[CaptainHaddock]

People are expecting Microsoft to improve the Windows GUI, and this is the best they've come up with.



Ugh—starting from the top of that particular Windows Explorer window, we have a grey toolbar, followed by a bold blue (ew) menu, followed by a bold blue toolbar, followed by another bold blue toolbar.

The spacing and layout of the icons is inconsistent, and you have four places to look to locate the function you want. And what normal user wants to shop for pictures online while using Windows Explorer?

Then there's the tree-list file viewer, with an unnecessary scrollbar. (Note that non-power users like my parents don't understand how to use these folder tree lists.)

Next there's the file pane showing image thumbnails underneath a header with file attributes (Name Size Type...) that makes absolutely no sense being there.

Lastly, at the bottom, is an awkward image info pane with the image squished to the far left and the image attributes aligned in some no-man's-land that isn't quite centered.

Overall, I find the grey and blue theme amateurish, though not as childish as the XP look. Notice the banding on the blue gradient; Apple avoided this problem by combining gradients with a metallic texture In OS X. No doubt Longhorn will include support for all manner of ugly skins, since consistency is completely off Microsoft's radar.

It's a typical design from Redmond. They have a general idea of the pieces they want to stick in (probably from looking over the shoulders of Mac users), but they have no clue how an interface works or how to put one together.

More screenshots at: PC World

[ManOfSteal]

Yeah, it definitely looks like...

[itistoday]

Excellent post and dissection of the flaws in Aero

[Kerrigan]

On the bright side:

-It has an integrated search feature at the top right corner of the window, like Safari and Finder

-They aren't using IE as a file browser anymore. That should improve security.

-It is never actually going to be released :-P

[storer]

it's foul. It looks like it was thrown together by chimpanzees who just grabbed all the bits they wanted and chucked them in some random order. And the main of the window looks terribly like OS X.

[CreepingDeth]

How long have they been using that jaggy-ass font?

[Chuckit]

That picture is the best argument for the Mac's universal menubar I've ever seen.

[CaptainHaddock]

Originally Posted by Chuckit

That picture is the best argument for the Mac's universal menubar I've ever seen.

No kidding! How is a Windows user even supposed to find the menu in that clutter?

[CreepingDeth]

I forgot how vain and pitiful these ultra-nerdy PC types are. I mean, damn, there isn't a thing interesting in Longhorn that I don't already have now.

"Oooh! Ahhh! Transparent windows! Those OS X people have had that in one form or another for a few years, but look at it!"

The new Avalon graphics engine includes a programming interface that permits Microsoft and third-party software makers alike to write applications that put the latest and greatest graphics cards to work rotating, texturing, and fading windows, as well as making menus, title bars, and other elements translucent--finally enabling Windows to catch up to Apple's OS X, several years after the fact.

(Microsoft officials say that they are still mulling over whether features included in the Tablet PC and Media Center editions of XP will continue to require special editions of Windows.)

No. Any idiot would tell you it clutters and confuses and already cluttered and confused product line.

Perhaps conscious that its failure to satisfactorily secure Internet Explorer has driven millions of the browser's users to switch to the Mozilla Foundation's Firefox--and possibly hoping to avoid a similar exodus to Mac OS X or Linux--Microsoft has announced several security initiatives such as a new low-rights user account that will let the owner make routine system changes (such as installing a driver) while limiting malware exposure.

That sounds familiar. They should try to close the ports that they automatically keep open.

[Mithras]

Seriously, using Windows feels like being in a sailboat peering out a 5" porthole at the sea.
Why can't they get rid of the six inches of crap above and below the actual window space?

[MindFad]

Heh, "Virtual Folders."

P.S. Yes, it pretty much looks like arse. I'm sure it will change much before it is released, though. And it's cool to note that it will be resolution independent, but so will 10.5, or so I assume since it was already being worked on and implemented in Tiger (in the dev tools). Resolution independence will be one of the cool "features" we're paying $129 for with 10.5, I'm sure.

[Randman]

Gee, I'm sure Leopard will look a little better, don't you think?

[MindFad]

Originally Posted by Randman

Gee, I'm sure Leopard will look a little better, don't you think?

NOT WITHOUT MENU BAR REFRACTION, NO, SIR!

[B Gallagher]

Resolution independence?

[PacHead]

Holy crap, that is so disgusting looking. Please excuse me for a sec, while I go vomit.

Seriously, how can anybody want to use that badly designed and simply unappealing OS ?

I've never seen any pic of longhorn before, but I did expect it to look way better than that.
Hell, OS 9 looks better than that. I don't think OS X has anything to worry about.

[AKcrab]

Originally Posted by B Gallagher

Resolution independence?

Yep. They're dressing up like indians and dumping resolution in the harbor. No resolution without representation! Viva la resolution!

[tavilach]

There's a difference between feces and ugly venomous snakes. feces is gross, but never purposefully harms you in any way. Ugly venomous snakes are gross, and love to poison you to death. Microsoft produces feces, and never ugly venomous snakes. What I see hear is an ugly venomous snake, and I am thereofre confident that the GUI will be improved greatly before Longhorn is released.

[d.fine]

[IonCable]

Wait, wait, wait. I've seen all this somewhere before. Now where was that? Let me think. Hmmm, hmmm. I know this one.......







Oh yeah! I know OS X Tiger! Silly me, How could I forget that?

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by ManOfSteal

Yeah, it definitely looks like...

Thanks for the description. I always wondered what these were

-t

[jamil5454]

The sad part is that there are Microsoft fanatics that are drooling over those screenshots, counting each passing day until Longhorn gets released.

I mean, I'm interested in Longhorn myself - I just might take the time some day to download it and play around with it, but I'm sure it'll just make me love OS X Leopard more.

I'm curious as to how Microsoft will allow you to run win32 apps on the 64-bit version of Longhorn.

[budster101]

Teh beta is coming out soon of Longhorn I was reading.

Are they still copying Jaguar? or have the moved over Panther and gone straight to Tiger?
Leopard will be out before they get the first master of Longhorn on the shelves. This is so sad, it's entertaining!

[jamil5454]

Originally Posted by budster101

Teh beta is coming out soon of Longhorn I was reading.

Are they still copying Jaguar? or have the moved over Panther and gone straight to Tiger?
Leopard will be out before they get the first master of Longhorn on the shelves. This is so sad, it's entertaining!

It's hard to develop an operating system when you no have no momentum to go off of

This spells the end for Microsoft I believe, unless they radically change some aspect of their company. Like selling Microsoft computers that compete with Apple's machines. But even then, users would just have to pick the better operating system, and Microsoft would be screwed.

Hopefully OS X and Windows will be able to peacefully co-exist on the same machine, and we will live in a happy world

[Randman]

The sad thing is that more than 80% of the computing world uses Windoze and a good number of that percentage will chunk out the change for Longhorn over some FUD.

[wdlove]

It has the appearance of previous Windows desktops.

[chris v]

Originally Posted by Chuckit

That picture is the best argument for the Mac's universal menubar I've ever seen.

Let's see.. do I want the menu, the window menu, the menu menu, the toolbar menu, the menu tool bar, the window toolbar, the toolbar window, or the window toolbar menu? Wow... computing IS hard. Is there a wizard to help me find the menu?

[olePigeon]

I can see tech support for Longhorn.

"OK, now just click on the Information button to get the properties window for the Picture."
...
"Ma'am, are you there?"
"Yeah, give me a minute, I'm looking for it."
...
"OK, I think I found it."
"Great, now press the button and it should bring up the properties windows."
"It brought up a window that says file properties, but I don't see where I can enter a description."
"You must've hit the Properties tab, you want the Information button."
"I don't see an Information button."
"It's on the left hand side."
...
"Ma'am, you still there?"
"Yeah, give me a damn minute! I'm still looking for the f*ckin button."

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by B Gallagher

Resolution independence?

Yeah, it'll look complicated, overcrowded, and ugly no matter what resolution you're in.

[mitchell_pgh]

I've been using XP at work for a few months now and still can't understand why people CHOOSE to use this OS. The ONLY think I like is the speed of SOME programs (but I only have a 733 G4 at home and a P4 at work).

I also think Outlook is a interesting program [even good IMHO when dealing with a medium sized office]... but obviously it has nothing to do with XP... and there is a Mac equivalency.

I guess it mostly comes down to games? I'm not sure.

[Randman]

I think it mostly comes down to that most people are stupid.

[Apple Pro Underwear]

Originally Posted by olePigeon

I can see tech support for Longhorn.

"OK, now just click on the Information button to get the properties window for the Picture."
...
"Ma'am, are you there?"
"Yeah, give me a minute, I'm looking for it."
...
"OK, I think I found it."
"Great, now press the button and it should bring up the properties windows."
"It brought up a window that says file properties, but I don't see where I can enter a description."
"You must've hit the Properties tab, you want the Information button."
"I don't see an Information button."
"It's on the left hand side."
...
"Ma'am, you still there?"
"Yeah, give me a damn minute! I'm still looking for the f*ckin button."

nice

[broxy5]

Is that a dock on the top of the screen?? I couldn't find a better pic of it, but it also looks like finder as well. WTF?

[broxy5]

.....yes, yes I am.

[historylme]

that still looks like win 2000 on drugs.

[budster101]

It sucks. My god this is laughable. Apple, I thank you.

[Mediaman_12]

Originally Posted by CaptainHaddock

Then there's the tree-list file viewer, with an unnecessary scrollbar. (Note that non-power users like my parents don't understand how to use these folder tree lists.)

I have been using XP at work for over 3 years (web design), so I should be a windows pro. But I still hate those damn tree lists. They have o be THE most complex & confusing GUI layout EVER.

That unnecessary scrollbar is because of an inherent problem with this method of showing drive layout, 'expand' a few levels down the tree and you can end up with more horizontal scrolling that vertical.
Oh the vertical bands in the gradient are probably due to compression in the screenshot, and more than likely not visible on the 'real' OS.

[turtle777]

And that's what takes them 5 years to make ? WTF ?

-t

[nforcer]

PC World is about a crappy as the platform they (mostly) cover. Very hard to tell anything from those small screens and there are only 3 of them at that. What a joke.

[budster101]

Windows has been dead since XP. XP Stands for X Pired.

[MindFad]

http://www.winsupersite.com/longhorn/

Go down to "Longhorn Movies." Let the fun ensue.

Icons will be 256x256 in Longhorn. Nice. So, expecting that 10.5 will indeed be the OS that Apple puts resolution independence into, you think they'll up the maximum icon sizes, too? Displays are getting larger and larger, after all....

[budster101]

Longhorn sidebar.

Right now we're calling it the sidebar, we'll figure out what the final name is at some point.

-=-=-=-=-

Yeah, whenever they figure out when they'll release this pile of crap OS...

-Load the BOOT movie... my god that SUXXXXORRRS

-The "Aero-Start" movie is BLURRY! wtf? What's supposed to be happening?

-Glass demo?.... pffffft. Listen to his commentary... it's funny.

[turtle777]

Just the Facts: Longhorn FAQ
Windows "Longhorn" is the next major version of Windows, a major upgrade to Windows XP that will ship in 2005.

WTF, Paul ?

-t

[CreepingDeth]

Longhorn 5060: Desktop search experience

"…Boom!"

I'm sorry, that word is a registered trademark of Steve Jobs Co.

[budster101]

Someone tell him it's 2005 already.... JUNE. They have 6 months left to release it... in 2005.

What a lapdog.

[Oisín]

Those movies are so bad quality, you can't see a thing that's going on (allegedly) in them.

So, I guess that, apart from the humongous abundance of menus here, there, and everywhere in those screenshots, I'm about the only one who thinks that it looks like Windows is finally starting to look like something that might be both relatively useful and, if not pretty, then at least not vomit-inducing to look at?

I mean... it's not pretty, but it's a hundred thousand gazillion times prettier than XP, which in its turn is a hundred thousand gazillion times prettier than 98 *shudder*

[budster101]

Contacting Paul


thurrott@
windowsitpro.com

I currently receive over 100 non-spam email messages a dayduring the week, and it's difficult (if not impossible) to manage these messages, let alone respond to each one individually. Some people are amazed when I'm able to get back to them immediately, while others wonder why I never respond. What it all comes down to is the quality and complexity of the original email. If it's something I can answer off the top of my head, I will. If it's something I have to research, it might be a while. And if the email itself is vague or unclear, it may never happen. Sorry!

Here's how to get your questions answered quickly.

Only ask questions to which I already know the answer. Just kidding.

Please don't ask me about specific hardware or software configurations. I'm not familiar with the Ricoh XYZ123 and no, I don't know why it doesn't work with Windows XP.

Be specific. Questions like Why can't I reinstall Windows? or How come I can't get email? are unanswerable.

Don't ask a question in the subject line or leave the subject line blank. My spam filter tends to trap these types of messages.

Try, try again! If you write me and don't hear back within a few days, please write back. I'm on the road frequently and get a lot of email, so it's possible you were lost in the mix somehow. Don't worry about pestering me: I honestly don't mean to ignore anyone. So keep asking until you get a response (that's not an invitation to spam me: Try and resend email once every few days, not repeatedly in the same day).

Use the right email address. You can reach me at [email protected].
And thanks for reading, seriously. The contents of this site are literally dictated by what readers want. So drop me a line and let me know what you're interested in reading about.

Paul Thurrott
February 25, 2002

He has a problem replying to 100 non-spam e-mails a day? Or does he have a problem differentiating from the multiple hundreds from the non-spam? Doesn't he have a filter?

What an idiot.

[Oisín]

Originally Posted by budster101

He has a problem replying to 100 non-spam e-mails a day? Or does he have a problem differentiating from the multiple hundreds from the non-spam? Doesn't he have a filter?

What an idiot.

He's only doing it as a hobby, though, right? If he has a job, and still have to find the time to reply to 100+ mails a day, I can understand how he might conceivably be spending quite a lot of time on it, especially if he has to do research for some of them as well. I don't see why this makes him an idiot...

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by budster101

He has a problem replying to 100 non-spam e-mails a day? Or does he have a problem differentiating from the multiple hundreds from the non-spam? Doesn't he have a filter?

What an idiot.

I don't know what you do for a living, but responding to more than 100 technical e-mails per day isn't exactly trivial...

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by Oisín

I don't see why this makes him an idiot...

No, this doesn't. There are plenty of other legitimate reasons to justify that conclusion though...

-t

[budster101]

100 e-mails? That is hard? Sorry... but he ASKED FOR THEM.

Did you read the post?

Only ask me questions I know the answer to. <kidding> <--- really? Probably not.

I sent him a nice e-mail. Oh yeah.