On 7/31/2010 6:47 PM, (PeteCresswell) wrote: > I'm looking, but cannot find an NG for Windows 7. > > Gotta be one, right? > > But where? alt.windows7.general Microsoft is discontinuing all their newsgroups in favor of web forums. -- Peter Taylor
On 08/01/2010 01:58 AM, (PeteCresswell) wrote: > Per Peter Taylor: >> Microsoft is discontinuing all their newsgroups in favor of web forums. > > Are these the same guys that designed the Windows 7 UI?.... -) No, the people who did this are in the control freak department. -- Alias
On 08/01/2010 03:55 PM, (PeteCresswell) wrote: > Per Alias: >> On 08/01/2010 01:58 AM, (PeteCresswell) wrote: >>> Per Peter Taylor: >>>> Microsoft is discontinuing all their newsgroups in favor of web forums. >>> >>> Are these the same guys that designed the Windows 7 UI?.... -) >> >> No, the people who did this are in the control freak department. > > But I bet both departments are under the Gratuitous Changes With > No Added Functionality But Much Added Inconvenience division.... > > I'm no technophobe and I'd say that Windows 7 has gotten to a > degree of arcane-ness that's approaching Linux. > > If somebody has XP down cold, they should not have to spend time > trying to figure how to perform functions that they have > programmed into their lower brain stem along with how to tie > one's shoelaces. > > Seems like when MS is crafting a new OS/UI, there should be a > committee or something that developers have to go before to > justify any deviation from the prior OS' UI. I don't find Win 7 to be all that much different than XP. New eye candy and some changes as to where things are but basically same old same old Windows. The "aero" seems like a poor imitation of Compiz, though -- Alias
(PeteCresswell) wrote: > > If somebody has XP down cold, they should not have to spend time > trying to figure how to perform functions that they have > programmed into their lower brain stem along with how to tie > one's shoelaces. > > Seems like when MS is crafting a new OS/UI, there should be a > committee or something that developers have to go before to > justify any deviation from the prior OS' UI. +1
On 08/01/2010 07:45 PM, (PeteCresswell) wrote: > Per Alias: >> I don't find Win 7 to be all that much different than XP. New eye candy >> and some changes as to where things are but basically same old same old >> Windows. The "aero" seems like a poor imitation of Compiz, though > > You didn't have any problem with the Control Panel and having to > drill down through all those arbitrary categories before finding > something that used tb right there on the screen? > > I finally found the "Small Icons".. or whatever they call it... > option. But until then.... geeze! XP has the same problem and the solution is similar. > > And even then, I'd like to hear their rationale for changing > "Add/Remove Programs" to "Programs and Features"..... Smacks of > techweenies to me. Agreed. > > I *still* haven't figured out how to do all of what I used to do > with a FolderWindow | Tools | Folder Options | View | Apply to > All Folders. Nor have I > > And if "Aero" means those pop-up thumbnails from TaskBar > MousOvers... that made me crazy until I found TaskBarTweaker. > It's also quite confusing to a new user. I like that feature but I've been using it in Linux for years. > Maybe I'm just getting old and crabby...... Then cheer up. You're still alive ... -- Alias
On 08/01/2010 11:43 PM, (PeteCresswell) wrote: > Per Alias: >>> I finally found the "Small Icons".. or whatever they call it... >>> option. But until then.... geeze! >> >> XP has the same problem and the solution is similar. > > That has not been my experience in, maybe, 20-30 XP installs. It has categories by default. You probably change it out of habit without thinking. I'm not in XP to check at the moment to check so I could be wrong. It wouldn't be the first time > > I have forgotten what Control Panel's view defaults to > (Thumbnails, Tiles, Icons, List, or Details.... probably one of > the icon-ish views) - but they are all the same in that they are > granular: i.e. there is no higher level that the user has to > drill down through... just a plain alphabetical presentation. > > If 7's default were Icons, it would save a lot of "WTF?!!!"s by > XP migrants. > > Stuff like this might sound nit-picking - and I would agree that > complaining about any single instance of UI change probably is > just that. > > But when you add up dozens and dozens of little differences added > for no apparent reason other than to be cool or to differentiate > the product, you get quite a significant hit on usability for a > person coming from the previous UI. > > Multiply that hit by 12,000-13,000 people working in a big > building and that's some serious time and money - for what? > Nothing, IMHO. I agree but what are you gonna do? I use Linux most of the time. -- Alias
On 08/02/2010 02:03 AM, (PeteCresswell) wrote: > Per Alias: >> >> >> >> I agree but what are you gonna do? I use Linux most of the time. > > > I dabbled in Linux for a few months trying to get a freebie > Tivo-On-Steroids app whose name I've forgotten (the bad memories > fade....) working reliably. > > Since then, I've tended to diss Linux - more, I think, bco the > nightmare of trying to get that app to work than anything else. > > Now, having built a few Windows systems for technophobes who only > want to browse web pages and do email, I'm coming around to the > suspicion that somebody who really knows that they are doing > Linux-wise (that's NOT me....) could set up a box for said > technophobes that would be just as reliable as a Windows box, > significantly easier on the user and, of course, cheaper. Not to mention no malware problems. -- Peter
On 08/02/2010 04:46 PM, (PeteCresswell) wrote: > Per Peter: >>> technophobes that would be just as reliable as a Windows box, >>> significantly easier on the user and, of course, cheaper. >> >> Not to mention no malware problems. > > I hadn't thought about that. > > That's a significant consideration too. > > Even though I can set up a box with a freebie anti virus like > Avast, the time will come when the freebie license expires and > the user is confronted with a renewal dialog. > > In fact, I had one box totally hosed when the user chose "Ignore" > on one of Avast's virus warning screens. Avast doesn't do that anymore. One time registration is enough. That said, viruses aren't the only malware out there. -- Peter
: Avast doesn't do that anymore. One time registration is enough. That : said, viruses aren't the only malware out there. Avast Free still requires annual renewal.
On 8/2/2010 57 PM, Do Dah Zippity wrote: > : Avast doesn't do that anymore. One time registration is enough. That > : said, viruses aren't the only malware out there. > > Avast Free still requires annual renewal. > > Hm, you're right. I could have sworn that I saw that was changed when I updated to 5.0. -- Peter Taylor
On 8/2/2010 66 PM, (PeteCresswell) wrote: > Per Peter Taylor: >> Hm, you're right. I could have sworn that I saw that was changed when I >> updated to 5.0. > > What's changed is that you don't have to go through having them > email you the new registration code and paste it into the app. Now I remember! -- Peter Taylor