Thoughts on Windows 11

Wynona · Nov 8, 2021

Always Why said:
@Wynona

I use to be an insider with W7 but after the W8 debacle, I decided to leave the program. Glad you are dual booting, it will (hopefully) be fun for me again "IF" W11 features and UI are fixed to our liking. Meaning, more useful without eye-candy. :)

I only use about 240 GB of storage space on my NVMe 500 GB which makes a recovery/backup very fast - about 8 minutes. I often recover W10 after experimenting with interesting programs I try during their trial period. I built my current system in 2017-2018 and did have dual boot W7 and W10. But once W10 matured I didn't need W7 anymore.

From what I'm seeing so far, the Taskbar is A #1 on the list of complaints about Windows 11! And it's no wonder, since MS totally crippled the Taskbar.

I've also seen scuttlebutt about Microsoft separating File Explorer and the Taskbar. But I'm not sure about that.

Microsoft is finally fixing the Windows 11 taskbar’s biggest flaw

Windows 11 Taskbar To Have Drag And Drop Functionality In The beginning Of 2022 – Research Snipers

One of the central innovations of Microsoft’s new operating system is the completely redesigned taskbar...

www.researchsnipers.com

Wynona · Nov 8, 2021

clam1952 said:
Which is what I posted earlier in the thread, I'm done with 11 Added a bit more in pics. Simple left right top or bottom additional taskbar solution, which I posted here, no hacking involved it's a separate App. colours sizes length position text or not etc can be changed in the settings.

Hey, I can't reckymember everything . . . I'm older'n dirt! Some things bear repeating, though, and the Taskbar is one of those!

Wynona · Nov 8, 2021

Sorry about the repetition. I can't seem to get a handle on how to get back to a "started post" when I go out to confirm what I'm trying to say.

And now I see a delete button, so I guess I should try that one out.

Dru2 · Nov 8, 2021

Wynona said:
From what I'm seeing so far, the Taskbar is A #1 on the list of complaints about Windows 11! And it's no wonder, since MS totally crippled the Taskbar.

I've also seen scuttlebutt about Microsoft separating File Explorer and the Taskbar. But I'm not sure about that.

Microsoft is finally fixing the Windows 11 taskbar’s biggest flaw

Windows 11 Taskbar To Have Drag And Drop Functionality In The beginning Of 2022 – Research Snipers

One of the central innovations of Microsoft’s new operating system is the completely redesigned taskbar...

www.researchsnipers.com

Anybody can post anything on the net so I'll wait and see what "Microsoft" actually does here.

That said, even though I'm not in love with the new Taskbar myself - I think it's too tall at default settings, and Brink's tweak to make the taskbar smaller only results in showing a truncated date - I'm not pulling out my hair over it. It's just something I'm getting used to. The same as I've done with every OS upgrade since moving from Windows 95.

That's me.

BunnyJ · Nov 8, 2021

Honestly, I've never really noticed the size of the taskbar being an issue.. but then again I have a 32" monitor so that may account for that. Overall, I just leave things as is from the initial instillation and my customization is minimal.

barman58 · Nov 8, 2021

Wynona said:
Sorry about the repetition. I can't seem to get a handle on how to get back to a "started post" when I go out to confirm what I'm trying to say.

And now I see a delete button, so I guess I should try that one out.

Wynona
Don't worry about it - if repetition happens it's easy for one of the staff to sort out for you - just use the report option and ask ... with all the changes to get used to in Windows 11, We here are aware that it's a new forum with a few changes itself so we expect the learning curve - hopefully less of one than windows 11 itself

Dru2 · Nov 8, 2021

BunnyJ said:
Honestly, I've never really noticed the size of the taskbar being an issue.. but then again I have a 32" monitor so that may account for that. Overall, I just leave things as is from the initial instillation and my customization is minimal.

Size of the monitor has nothing to do with it. It's the default height that I don't like. But as I said, nothing worth hair pulling.

clam1952 · Nov 8, 2021

Taskbar is slightly less than double height in Win10 which is probably why shrinking it chops off half the date, one wonders why it was deemed necessary to make it larger?

Dru2 · Nov 8, 2021

clam1952 said:
one wonders why it was deemed necessary to make it larger?

Probably so it can show date and time by default. I certainly don't need date showing - if I needed it I'd simply hover over the clock.

With that I've not found a way to actually hide the "date" part. And thus make the taskbar smaller without truncating the date info.

Anyway, I'm in no way saying the taskbar is perfect, I'm just saying it's not a hair pulling event for me. I can still pin the items I use the most without issue, even have "This PC" pinned...

That's me.

Mystere · Nov 8, 2021

Wynona said:
From what I'm seeing so far, the Taskbar is A #1 on the list of complaints about Windows 11! And it's no wonder, since MS totally crippled the Taskbar.

I've also seen scuttlebutt about Microsoft separating File Explorer and the Taskbar. But I'm not sure about that.

I've said this before, and i think it bears repeating.

Microsoft *rewrote* the task bar. They didn't deliberately remove features, it's just not as mature as the previous taskbar yet.

It's like saying "You know, old bill over there, produced offspring. It's too bad he removed all that wisdom he has from 50 years, that new bill jr is crippled!"

TaskBar jr (in this context) will grow into something more mature, but give it time.

clam1952 · Nov 8, 2021

Of course it could be as happened elsewhere, the coder left before it was finished properly.

AndreTen · Nov 8, 2021

clam1952 said:
Of course it could be as happened elsewhere, the coder left before it was finished properly.

hdmi · Nov 8, 2021

Mystere said:
I've said this before, and i think it bears repeating.

Microsoft *rewrote* the task bar. They didn't deliberately remove features, it's just not as mature as the previous taskbar yet.

It's like saying "You know, old bill over there, produced offspring. It's too bad he removed all that wisdom he has from 50 years, that new bill jr is crippled!"

TaskBar jr (in this context) will grow into something more mature, but give it time.

I can't remember who said it first, but Windows 11 is advertised as a finished product. I kind of agree with @Wynona that ppl shouldn't have to jump through hoops, but personally, I decided to jump through them anyway, and, it certainly pays off well I might add. Speaking of hoops, Valinet (the author of ExplorerPatcher) has already jumped through all the ones that are burning, all just so I don't have to. As for the immature taskbar, I work as a software developer in the type of environment where time is money, so I'll just let others handle the job that revolves around giving it time.

Mystere · Nov 8, 2021

No software product is ever "finished". It's just finished for this particular version, next version will be further improved.

Look back at Windows 8, then 8.1, then 10. Each further improved things that had been rewritten earlier. Windows 10 went through about 8 major updates in it's lifespan, many of which also made major improvements to previously rewritten components.

Windows is, and always has been a work in progress.

barman58 · Nov 8, 2021

Mystere said:
No software product is ever "finished". It's just finished for this particular version, next version will be further improved. ...

... Windows is, and always has been a work in progress.

Unfortunately it does often do an about Face and progress in a random direction

ThrashZone · Nov 8, 2021

Hi,
So many legacy menus still on 11 it's pretty funny lol :eyeroll:

hdmi · Nov 8, 2021

Mystere said:
No software product is ever "finished".

The term "finished" is loosely defined alright, but should the looseness of it be a justifiable reason to put extra burden on users in such ways that could have easily been avoided─by providing real solutions to help to achieve the loss of real problems? Real problems, such as the loss of useful features, that could have been kept by simply making them optional so those who don't use them wouldn't have to be bothered by them? Let the insiders give the new taskbar time to mature so that the rest of us can give some of the insiders time to mature in this regard, it'll be a win-win situation for everyone I mean. Literally.

Cbleman · Nov 8, 2021

hdmi said:
Thing is, the hack @Brink gave us for putting the taskbar on top is the best I've seen, and is easily understood. After the TB is on top, all I have to do is right click on the app I want on it and pin it to the taskbar.

You shouldn't need a hack.
Users should STILL be able to move (and customize) the taskbar without a hack or third party software. That's features that are gone that are screaming to be returned.
(Thank you Brink, for the hack)

hdmi · Nov 9, 2021

Cbleman said:
You shouldn't need a hack.
Users should STILL be able to move the taskbar where they want without a hack or third party software. That's a feature that is gone that is screaming to be returned.
(Thank you Brink, for the hack)

I don't disagree with you on that. Only if they refuse, then they should need. Just kidding!

barman58 · Nov 9, 2021

I hope that Microsoft is using Telemetry and Customer Feedback to decide the new UI design, If so I can accept that something I miss is just a personal thing rather than something that a majority will miss.

I would have thought that a lot of what has been removed could have still worked with the New UI which is disappointing though personally I've used so many UI designs over the years, ( and designed a few specialist ones), that I find I adapt quickly to change