Win7 Features Poll

[Dario D.]

Just wondering how people use or perceive some things in Win7...

 

[Oldie]

I very much miss #2, it annoys me to no end that it isn't there. If anyone knows of a shell add-on to put it back, I would be grateful for a link.

#3 is no, but that's probably with thanks to my SSD boot drive.

 

[Sly]

The interface?

Ease of which you can add and remove icons on the taskbar. Previously you had to make a shortcut and drag it to the taskbar. Now you just have to run a program once, and right click it's taskbar icon to make it stay there. Need multiple instances of a program? Middle click it's icon. If you no longer need it and don't want it cluttering, just unpin it.

Monitor shortcuts like WinKey+Shift+Left/Right Arrow, WinKey+P, Winkey+Arrowkeys. I have a netbook attached to a 22" LCD. I multitask a lot (heavy multitasking on a netbook? yes it's *very* doable) and moving applications to a secondary window helps.

The simple act of maximizing a window by dragging it to the top of the screen is also useful. I middle click an icon to open a new instance of notepad, drag it to top of the other monitor and maximize it there, all in one click.

Integrated search function in the start menu.

Ability to click on any of the icons when you press ALT-TAB or CTRL-ALT-TAB. The latter is rather awkward tho so i just hold down ALT-TAB and click that.

I still use the WinKey-E to open new explorer windows, but the point is, you no longer have to switch between the mouse and keyboard. If your hand happens to be on the keyboard, you can manage you applications from there, if your hand is on the mouse, you can just as easily do them too.

Need a new explorer window in the other monitor?

Keyboard:
-WinKey-E
-WinKey-Shift-RightArrow
-WinKey-Up

Mouse:
-MiddleClick Explorer Icon
-Drag it to the top of the second monitor


I'm heavy into multitasking and have dozens of windows open at a time. The functions for managing those application windows are what i appreciate the most

 

[nessus]

I very much miss #2, it annoys me to no end that it isn't there. If anyone knows of a shell add-on to put it back, I would be grateful for a link.

Classic Shell. It can do lots of stuff, but it is freeware that adds an up button to explorer. That's the only item I use from it.

http://www.thewindowsclub.com/add-u...r-get-classic-feel-more-in-windows-7-explorer

There's another paid app that's $4.95 that does nothing but add an up button to Vista/Windows 7.

http://www.mavisapps.com/up-button/

The keyboard shortcut for "up" is still functional as well, no software required. "Alt+Up Arrow"

 

[DeathPrincess]

Doesn't the fact that thwe whole address bar is clickable kind of remove the need for an "up button" as you can just click the folders before it anyway... But also it's still there in the browse for file menu.

 

[Oldie]

DeathPrincess, the drop down in the address bar now goes to recently opened folders, just like recently opened webpages in IE. Pretty friggin annoying if you ask me.

I forgot about alt+up, thanks!

 

[Bahamut]

Ain't nothing on that "poll" that I'd bother mentioning I suppose. As for the "Up" thing, that's why I use a mouse with buttons on the sides (Microsoft Intellimouse Optical ftw!!!) - it's a non-issue...

 

[Oldie]

Ain't nothing on that "poll" that I'd bother mentioning I suppose. As for the "Up" thing, that's why I use a mouse with buttons on the sides (Microsoft Intellimouse Optical ftw!!!) - it's a non-issue...

How does that resolve the issue? My side buttons go backwards and forwards, which is nice if I'm not on a new explorer window. The problem is when a new one pops up, say for a file save location, and you want to go up, you instead have go over to the side pane to navigate there. Kind of annoying.

 

[nessus]

Ain't nothing on that "poll" that I'd bother mentioning I suppose. As for the "Up" thing, that's why I use a mouse with buttons on the sides (Microsoft Intellimouse Optical ftw!!!) - it's a non-issue...

Start in a folder at least two levels below the root of a drive (C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Chess), click one level up the bread crumb trail in the address bar(C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games), hit the back button on your mouse (C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Chess).

Start in a folder at least two levels below the root of a drive(C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Chess), click one level up the bread crumb trail in the address bar(C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games), hit "ALT+up" (C:\Program Files).

To get to the same position as one "Up" button press would take takes 3 "Back" button presses. 1. (C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Chess) 2. (C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games) 3. (C:\Program Files)

It actually doesn't bother me THAT much, but I know some people who it makes swear on a regular basis...

I found a freeware replacement because I was tired of the whining.

 

[Bahamut]

Ok, it's a non-issue for me... is that better?

I'm staring at the breadcrumb trail right now and I see this:

I can click on Computer, Windows 7 (C, Program Files, Microsoft Silverlight, or 4.0.50524.0 - I don't get the point here so I guess I'm missing something. If I click directly on the arrows I can bury into any folder in any of those "top level" folders as well, and again all of those folders - every single one of them - can be accessed with one single click.

Sooo... what? If I am at a file dialogue box, say a Save as... box, like this:

I have no use for the drop down arrow - if that's what you're using then perhaps you might consider working the breadcrumb bar as it's supposed to be used. But again, with a single click I can move back up into the directory tree to effectively any folder from the current location without issues.

So again... what?

 

[Jon55]

I very much miss #2, it annoys me to no end that it isn't there. If anyone knows of a shell add-on to put it back, I would be grateful for a link.

I think I misunderstood this one, how is it different than a back/forward button?

Also, Windows 7 = the best Windows OS Microsoft has ever made.

 

[nessus]

So again... what?

The location you have to click to go up one level in the interface moves if you are using breadcrumbs.

You have to look, determine the postition to go to, then move the mouse to that position.

Its stationary if you have an up button. Saves about .5-1 second of moving your eyes and determining where to move your mouse.

Not a big deal to me, but a holy war opic for some interface designers/users.

 

[MaxBurn]

I bring back the classic quick launch bar but other than that I really like the rest of the stuff.

 

[HITandRUN]

I just use it as it is! I like to learn new stuff!

 

[Sovereign]

With breadcrumb navigation and the inclusion of the folder immediately above the one you are in on the navbar, I do not miss the "Up" button.

 

[jeremyshaw]

Also, dragging windows to the left, right, or top to make them "fit" into predefined shapes. There are a lot more, but with a teeny screen, these functions are insanely awesome!

 

[heatlesssun]

Also, dragging windows to the left, right, or top to make them "fit" into predefined shapes. There are a lot more, but with a teeny screen, these functions are insanely awesome!

Actually these features and the task bar add a lot of touch friendliness to Windows 7. It's VERY easy to windows side by side and arrange them without having to fiddle with sizing them by hand.

 

[Tolyngee]

I very much miss #2, it annoys me to no end that it isn't there. If anyone knows of a shell add-on to put it back, I would be grateful for a link.

I'm new to 7, only been a week, but...

I could not install XYplorer fast enough on the new machine... I had forgotten what Windows Explorer even looked like...

Until someone shows me a better product, I'll stick with XYplorer...

I like it so much that it was on my list of stuff to get installed within the first hour of having the new OS installed. Other items on that list you ask?

motherboard drivers (obviously)
XYplorer (yup, already... as soon as I could network over to my other computers... So I did see Windows Explorer long enough to network over to the other machine to get XY on the new machine, but that's almost the only time I've used it... Other times it's just convenient as Comrade and others will open a folder at the click of a button...)
video card drivers (yup, XY came before I even went to my full desktop res!)
RAID monitoring tools
AV software (obviously)
CPU monitoring/OC tools
GPU monitoring/OC tools
Teracopy (so anything I copy over from the other machine I feel confident got copied over fine)
Skype
Gamespy Comrade (ties-in with my D2D account, makes D2D almost function as easily as Steam now... Which leads me to...)
Steam (had to copy my 400GB Steam folder over first with Teracopy...)


Now, there might be something out there better than XY, so if someone prefers something better, then please suggest it...

But XY certainly beats Windows Explorer...

 

[Tolyngee]

I think I misunderstood this one, how is it different than a back/forward button?

If you use a program that opens a Windows Explorer session folder at a specific point (C:\program files\publisher\developer\game, for example), there's now no back button to go to dev sub-folder, pub sub-folder, as you started out at the game folder, and no up button by just Explorer's nature. Going by the GUI, you're stuck at the game folder.

Then again, I hate GUIs... Using the keyboard's faster, and the backspace button has always, and probably will always work for this function...

 

[jeremyshaw]

If you use a program that opens a Windows Explorer session folder at a specific point (C:\program files\publisher\developer\game, for example), there's now no back button to go to dev sub-folder, pub sub-folder, as you started out at the game folder, and no up button by just Explorer's nature. Going by the GUI, you're stuck at the game folder.

Then again, I hate GUIs... Using the keyboard's faster, and the backspace button has always, and probably will always work for this function...

In the address bar, just click the "upper" folder (in this example, I have highlighted "program files (x86)." If it's not there, there should be a double cheveron that does a drop-down thing, with the same effect; or just widen the window a bit.

 

[Tolyngee]

In the address bar, just click the "upper" folder. If it's not there, there should be a double cheveron that does a drop-down thing, with the same effect.

Thanks. We all understand that already.

I was clarifying the difference between a back button and an up button.

Back != up, and I was clarifying how/why.

(I guess my "going by the GUI you're stuck" comment was a bit misleading... my bad... but there's no simple nav arrow button for up...)

Just use the keyboard!

 

[jeremyshaw]

Thanks. We all understand that already.

I was clarifying the difference between a back button and an up button.

Back != up, and I was clarifying how/why.

(I guess my "going by the GUI you're stuck" comment was a bit misleading... my bad... but there's no simple nav arrow button for up...)

Just use the keyboard!

I'm sorry to bother you again, but now I am more confused

There is an "up" function, and there is a back button (with IE-esque drop down list)... unless if you meant the back button not doing double duty?

 

[Tolyngee]

I'm sorry to bother you again, but now I am more confused

There is an "up" function, and there is a back button (with IE-esque drop down list)... unless if you meant the back button not doing double duty?

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/wind...-missing-up-button-in-windows-vista-explorer/

That green button's gone in 7... Maybe also in Vista?

(I don't use Windows Explorer, so don't know when it disappeared...)

But yes, up != back. My original post explains when the back button may not go any farther back/up on its own.

 

[jeremyshaw]

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/wind...-missing-up-button-in-windows-vista-explorer/

That green button's gone in 7... Maybe also in Vista?

(I don't use Windows Explorer, so don't know when it disappeared...)

But yes, up != back. My original post explains when the back button may not go any farther back/up on its own.

How is that different than directly clicking the location in the address bar...?


Nevermind, I was annoyed at Chrome for having no title bar (only tabs), I guess this could be this could be the same type of situation.

 

[Tolyngee]

How is that different than directly clicking the location in the address bar...?


Nevermind, I was annoyed at Chrome for having no title bar (only tabs), I guess this could be this could be the same type of situation.

I don't use GUIs, so you're asking the wrong man.

My only point was that green arrow is indeed gone. We can agree it is gone?

 

[GushpinBob]

To put it in a form of yet another ongoing Internet meme:

Windows 7 is best Windows.

 

[Tolyngee]

To put it in a form of yet another ongoing Internet meme:

I'd really like that one explained.

I've used 7 for only a week, and in that time I've greatly modified how the following behave:

start menu
task bar
notification icons
I don't use Windows Explorer.

So, in under a week Windows 7 no longer looks and acts the way it did by default upon installation.

Strictly talking about the GUI, for the most part I did not like anything that had changed. The changes to the first three listed caused me more grief that whatever positive change it was supposed to cause. After my modifications, it now takes much fewer mouse clicks to accomplish the same thing.

I still do not understand the "recently opened programs" setting in the start menu. I have items that I have never ever opened that appear stuck in there, and things I open every Windows session that never end up in there. It's the most useless "feature" I see, as from my experience it isn't working as intended.

 

[PWMK2]

I still do not understand the "recently opened programs" setting in the start menu. I have items that I have never ever opened that appear stuck in there, and things I open every Windows session that never end up in there. It's the most useless "feature" I see, as from my experience it isn't working as intended.

You can pin items to the start menu and they will appear above your recently opened programs.

Personally, I disable recently opened programs. It's pretty much the only thing I change from a default Windows install.

start menu
task bar
notification icons
I don't use Windows Explorer.

So, in under a week Windows 7 no longer looks and acts the way it did by default upon installation.

Strictly talking about the GUI, for the most part I did not like anything that had changed. The changes to the first three listed caused me more grief that whatever positive change it was supposed to cause. After my modifications, it now takes much fewer mouse clicks to accomplish the same thing.

Is there any reason why it caused you grief? Or are you just not like change? Personally, all the changes made to Windows Vista / 7 from XP has resulted in far less button clicks for me.

If you "don't use GUIs" like you said in a previous post, I might suggest not using an OS like Windows...

 

[Tolyngee]

You can pin items to the start menu and they will appear above your recently opened programs.

Personally, I disable recently opened programs. It's pretty much the only thing I change from a default Windows install.

I might just disable and pin. It's not working as intended, as like I said, things I run all of the time (every Windows session) never show up there, while things I have never run once are in there. Makes no sense.

Is there any reason why it caused you grief? Or are you just not like change? Personally, all the changes made to Windows Vista / 7 from XP has resulted in far less button clicks for me.

The notifications icons weren't working, even if they were set to "show notifications". I finally just set that to "always show all icons".

Start menu size default at 10 was too small. More clicking around, unlike how XP worked. Also set Control Panel and etc. to "display as menu" so I can just select from there, otherwise you have to open a window, select out of that window, then have that open yet another window. Easier to just display the menu IMO.

If you "don't use GUIs" like you said in a previous post, I might suggest not using an OS like Windows...

Oh, please. Besides, most thing have keyboard equivalents.

One thing I admit 7 fixed that got mofo-ing broken in Vista was alt-tabbing between programs. If you alt-tab between several programs in 7, it works just like in XP, and like in all of the other WIndows versions before: the second window you were just at it just two alt-tabs away, first window one away, third three away. In Vista they can be anywhere, and that got to be absolutely frustrating when you are just cut/pasting text or something between two programs, and expect to just alt-tab between 'em with ease. This was simple with other versions of Windows, Vista broke it, but 7 brought it back to working right.

But one thing I still don't like about 7 that began with Vista is when you press the Windows key and bring up the Start Menu, it defaults to the "search programs" area. There is no way to disable this. Being a keyboard guy, I used to put a folder "z" on my Start menu in XP and 2000 that would contain links to program, along with a preceeding "A", "B", "C"... So any program I normally run was only three key clicks away: windows key, Z, then whatever letter I put in front of a link. Simple. With Vista and 7, I can't turn that search feature off, so I can't do that anymore.

And no, I don't consider shortcut keys an equivalent. I've found that has too much potential to interfere with others things.


But for the most part 7 is back to being very keyboard friendly. My "I don't like GUIs" sentiment comes because most people don't realize that this graphical crap just hurts production. If my hands are already on my keyboard, and backspace goes up/back a folder, I'll hit backspace (a static location on my keyboard), instead of grab my mouse (dynamic location), visually find my mouse pointer (dynamic location, and even with trailers I sometimes have trouble finding it), find the spot I am aiming at (semi-dynamic location), use eye/hand coordination to aim the pointer at the spot, then finally click. That's a lot of effort for just hitting backspace when my hand was already there. Now, do that 100 times. You'll save a lot more time just hitting backspace.

I'm lazy, like efficiency, and most important I don't have the best eyesight. Backspace is right there. I can assure you sometimes do the above and locating the mouse pointer (I've learned to just swirl it if I can't see it) and etc can take at minimum a few seconds. It's just really a waste of time.

There no reason a GUI can't be keyboard friendly. For the most part 7 is. But there are a few things I still wish was optional, like being able to turn off the search function, or better yet just not have the keyboard default to it. If I want it there, let's say I press TAB and then it goes there? Mouse people are likely to click at the search area anyway, so it doesn't bother them, and keyboard people do not mind pressing another key or more, as long as what they press is consistent in what the result is.

(Although I do see you can windows key/tab and have it go to the menus on the right, but I have not found a way to add a custom folder to there. Unlike XP, 7 and Vista don't seem to like trying to add stuff to their system folder areas, assuming that would work the way it did in XP.)

BTW - if you don't like or understand the way I do things, that fine. But we're talking about a system I've had for like 15 years since Windows 95, that only finally got broken for me last year when I bought a system with Vista. Keyboard friendly and customizing Windows for all of this should still be possible IMO. MS breaking it just sends a "F you, grab your mouse you ignorant SOB" attitude. But, then again, they did fit the alt-tabbing between programs. I'd like to know how they broke that in Vista, as the way it acts never made any logical sense in mind. They're not in the order you used 'em, and they're not alphabetized, so I've never figured out the rhyme or reason for the order programs are in in Vista when you alt-tab around.

Oh, I also admit I do like that aero sneak peek option. Once you get used to it, it pretty much is preferable. Also makes it crystal clear where your window is currently at before you alt-tab to it.