Microsoft Turns Windows Explorer into Utter Chaos

They have got to be kidding - ribbon interface for Windows Explorer. I've used it since Office 2007 was first released and still hate it.

Oh well, it will make some enterprising teenager a billionaire when he releases the add on that will make Explorer's user interface look and feel like it always has.

I'm beginning to think that it is time for me to bite the bullet and switch to a Mac. I have been threatening to for several years but my old WinXP Pro machine convinced me that maybe Microsoft had finally figured out how to write an OS. My new Win7-64 bit machine has turned me around again. I just spent over an hour cleaning crap out of the Registry and this machine is less than a year old. I spend more time on maintaining and updating it than I do using it.

Computer makers have moved to 16:10 and 16:9 aspect ratio screens. These screens have reduced height to begin with. Now MS changes to GUI to waste what little screen height still is available. It's a conspiracy - a conspiracy I say.

Pretty soon we will be down to a single line of content like a ticker tape.

Going to a Mac could turn out to be a very expensive trial for you. I have been doing computer consulting and troubleshooting since the mid 80's and have seen a number of people make the switch to mac and every last one of them went back to a PC within a year and they were a lot lighter in the wallet when done.

I personally have 2 64bit and 1 32bit Windows 7 computers that have been running Windows 7 since it was introduced. I have yet to find any need to clean the "crap" out of the registry. They have all been far more stable and trouble free than any XP version I ever ran and I ran them all.

In the screenshot included in the original referenced article, notice the caret (^) icon on the right side of the tabs bar beside the help icon (question mark in blue circle). That lets you minimize the ribbon so only the tabs are visible until you click on one, at which point the ribbon appears for the selected tab. In Office 2007 you could do the same thing by right-clicking the tabs bar and choosing "Minimize the Ribbon".

Not a big deal. They may get rid of Windows Explorer toolbar completely and that still won't affect the way I use Windows because I never use the toolbar. Right mouse click, drag drop, Shift/Ctrl keys + mouse clicks are more effective than the toolbar.

[EDIT]
I just looked at Windows 7 (Windows) Explorer. There's no tool bar. I've been using Windows 7 since the end of 2009 and I didn't even realize the missing toolbar if I didn't pay close attention to it.

Oh dear God.

Clearly designed by someone promoting Linux and/or Mac.

I'm sold. Buh-bye M$ (when my XP stops working again).

The ribbon can be set to minimized automatically, it will then expand only when needed. Also, every menu item will have its own ribbon. In another word, you can actually have multiple toolbars overlay each other but showing only one at a time.

For people like me that can use keyboard shortcuts, it is a extra desktop space. It may not be that big a deal when you have a 32in monitor, but for extreme frequent travelers who use little 11in screen notebook or 9in screen tablet, that's very big help.

I'm glad you aren't having any problems with your machines, I wish I could say the same. My old XP machine died after about 8 or 10 yrs of use. I bought this dual-core, AMD powered, e-Machine and have had problems with it since day one. Recently my old Palm T3 committed suicide by jumping off my desk. I removed all the Palm related software using the Windows' control panel. It left somewhere around 25 entries in the registry that were causing long boot times and freezes. My old WinXP Pro machine never once had a problem, worked flawlessly.

As for a Mac being more expensive, more expensive than what? This new 64 bit OS is not compatible with around 50-75% of my programs so I've had to buy new versions. My flat bed scanner's USB driver won't work and no update available, new machine does not have a parallel printer port or a RS232 serial port. So I have to buy a new printer/scanner and a USB-to-RS232 adapter. You will never convince me that this crap isn't planned!

Of course it is. It's called "planned obsolescence."

I went through most of what you described last year when I got my first Win7 64-bit PC. Some of my peripherals are still kludged.

Why would one need RS-232 these days? I threw out all my old RS-232 Commodore computer stuff and parallel port printers years ago. You can pick up an HP all-in-one that connects either on your local LAN or wirelessly, inexpensively these days so consider replacing your scanner. You can always buy an RS-232 PnP card if you've got to have a scanner to scan those old 35mm negatives.

It can indeed be planned obsolescence, but also it is just the steady march of technology. Whatever you buy today may already be obsolete because of breaking technology. Planned obsolescence seems to apply more than technical advances in Garmin's continual repackaging of models and features, and discontinuing relatively recent models.

Larry

Or making portable devices where the end-user cannot replace the battery. Practically speaking, that's a built-in 3 year limit on the life of the product (unless you rip the thing open and replace the battery anyway, like I did with my TomTom).

I for one hate it. I had a Palm LifeDrive which I was using just for contacts. I loved the set up of desktop contacts and used the Palm device mainly for transferring and updating contact information from my desktop and outlook to my home computer. Last week I went to turn it on and it is dead. Palm no longer supports this model and I am stuck with a brick. there is no reason it should have just stopped working like that. Planned obsolescence - I hate it.

Of course it's Microsoft's fault for making faulty e-machine PC. Oh wait, e-machine isn't an MS product . I also used Win 2000 (upgraded to XP) for 10 years before switching to Win 7 because I couldn't stand it any longer. My old Pentium III 1GHz PC was too darn slow.

Legacy software (probably developed 10+ years ago) doesn't work on new OS isn't a big surprise to me.

The million dollar question is "will Mac (possibly a 64bit OS) let you use all those old peripherals?" I highly doubt it. I switched to Win7 almost 2 years ago. The only hardware I got problem with is my 10-year old webcam. Creative doesn't offer driver update for 64-bit OS. No big deal. I bought a replacement (cheap) webcam. I was pleasantly surprised that I can get a driver for HP LaserJet 4 Plus connected to my PC over USB to Parallel cable.

I had the same thought myself....

And I LOVE the ribbon in Office 2007 and 2010, but the proposed ribbon shown for IE makes no sense at all to me, either. As the linked article says, there was no rhyme or reason to that design.

/prefer Firefox to IE, anyway

Except the article is talking about WINDOWS Explorer and not Internet Explorer.

I bought my first Mac 4 years ago and haven't looked back. Today I don't think I'd every consider another MS Windows machine, there simply is no reason. Mac's aren't perfect however when I consider I leave the machine on 24/7 in the 4 years I've owned it it has never (as in not 1x) crashed. Nor do I have to worry about viruses as there are none (as in zero, nada, zip) for OS X, however there is rare malware however even with those only foolish users have to consciously download and install.

And even if you have some "must have" Windows only apps you can still install Windows on your Mac to run them. You can do this several ways all of which work and all are stable.

As for your peripherals yes if they're under 5 years old they'll probably work fine however it's always wise to do your due diligence prior to spending your money. Will you need new software, well depending on what you use your computer for maybe. One thing I have noticed in the past 4 years is for the most part software for OS X tends to be less expensive and that includes upgrades to OS. I've lost track of how much Microsoft charges for Windows 7 in all it's iterations however I doubt even the least expensive can touch Apple's $30 price for the past 2 major revisions of OS X which are Snow Leopard 10.6.x & Lion 10.7.x.

For those that haven't been in a Apple Store take some time and browse around and ask tough questions you may be impressed.

and have been using Xplorer2 instead of it for years.

I think it's time to make the switch also. I have been thinking about it for awhile.

I missed that.

They are talking about Windows Explorer not Internet Explorer.

Me and my family have been a Mac (Mac Mini & MacBook) user since last December. It all started when my 9 year son and wife said they wanted a Mac for Christmas. My first thought was about the expense of a Mac then about the available software and peripherals for the Mac. Well my fears were unwarranted. We switched to a Mac and I have not regretted it. Mac computers are cool, solid, stable machines that just work out of the box. Are they perfect machines? NO...nothing is perfect.

Macs are becoming very popular so it's easy now to find just about any kind of software or peripherals you need. Every now and then I'll come across software that's only made for the PC. But there are always alternatives (i.e., Parallels for Mac).

Do Macs get viruses? YES...but a LOT less than PCs. The most common ways for Macs to get infected is via Trojans (i.e., Mac Defender) or via Phishing. So beware. Also, Macs are very popular now so bad people are beginning to target Macs more often. So my advice is to install anti-virus on your Mac. Especially if you trade electronic files/documents with PC users.

You'll spend more money upfront on Mac computers but, in the end, they will last a lot longer, offer better security, be protected against most viruses, and cost a lot less to maintain.

Buying a Mac was one of the best decisions I made in 2010.

Nothing wrong with a Mac computer. Most people that complain about a Mac have never put any "real" effort into trying to like. They are usually closed minded, not meant to be an insult, in the way things are done. Meaning they only know one way to do anything on computer and that is how the almighty MS corporation trained them to do it.

I have been using a Mac for about 2-3 years now. Took me about two weeks to get comfortable with it. I can do all of my personal stuff in Mac and about 99% of my work stuff in Mac. In my job environment there is a couple pieces of dedicated windows software that do not work in the Mac environment.

Again did not mean to be insulting to any Mac haters.

I have heard many Windows computer advocates make this same argument about the Mac fans. Truth is both platforms have their problems. Both platforms are wonderful and have far more capabilities than most users will ever use. It just comes down to what you like and are familiar with.

I Use Win 7 ultimate OS. All the software I could ever want is available to my needs, unlike Mac's, running emulators. If you have run a emulator to run a piece of software, why bother? just buy a PC!

Why are PC's vulnerable to Virus's?
Because they are the most widely used computer used world wide for both business and personal use, so it makes sense to attack the leader. the code writer gets the information he or she wants, and the notoriety as warped as it is.

If you own a Mac and don't think you can get a virus, then your misinformed, it just doesn't pay for the writers to spend their time on Macs for the information they get, there just aren't enough of them running the financial world, market share isn't the only difference, but it’s viable to argue that it’s a significant factor. Mac's are fabulous graphic and video editing machines without a doubt and PC's are right there with them, however graphics don't give up SS numbers, bank account numbers or whatever viruses are hunting for.

I am not throwing flames at Mac owners by any means. I'm just glad you own a computer of any type. Just don't be over confident you might get burned.

Due to the rise in Mac malware in 2011, many Mac users have realized the need to take security on their home computer seriously as well as recognized the advantages of running anti-virus software. More... http://www.sophos.com/en-us/press-office/press-releases/2011...

While most of the machines here run XP, the latest laptops (dual core) run Win 7 with zero issues. And they cost all of $350 each, compared with Macbooks at more than a grand a pop. My 'daily driver' PC is a 2.5 GHz P4 from Dell that I bought on the first day that XP was launched in 2002 - and it runs flawlessly and has NEVER required an OS reload (watch what happens now - and just because I said it in public . . . .).

Win 7 ultimate has an XP emulation mode. None of my programs required that I use it - I still run Office 2003 and my Photoshop 7 works fine as does everything else I have here.

My new portable machine didn't have a parallel port - no problem - $3 on Ebay for a USB-to-Parallel converter for one and the other went on the LAN through an HP print server I bought (on eBay) for $15 delivered.

If Windows Explorer has a common GUI with Office 2010 that isn't terrible, though personally I am a fan of a more minimalist interface like the one in XP.

As to Microsoft being somehow crap? My machines never crash. My machines don't get infected and every so often I run a registry cleaner and a disk defragmenter and it all just hums along very nicely.

Apple MAY be getting somewhat more popular, but it still holds just a tiny minority of the market. I don't wish you badly if you're a MAC head, but the reality is that for variety of selection and support using a Windows operating system is the way to go - if you like clicking on infected links and opening e-mails with dodgy attachments then you get what you deserve.

But why in the world would you pay 3 times as much for a computer, only to have to buy a copy of Windows and install it on that machine to use it with your applications?

In my experience (20+ years in IT), "most people that complain about a Mac" are not commenting on the machines themselves. Their beef is with Apple bigots: the devotees who seize every opportunity to criticize competing platforms (originally just Windows, but now Android as well) while remaining willfully blind to any shortcomings of their beloved Macs and iThings.

You've adopted the Mac platform, and I'm glad that you're happy with your choice. Unfortunately, you've also adopted the bigot's lexicon: anyone who questions the "obvious" superiority of all things Mac must be a "Mac hater".

Fortunately, Windows users have had a couple of decades to immunize themselves to the name-calling. As John C. Dvorak wrote in the May 14, 1996 issue of _PC_Magazine_:

Seems like a really pointless argument. No one is going to see the error in their ways and immediately switch to the other side. You guys might just as well be discussing religion or politics. Oh wait, you are, actually!

You're right. I misunderstood. My apologies.

It's still a poor design.

Same here, Windows had it's problems in the distant past but my experience since XP has been smooth.

... they'll have to find some way of making me USE it before I'll find any reason to complain. There are several far superior file managers, just as there are much better browsers available. Adding Ribbon UI isn't a game changer for me.

All good things must come to an end I guess. IBM was on top of the world during the recession of the 80's. Never seemed to recover since then. Microsoft was the Apple of the late 80's to early 90's and it seems its days are coming to an end as far as dominance. Now Apple is in its elite era, but I have mentioned before, history always finds a way to repeat itself. Basically, don't put all of your 'Apples' in one basket.

This discussion reminds me of the days when Word Perfect, Microsoft Word, and Ami Pro were competing with each other.

Wow, I thought I was the only person old enough to remember WordPerfect and Ami Pro.

How about FoxPro & Lotus 1-2-3?

I remember, that was just the other day, now do you remember VisiCalc? for you young ones that wasn't a vitamin supplement but the mother of Lotus 1-2-3 and Excel

Yes, if you used Ami Pro you also used 1-2-3.

WordStar.

My regular work computer is windows, I still have XP, Vista, and W7 in the household. Again nothing against it. Just pointing out that most everything that I di on windows I can do with a Mac. Granted some of it done differently which was my point. A lot of those that say they tried a Mac did not want to really use it to begin with so they never put there heart into it.

As you mentioned that are Mac people that are the same way. Because something has to be done differently they refuse to work with it.

I'm just as comfortable on a Mac as I am on a Windows platform. Now on a Mac I'm not very good with the "Command Line/Terminal" as with the Dos command line in Windows. But for what I do on a daily basis which is setting up digital copiers on a customers network it no longer matters if they have a Windows or a Mac. I can set up printing and scanning on both.

As for the few pieces of software that the copier manufacture has that runs in a Windows environment only, I'm sure that Mac has similar software that there is no windows equivalent, though I would not be able to name one as of yet.

Again my previous post was not meant to insult anyone. Nor was it meant to make it look like I hated Windows. If that is how it came across even with the "no insult intended" statement, I'm sorry. It has just been my experience that a lot oh people on both sides are just closed minded to try. Or maybe I should have stated "If trying a Mac from Windows for the first time keep an open mind. Some things in Mac make better sense other things do not, and vice-versa.

Here's an excellent post that talks about the two very different directions that Apple and Microsoft are heading in with regards to OS/X and Windows:

http://daringfireball.net/2011/09/compromise

I have had a lot of trouble win 7 also, but the problem is not windows, its me trying out programs, I down loaded alot of family tree programs lately and that made a mess of the computer, I just reformated the hard drive and everythings ok now, the same thing happens with XP & Vista, I can't see a lot of difference between them and I still use all the versions.

My problem is caused by changing my mind, changing my programs, its my fault.

The major problem you are having is caused by Windows. The uninstall in Windows (any flavor) doesn't remove all the Registry entries. Some would say that that is a problem with the software's uninstall and that may be part of the problem but the major part is Windows fault. Those Registry entries that are left behind now point to null or nonexistent locations. These invalid entries cause Windows to be slow to boot and can, in the worst case, cause the OS or the program to freeze. Windows should, as a matter of self-defense, examine the program and remove all of the Registry entries the program uses. You can buy 3rd party programs that will do that but why should you have to pay out your money to do what Windows should already do?

I agree. Microsoft should look at its removal program. Most of the problems are caused by orphan registry entries. If you have the computer knowledge you may be able to safely remove the unneeded entries. But I am afraid of removing something important. So I will have to buy a 3rd party program to clean out my computer (and registry). Can anyone recommend a good program which is easy to use? Thanks.

Look at freeware CCleaner here:

http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner

A very good Swiss Army Knife of tools, including a registry cleaner.

Larry

I use the free version of CCleaner. Works OK for me. There is also a paid upgrade available.

I just happened upon this program.

Maybe somebody with experience can suggest an even better program for both of us.

Edit: larrypat beat me. Both of us had the same suggestion. Must be useful program!

Registry cleaners run the gamut from being useless to being dangerous. Orphaned entries in the registry have little to no effect on system performance. Couple of links:
http://www.edbott.com/weblog/2005/04/why-i-dont-use-registry...
http://www.whatthetech.com/2007/11/25/do-i-need-a-registry-c...

That little speed improvement others experience is a placebo effect. I clean up my registry with "format" command

Thanks for the links. The articles seemed a bit old but I found this 9/2011 update at the end of Ed Bott's article that at least acknowledges that CCleaner has some support as a useful tool when used intelligently:

"Update 11-Sep: Several commenters have made a good case for a handful of utilities that include registry repair and cleaning options. They make the point that these are useful when used intelligently, not indiscriminately. My colleague George Ou from ZDNet passed along these comments:

'I do like the free CCleaner. I’ve cleaned out 1 GB or more of junk on friends computers and it does make the system a little more responsive. You don’t get as many unexplained pauses. This is a problem with the lack of multithreading in Windows Explorer most of the time when it times out on dead resources like a detached network drive. I thought I remember reading something on the Vista features that fixes this by supporting multiple threads.

Other than that, I’ve made sure that I don’t have any dead links the system is trying to access on the desktop that are sure to cause a 30 second lockup even if I drag an icon across the dead link icon. Ccleaner also does a nice job removing a lot of that junk. The combination of MSCONFIG and Ccleaner works wonders.'

OK, I’ll give it a try." (END OF QUOTE)

I guess we will have to wait and see if Ed Bott actually changes his mind.

It's going to be a long wait, selfruler. That article was published in 2005.