While Long Zheng has shined a much needed spotlight on Vista’s visual quirks at Windows UX Taskforce, I figured it’s about time someone brought to light another major aspect of Windows, the features. As important as the UI is, I can certainly cope with some minor visual flaws here and there; it’s in terms of features, where Windows is starting to fall behind. And there’s no time like the present to start getting your word out.
So here are six suggestions that I believe would be crucial to Windows Seven’s success:
• One version, Modular Installation: Boy, did Apple ever have it right with that “Basic version for $129… Premium version for $129… Business version for $129… and an Ultimate version, for $129″. One of the major criticisms Vista has faced since before it ever even hit store shelves, has been the amount of available editions. This has got to go! Users should not have to stare at the store shelf for ten minutes, looking at the comparison tables on each box, deciding which version to pick. Windows Seven MUST ship in one version, and one version only. The solution to this? Modular installation. Let the user pick what applications and features to install during the setup. To make this process easier, there should be four suggested “installation modes”, where the user can select whether they want to optimize the installation for a Home environment, a Business environment, or a Full installation (the fourth “mode” being custom). The installer will then highlight and select the suggested components to install, yet still allowing the user to make the decision in the end. That means one version and one price tag, allowing you to have the Seven you want.
• 64-bit as the new norm: While 32-Bit support should indeed remain; it’s time to start moving on. As it stands with Vista, users who want the 64-Bit installation media have to pay an additional $10 fee, plus shipping and handling, and have to then wait 4-6 weeks for the discs to arrive (unless you purchase Ultimate edition, of course). Yet, nearly all computers within the suggested system requirements for Windows Vista already have support for 64-Bit operating systems, so why not make the move over? 64-Bit is clearly the way to go, and there’s no reason to prolong 32-Bit’s wrath. It’s time for the ones with outdated systems to start paying the fees for additional discs, not those who have already paid a premium for a decent computer.
• Integrated Security: It’s the first warning you see every time you boot up Windows for the first time, you’ve got no Anti-Virus installed. Here’s a solution, include some? OneCare has been out for some time now and has been improved significantly since v1, and there’s no real reason why OneCare shouldn’t be integrated into Windows Seven. Better yet, have it as an option during the setup (see my first point). It’s lightweight, would easily suffice in terms of malware prevention/detection for most users, and would provide Windows users with the much needed peace of mind knowing that their system is secure, for no extra cost.
• Windows Live from the get-go: The need for the integrated versions of both Windows Photo Gallery and Windows Mail are long gone, and it’s time for Live to finally make an appearance in Windows, right from the get-go. What’s the point in integrating lesser versions of the same software, when the newer and better versions can be downloaded for free anyways? While they’re at it, might as well integrate Windows Live Messenger as well. They used to include Messenger in previous versions of Windows, so why stop now? And with the increasing amount of personal blogs on the interwebs these days, it only makes sense to include Writer as well.
• Descriptive Error Messages: As much as I would prefer having no error messages at all, we all know that’s never going to happen, don’t we? But, “Something happened because it doesn’t like you” just doesn’t cut it anymore. Errors need to be displayed in a clear, concise, and monkey-friendly way. Not everyone that uses a computer is a senior developer at Microsoft ya know.
• “Gaming” Wireless Mode: One little quirk that has affected not only Vista, but its older brother ExPee as well, has been wireless-induced lag; a big no-no for gamers. For some reason, every 60 seconds, “WLAN AutoConfig” (formerly “Wireless Zero Configuration”) has a hankering to search for closer, faster, stronger (We can rebuild him!) networks, despite the fact that you’re already happily connected to a network. The problem with this is that whenever this search is performed, wireless performance can grind to a halt, causing massive lag spikes for gamers. And if you’re a gamer, you know that ever millisecond counts. I suggest that a new “Gaming Mode” is implemented in Seven, where the user has a quick check/uncheck option to enable or disable this search for new networks, via the wireless tray icon. With this, you’ll be back in the game and no-scoping in no time.
So what do you think; what does Windows Vista lack and what features are you dying to see in Windows Seven?
All I want for Seven is…. Microsoft to drop NTFS and move on a more modern file system already. We’re in 2008, fragmentation should be a thing of the past already.
I agree, Steven. Well written David. I agree completely. We need to get rid of all this crap. Basic is, well, Basic… Too Basic for most users, and a complete waste of money. No sense paying hundreds of extra dollars to get a few extra features, bragging rights, and a pile of “extras” that don’t even exist!
1 and 3 won’t happen. This is Microsoft we’re talking about…while they’ll probably streamline their versions back to XP-like levels, one version is too much to ask for. And anyway, Home and Business editions are the way to go. I don’t want to pay more for features I won’t use.
No comment on number 2. 64-bit CPUs are fairly mainstream, so it’s about time MS follows suit.
Back to number 3…I uninstall preinstalled AVs anyway, so I’d rather have an option for Windows to stop nagging me with it instead of having OneCare preinstalled
Windows Live is much needed. Nothing to add. Same for actually helpful error messages.
I won’t say anything about the last one since I don’t know much about wireless, but I’d actually go further away with your idea…how about a real gaming mode? You hit it, every single service and app is disabled but the ones used in games (or set by the user so you can still run things like Xfire or Skype while gaming), tweaks settings for the best possible performance (including your idea) and then you have a dedicated interface with your games listed and some tasks common to gamers (think full screen neptune-like interface)…that would be awesome IMO, I’ve hoped for something like that for a long time.
Another thing I think is much needed is a revamped Control Panel. They tried with XP/Vista, but simply failed. The task-based CPs are awful and some options are crammed so far away that you just give up and use the classic interface, which is tacky with its countless icons. Something effective would be much needed here, or maybe removing it altogether and separating options into logical places in the OS. Sure, an adaptation time would be needed, but in the end anything would be more useful than that thing we have right now.
That’ll be enough for now I think
I agree on all of your points David except for number one (partially). I think that MS had it just right with XP but did take too much advantage of the system with Vista.
As far as 64-bit support goes, I think it should be the default install unless a user chooses not to or they don’t have a supported system (moi). I’ve noticed that there are actually quite a few systems on the shelves today that quietly have Vista 64-bit installed right in the factory.
The rest is right on the dot, although I think Adobe needs the hint on error messages also
Here’s hoping for Seven
The reason Windows Live stuff is not included in Windows is so that the competition has a chance. If they bundled everything into Windows, nobody would see any reason to go install Yahoo! Messenger, for example. The Windows ‘N’ versions exist for the same reason - no Media Player bundled.
I agree to all the points you mentioned! Absolutely interessting what you said. I really like the idea of a custom installation and only one version. The only thing I can’t tell anything about is the Wireless gaming, because I’m using a cable connection because Wireless kinda sucks here…because there is a conection breakdown every 2 minutes…
I think i read somewhere that everything is going to be linked with Windows Live
and…
That gaming thing is a great idea, i already have a gaming profile on my XP (nothing runs but steam and xfire). Any good gamer will know that they have to have a cable anyways…
Impressive points there David, and I think I agree with all of them, having the ability to choose what features you want installed would be great - I also agree with Steven’s comment about scraping NTFS, bring on flash drives I say!
It seems doubtful that Microsoft will get the concept of giving us what we actually want any time soon.
Sadly, their success is our failure. They are literally big enough to ignore their customers (see:vista) desires and requirements knowing they can ship anything and have it sell.
Maybe once they loose 30% of their market they might do a knee jerk half assed reaction, but don’t expect anything truely meaninful any time soon.
I would suggest that it is more likely that Apple will finally drop the restriction for running their OS on non-apple hardware long before MS really gets a clue about customer service. ( and I don’t see Apple figuring that bit out any time soon no matter how much sense it makes)
I agree with everything David. I partially agree with the first point, but it would be good if it were like XP whereas there is just a Business edition and normal edition. I by far agree with the rest however.
But Windows XP didn’t just have a Business and a “normal” edition.
It had:
Home Edition (far more useless than Vista’s Home Basic)
Professional Edition (same as Vista Business)
Media Center Edition (same as Vist Home Premium)
Table PC Edition (eliminated in Vista)
Starter Edition
Vista didn’t add any new Editions except for Ultimate, which offers a combination of components (domain supprt, RDP, and Media Center) that you *COULD NOT GET* on Windows XP. And it removed the superfluous Tablet PC Edition by integrating that functionality into the other editions.
So… I don’t really see what you’re complaining about.
Brandon, I don’t see how you can compare editions like that.
Each version of Windows XP was “incremental” so-to-say. Home Edition included most of the features XP had to offer and was sufficient for home users, and Professional included everything from Home edition, as well as some more office/corporate oriented features, it did not have any features removed.
With Vista however, you have Home Basic which nearly offers less than XP in it self, you then have Home Premium which includes the necessities for Home users, but no professional features. And then Business edition includes those professional features, but LACKS the home features. You either have to chose between one or the other, or buy Ultimate edition at the cost of $500.
Media Center edition was available as OEM only, and was nothing more than XP Professional with Media Center added. And Tablet edition was once again Professional but with the tablet features added, and again was only available as OEM, pre-installed on Tablets.
You simply cannot compare editions like that. Basically, with Vista you have 4 editions to choose between in the store, and with XP, we only had 2 to choose between, and we knew if we got the higher version, that we were getting everything.
1. Giving the user a choice as to what gets installed and what doesn’t, will never happen.
2. I totally agree.
3. Security and Windows do not mix in the same sentence. OneCare is not that great anyway.
4. I don’t think anything except what’s absolutely needed for the OS itself should be included. I hate being stuck with what MSFT thinks is good for me.
5. I agree, but it likely would never happen as there’s too many variables that come into play when something goes wrong.
6. I can’t speak for wireless performance as I don’t use wireless, but a “gaming mode” would be nice. There was talk about having such a mode in Vista, but as with everything else, it too was scrapped. IMO, a compact and efficent “gaming mode” should be how the OS is installed initially and let everything else be installed if needed. That will never happen either. See #1.
Brandon compares editions like that because he finds no fault with MSFT. The guy argued before that it was OK that MSFT was a monopoly and all the things they’ve done over the years to intentionally screw the competition (AARD code in Win 3.1 for example, theft of code lawsuit against MSFT by Gary Kidall, which was won BTW). You’re not going to sway “his” way of thinking.