Microsoft got a great deal right with Windows 7, there can be no argument about this. The one thing that constantly strikes me about it is how I tend to leave it largely unmodified.
With Windows XP I’d have all sorts of tweaks and settings programs running. I’d have to change any number of annoying settings. Then there came the TellyTubby wallpaper, urgh!
With Windows 7 there are only a very few settings I change and I happen to really like the default wallpaper. This, as a power user, is an absolute first for me and proof so far as I’m concerned, that Microsoft have got it right.
But then there’s all the stuff that still hangs on from XP and that, frankly we have got to get rid of for Windows vNext (or Windows 8, whatever it ends up being called).
File Open / Save Dialogs
Why are we still using the same file open and save dialogs that we’ve had for over a decade now? Microsoft Office 2010′s Backstage view gave a tantalising glimpse of what we could have but, alas, even that reverts to the standard boring pop-up dialog.
I’ve got to admit, these file open and save dialogs are my pet hate in Windows 7, even more so that the horrible Taskbar / Start Menu dichotomy (and that’s up against some stiff competition).
The Taskbar / Start Menu Mess
I didn’t like the new Taskbar when it first appeared, not because it’s difficult to use or badly designed, but simply because couple with the existing Start Menu it’s a messy hybrid of the old and the new. I understand why Microsoft did things that way, but this really HAS to be sorted out for the next version of Windows.
If Microsoft are moving us towards a new interface then we need a bold jump, not a mixture of old and new styles at the same time.
Improved Updating for Third-Party Products
It’s far past the time now when Microsoft allowed other companies to plug their software updates into Windows Update. This feature has had such promise for years, and it’s long past time Microsoft did something positive with it.
The Libraries Fiasco
I’ve gone on about Libraries for ages now. Theyre another half-baked idea that needs serious attention. It’s not difficult Microsoft, come on, give us the ability to build libraries of file types (PDFs for instance), that would be a start. It also takes Windows far too long to build its indexes, we need the return of the WinFS file system to the OS.
Strip out the remaining XP Legacy Settings
Why am I still having to manually change the Virtual memory settings when I install Windows 7, or why is the Data Execution Prevention setting in the Visual Effects panel? Come on Microsoft, get your act together.
Clearly there are still pet peeves with Windows 7 that I believe badly need to be addressed before we get the first beta of codename Windows vNext in about nine months time. It’s much much closer than you might think!
