Windows 7 removes Quick Launch | The Coffeehouse

vesuvius
Das Glasperlenspiel

Ever since I can remember, I have used quick launch to access my desktop. Now for no apparent good reason, this has been removed completely. I love the new taskbar, the larger icons and preview features.

I just don't understand why this has been removed? I am really quite annoyed about this, as there is no justiication to remove such a simple, traditional command.

Bas
It finds lightbulbs.

It's still there. Click the transparent bit on the far right of the taskbar.

stevo_
Human after all

err what, did you perhaps miss the entire point of the new taskbar being quicklaunch + taskbar all in one.. also show desktop is as bas says, the little button thing next to the clock.

alwaysmc2
It's not stupid; It's advanced!

In reply to Bas

#Jan 8th @ 8:03 AM

Also windows+d will peek at the desktop.

Bas
It finds lightbulbs.

In reply to alwaysmc2

#Jan 8th @ 8:09 AM

Added bonus: you don't have to specifically target the little 'show desktop' shortcut anymore. You can just throw your mouse in the bottom right corner and click, and always hit it. Same as with the start button. There's a fancy name for that, but I forgot it, and I'm sure someone will mention it in a bit.

(Not meant as a reply to alwaysmc2. Why is there still no way to edit this?)

vesuvius
Das Glasperlenspiel

In reply to Bas

#Jan 8th @ 8:03 AM

Okey dokey, I have managed to find it.

This really is quite bad. For a start it's on the other side of the screen from the one I am used to. It is poor usability because if you see how far my mouse has to travel each time, yet my taskbar icons are on the other side.

Another thing is where is it in the properties pane?

And things have not improved here since the istartedsomething.com stuff on UI inconsistency, look at this

I think I may need to revist that UI taskforce post.

Bas
It finds lightbulbs.

In reply to vesuvius

#Jan 8th @ 8:17 AM

This really is quite bad. For a start it's on the other side of the screen from the one I am used to.

That's just because you're used to it. No doubt you'll get used to this in no time too.

It is poor usability because if you see how far my mouse has to travel each time, yet my taskbar icons are on the other side.

But, you don't have to hunt for it specifically. You can just give your taskbar a swing and always land on that thing. I find that a better alternative than having to actually look for that teeny icon. Your mileage may vary, but with cursor acceletarion, I don't really care how far I have to travel if I can give a quick, small jerk to the right and am guaranteed to land on the right button, while a quick jerk left instantly brings me back to the start button and taskbar icons.

Sven Groot
My name has 9 letters. Coincidence? I think not...

In reply to Bas

#Jan 8th @ 8:28 AM

That's just because you're used to it. No doubt you'll get used to this in no time too.

I don't know. I've been using the button on the left since Windows 95 with the IE4 desktop update. That's almost 13 years of getting used to it being on the left.

vesuvius
Das Glasperlenspiel

In reply to Sven Groot

#Jan 8th @ 8:32 AM

My point entirely, but I fear that we mave have no choice in the matter.

I already see a hack when you "hook-up" the show desktop/quick launch command, to a button that you can then drag onto the task bar. This may be possible, but it would have been nice to have left the old option left in, or I may have to resort to the windows button + d [keyboard].

stevo_
Human after all

I feel for you guys..

foreachdev
Twitter: @foreachdev

In reply to vesuvius

#Jan 8th @ 8:45 AM

The icon was lame. There I said it.

Real programmers used Window+D. The little button on the right is a vast improvement to and Icon on an optional tool bar.

Harlequin
http://twitter.com/TrueHarlequin

In reply to Bas

#Jan 8th @ 8:28 AM

Problem is, nothing about that says "click me, something is here". It looks like an endcap to me. Even if it was square in shape, and had an icon of a little loderunner-type guy running, that qould have more of a "quicklinks here" feel to it.

Bas
It finds lightbulbs.

In reply to Sven Groot

#Jan 8th @ 8:32 AM

That's almost 13 years of getting used to it being on the left.

I drove a car with a manual transmission for eight years, but got used to an automatic in a day. I dunno. I also never felt a need to switch back to the classic start menu in XP. Maybe I just react to change more easily.

DCMonkey
Monkey see, monkey do, monkey will destroy you!

So we're actually talking about the Show Dekstop Button being moved and not Quick Launch being removed here right?

Since the new taskbar is bascially one big Quick Launch area, maybe some enterprising programmer will create an app that sends the shell a Show Desktop command so you can put that app first in the new taskbar.

I'm not bothered much by it moving. I have it on my Quick Launch but I usually use Win+D

What worries me is: What happened to the Flip 3D button!?!? OK, maybe not.

wkempf

In reply to Bas

#Jan 8th @ 8:53 AM

Yeah, that's what I love about most criticisms of any new Windows version. 98% of them are simply "I don't like change" rants. However, without change you can't improve. Even more illogical is that the response by most of these folks is also usually "I'm going to switch to [OS of your choice]!" Talk about change! And it's not like every other OS doesn't do the same thing with their new releases.

In this case, I have to say I'm not even sure why we're retaining the ability to show the desktop. I pretty much never use this. The desktop is the worst place to store anything, even in XP. Of course I realize this is an opinion, and like the famous saying goes, everyone has one of those as well.

CannotResolveSymbol
{insert caption here}

In reply to DCMonkey

#Jan 8th @ 10:38 AM

Anyone on Win7 want to tell me what happens if you put

[Shell]

Command=2

IconFile=explorer.exe,3

[Taskbar]

Command=ToggleDesktop

into a text file named "test.scf" (or copy the Show Desktop link from XP/Vista), drag it onto the taskbar, and click it? Might be the solution you're looking for.

If that doesn't work, writing a little C application to send Explorer the ToggleDesktop command shouldn't be difficult, and you could pin that to the taskbar.

vesuvius
Das Glasperlenspiel

In reply to CannotResolveSymbol

#Jan 8th @ 11:05 AM

What you get is the old XP show desktop icon, and it does toggle the screen as you would expect.

Only issue here is that, when you drag it onto the taskbar, it tells you that it is pinned, but you don't get an icon at the bottom. The only icon you have to use is the one in the right hand corner - not really an icon but see above image with red arrow.

It looks as if this is all predetermined behavior. I am going to watch a few of the new taskbar videos just posted to see why the shift.

TommyCarlier
I want my scalps!

In reply to vesuvius

#Jan 8th @ 11:26 AM

They explain the "why" of certain features very well. They also show some early prototypes and explain why they changed those prototypes into the current implementation.

DCMonkey
Monkey see, monkey do, monkey will destroy you!

In reply to vesuvius

#Jan 8th @ 11:26 AM

Try putting this in a .vbs file and put that on the taskbar:

set objShell = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
objShell.ToggleDesktop

vesuvius
Das Glasperlenspiel

In reply to wkempf

#Jan 8th @ 10:59 AM

I agree with the thrust of this, but you must always be careful not to change things just for the sake of changing them. I require justifications for any change, and there probably is a good reason for the change.

If you weigh up the fact that this feature has been available for 13 years, then it is highly likely that some people are going to get annoyed. If you also look at the way it was promoted in Vista, with the 3D view right next to it, it feels as if the rug has been pulled beneath your feet.

I can however, see that the shift is to have all your "in use" icons in the taskbar now, as opposed to you desktop.

I scarcely have more than 3 icons on my desktop, but there are times I store a lot of temporary files before I decide to either archive them, or bin them. Obviously Visual Studio or Firefox will always be pinned to the taskbar, but I use my desktop as sort of a "sticky note" area - with all my reminders.

I will watch and learn the reasoning for the shift - and I like change- but prima facie this "looks" like it will annoy people, especially those that have used the feature for 13 years. Humans are habitual creatures after all.

wkempf

In reply to vesuvius

#Jan 8th @ 11:38 AM

A reasonable response. However:

The feature wasn't removed, the "button" was just moved. Your response to that was simply "I don't like change", while there were important reasons to move it. Bas had this right, Fitz Law applies here. Moving it to the corner makes it easier to find the button with a mouse. If this feature is important, then applying Fitz Law to it is a productivity and usability improvement, and not "change for the sake of change".

Yes, this is likely to annoy some users (some of us adapt well enough to changes like this, that if there's ANY reason for the change, even if it's cosmetic in nature, it doesn't bother us). Those folks, however, fit in the camp I was talking about, in this case. There's a reason for the change. If it annoys you, that's possibly understandable, but not something Microsoft should care about.

Bas
It finds lightbulbs.

In reply to wkempf

#Jan 8th @ 12:03 PM

Fitz Law! That was it, thanks. That was driving me crazy. Tongue Out

wkempf

In reply to Bas

#Jan 8th @ 12:04 PM

LOL. Well, if you'd said you wanted someone to jog your memory, I'd have replied with that sooner.

PaoloM
Hypermediocrity

In reply to Bas

#Jan 8th @ 12:04 PM

That'd be Fitt's, even Smiley

DCMonkey
Monkey see, monkey do, monkey will destroy you!

In reply to PaoloM

#Jan 8th @ 12:18 PM

Or even Fitts's (or Fitts')!

And while on that subject, if the bottom left and right corners are taken by the start menu and show desktop button, the taskbar uses the bottom edge, and the new window arrangement and maximization features use the other 3 edges, will anything be taking advantage of the two top corners?

I suppose the top right is kinda reserved for closing maximized windows, and apps that use the Office-style ribbon would probably want the top left corner when maximized, so maybe it's best to leave them unused by Windows itself.