability was spot on, but now it's broken in Vista, =\

I just hope they change this before it goes RTM.

troposphere

I totally agree that the Windows Explorer interface is now far too "busy" and it's hard to figure out what's going on in it.

There is a limit to how much you can dumb something down before it starts becoming HARDER to USE instead of easier.

When you dumb everything down, you make it harder to perform things quickly and simply. Now everything is much more clumsy.

Pon

I completely agree.

For example, it took me 10 friggin' minutes to find out where to see properties for each network adapter- and there wasn't even a repair menu item. I had to "diagnose" it first, which takes an extra 30 seconds on this computer.

They should have made several different layouts for the entire control panel, and have a slider with four or five values, with the caption "user stupidity", to adjust how "dumbed down" it was. </joke>

I still haven't found where to overclock my graphics card yet, though. It used to be so simple, yet well concealed from the average user.

[C]

RNewman

I think finding the Network Connections folder has been boosted from 3 clicks (XP) to about 7 in Vista. There should really be a Connections item in the context menu of Start Menu > Network.

From a design point of view, I find the Control Panel odd. Some items open in the same window (e.g. Speech Recognition, Programs) and some open in XP-style applets (e.g. iSCSI Initiator, Internet Options).

In my opinion, an "all or nothing" approach should be taken to this - either everything opens in the same Control Panel window, or everything opens in its own applet. Much tidier Smiley

Mac OS takes the "all" approach, opening everything in the same Control Panel window. Thats good, right up to the point where you want to quickly check the settings in another applet.

troposphere

I'd like to also bring up something else. It seems whenever a program crashes, it begins the "Searching for a solution to this problem" nonsense.

I thought the dialog in XP that nags you to send the crash information to Microsoft was bad enough, but at least you could say "No" to its request to send the crash information.

Now it appears that it starts conversing with Microsoft automatically without giving you any chance to say "No". You must be quick enough to click "Cancel" hopefully before it gets a chance to report your private information to Microsoft. And I haven't been able to find any way to turn this craziness off!

MvTCracker

Winston Pang wrote:
I've recently, for the first time, tried out Vista, on the Beta 2 released, and i've finally realised why people are annoyed with so it so much.

They've broken the entire UI, and 2 step tasks into 5 step tasks.

I don't understand why they've broken up the Display properties into 5 different dialogs, with just one tab-page, that surely annoys me.

Why on earth is the Windows Mail toolbar blue, that is so hideous, what on earth were they thinking, the blue is too eye blinding.

There's many more little annoyances, for example the Start Search in the task panel, when you delete all the text, it loses focus! WTH?

Windows Basic, without glass looks horrible, only glass makes it look appealing.

I find that the aqua/turquoise is over used in explorer and often destroys the UI.

Management console windows still look horrible. I still see a heap load of XP + 9x icons.

Sidebar gadgets arent even as hyped as it seems either, some seem redundant, some seem to be just there for the sake of it, like a calculator? What's the point of windows calc now?

Don't get me wrong, i'm not a basher, i initially decided to hold back till RC1 to try it, i haven't used one build since the longhorn reset either, but it's definitely rather dissapointing.

I just don't understand what they did to the usability of the OS, i feel that Control Panel is a maze to me now, they've over complicated it.

Windows XP's usability was spot on, but now it's broken in Vista, =\

I just hope they change this before it goes RTM.

#1 if you mean the security warnings I like them
#2 aero basic dose look bad....but not as bad as windows 9X
#3 I guess windows calc could be usefull in an office or home office...

Detroit Muscle
Wii!

Anybody remember the "if MS designed the iPod box" video a while back? I think that video rings true with regard to the HMI portion of Vista.

jamie

could i be one of those ones? Wink

i just ask - how can an autograph collecting - beatles fanatic - that applies that same nerdy principle to his fav software company - be so ...perplexed..enervated...frustrated..and somewhat disappointed after X years.

alot of it is the security suppository - that i still do not wish to bend over for

another is the wga - ballmer wringing the customers dry routine

to me - fan wise - it is the uptmost distain and irrenvelance shown to users of the OS since 3x days. Windows is famous for letting you go in and "put stuff back" to how it was - but now - it seems feature by feature - that is all disapearing

another is more steps to do anything - even taking into consideration the magical - still unseen (i have hope) real aero

thats the only reason to bugger up that functionality - to add great flashy graphics thoughout control panel so our moms our happy

anyway - ie7 - thumbs down - ridiculous - and i truely mean ridiculous Ui - vista - high hopes dashed... waiting for r2 or whatever

and last - i do not no why i like ms - but i still do. maybe its cause they make a difference - but they wont for long if they keep up these flubs

<end - sort of nice but not really - rant>

edit: i will be loading the "List View" vista this weekend - and hoping to find it abit more ..."Windows-ish" ... now about "up".....

jamie

sorry - and about control panel / aero thing

(reposted) http://www.channel9.ca/control_center/

you could still make CPanel web based (not a static dialogue that prohibits aero/ flash stuff) and not make us close each thing to change stuff

LaBomba
Summer

I for one think they should have a "Power User" mode in vista...

where it removes all the idiot-proof stuff. (no constant notifications, multiple dialog boxes, everything buried deep in too many categories..etc.)

jamie

well - every single piece of windows ui should be totally user configurable by now ..but i digress

theres

win 3.x
win9x/2k
winxp luna

UI's

- considering they have all the graphics, layout and everything done - they just didnt pay someone to sit there an switch all these over is sad

why cant you use progman.exe anymore - if you as a customer wanted too?

they used to leave it in other nt releases...

see - my take is - imagine windows vista has a NEW progman/fileman (if thats what you like) regular classic - or improved classic (if thats what you like) luna xp - or luna media centre or luna vista (if thats what you like) as well as new stuff - aero / aero screwy etc

consumers and customers know the UI. they dont care about avalon, winfx, .net , hailstorm/indigo...

to me all the windows UIs are - website themes. why not keep them? * if answer is its too hard - you are designing it wrong

spoofnozzle
Bite my shiney metal a$$!

troposphere wrote:
I'd like to also bring up something else. It seems whenever a program crashes, it begins the "Searching for a solution to this problem" nonsense.

LOL.

...and (so far, at least) I am yet to receive a solution... it spends a lifetime "discussing" it with MS, before it comes back to say there is either no solution, or asks you if you'd like to search for a solution... WTF ??

LaBomba
Summer

They can do it two ways with Vista:

a) Let it be defined by the Account type:

if you are running as Admin, no more idiot-proof stuff...
if you are a limited user, go ahead and spam me with constant security warnings, confirmation dialogs, the whole 9 yards..

b) Or simply give us the option to specify that we are a "Power user" and don't need the idiot proof stuff..

jamie

re - power user mode:

there would be no text Wink or if there were - it would say : "Youre on your own kiddo"

anyway - ms has long said they dont want to divide users that way. so fine - then support your last ui's and functionality perpetually

i still think every scrap of what you see in windows should be designed that IF modified by user - to have a Quick Change flag icon - that imediately switches the ui to a real - real - standardized - highbrid WinUI - best of all worlds - (id use that all the time actually) - so now the argument becomes not: "we cant allow themes casue we want to ensure a consistant user experience" - to " if the system is designed to instantly switch to a global UI mode - that any of us could use - say - on a friends machine.. i dont think anyone would mind the extra icon - or the new freedom it affords

i dont know where the user in usability went at ms - but it hasnt been around for a while ( user = individual! )

Winston Pang

Has anyone noticed the shutdown button isnt quite a shutdown button after all in the start panel? It's cleverly hidden in the menu lol, i don't understand why they did that.

The J

I'd be much, much happier with Vista if two things were changed.

1) Like others have mentioned, I hate that "Your program has stopped working" dialogue box. I don't mind so much that it wants to connect, but it gives absolutely no information as to what went wrong. This was probably done so people don't have to see confusing warnings, but I think those warnings are good. The user can choose to ignore them or the user can write the warning down and use it to ask the developers of that program for help. Telling them "I got a message saying [something] screwed up at [somewhere]" seems much more helpful than "I got a message saying the program is borked."

2) The second thing that needs to be changed is automatic driver installing. When I had RC1 x64, I had to remove my PCI wireless card because it would prevent Vista from installing. When I put it back in, Vista wouldn't ask me to install its drivers. No, it'd just go ahead and do it...and then promptly crash because Vista loads a non-working driver (I filed a bug for this for Beta 2 and RC1). Fortunately, Vista will come back up so I can load the correct one, but that behavior annoys me because there are times where I *don't* want any drivers intsalled for that device. A simple box saying "Would you like to install this device?" is all that's needed.

I still liked Vista when I had it, but these situations could have been easier for me while still being easy for most users if Windows would actually want your input for someting other than UAC.