Six Vista annoyances fixed in Windows 7

[KSoD]

I sometimes wonder how Microsoft's interface designers find the strength to go to work every day. It certainly isn't for the external validation. In the past two-plus years, I've read countless complaints about the Windows Vista user interface. It has too many options for ordinary users. It doesn't offer enough options for advanced users. It's dumbed down and overcomplicated, sometimes all at the same time. To listen to the critics, Vista's designers succeeded in making every feature worse than XP. In fact, the latest complaint is that Vista and the upcoming Windows 7 are even worse than Windows 98.

Or maybe not. I've been using Windows Vista full time for more than three years, and I've been running various builds of Windows 7 on a daily basis for the last couple months. Maybe Microsoft's software designers have learned something from all that criticism, because I see plenty of small but significant improvements in Windows 7.

In this post, I'll show you six specific annoyances from Windows Vista that are fixed in Windows 7. Each one represents an easier, more efficient way to accomplish a common task. Collectively, they constitute some pretty persuasive evidence that “have it our way” is no longer the controlling design principle among Windows' designers.

Vista Annoyance #1: That awkward Preview pane
Vista Annoyance #2: The overcomplicated Shutdown button
Vista Annoyance #3: Arranging windows, awkwardly
Vista Annoyance #4: Unpleasant User Account Control
Vista Annoyance #5: The ultra-minimalist Defrag utility
Vista Annoyance #6: The no-options backup program

Source: WinBeta | Ed Bott's Microsoft Report

 

[Fat.Clown]

....... #1-4 felt seems to be too picky.....

#5 strongly agree
#6 can't say..... I backup my stuff myself

 

[KSoD]

Well the UAC i can understand. To be prompted for Admin rights to install even a web browser seems to be a bit too much.

Granted that after you install your stuff having UAC on is one of the best things you could do to prevent drive by installations.

I have not had a single prompt from UAC in Win7.

 

[eyeCpc]

#2, #3, #4, and #6 have been the most annoying here. I generally skip #6 altogether to simply back things up as I go along including downloading direct to the external drive as well as a separate storage partition.

I definitely preferred item #2 from XP over Vista there instead of fighting with a dropdown list XP saw the simple three button menu especially when going for a quick restart. #3 for constantly manually resizing two windows when going to copy+paste.

Certainly the UAC has been the most annoying when first installing Windows and all softwares or performing a reinstall. A third party program(Spyware Terminator) goes on last since that watches over the registry.

 

[Baez]

God I hated #2 lol. Dunno why just really got on my nerves.

 

[eyeCpc]

When first starting to use Vista you might end up pressing the standby if not shutdown when simply trying to reboot and utter a few... at that. I think for the most they got it right with XP where they want to work some ideas along that line giving it a new look for a new version.

 

[Tim]

When first starting to use Vista you might end up pressing the standby if not shutdown when simply trying to reboot and utter a few... at that. I think for the most they got it right with XP where they want to work some ideas along that line giving it a new look for a new version.

Why don't you put the shutdown button in place of the sleep one??
It's faar better when you do

I don't mind the shut down thing after i've done that, seems ok
UAC however....

 

[veedubfreak]

I dont understand the hate on the shutdown. Just press the power button.

 

[eyeCpc]

Why don't you put the shutdown button in place of the sleep one??
It's faar better when you do

I don't mind the shut down thing after i've done that, seems ok
UAC however....

That was already done upon finishing up the installation on more then one occasion. The button on XP however where quite useful in fast restarts rather then hitting the shutdown or standby when going back and forth between OSs here for different reasons.

I dont understand the hate on the shutdown. Just press the power button.

The power button simply shuts everything off right away without first shutting Windows down. I wouldn't make a habit of doing that since you forcing Windows off without the proper sequence.

 

[Fat.Clown]

The power button simply shuts everything off right away without first shutting Windows down. I wouldn't make a habit of doing that since you forcing Windows off without the proper sequence.

you sure about that?
because in control panel you can choose what the power button do, and shut down is one of them. therefore I think it was meant to work like that

Mak? baby where you at?