Urbz Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 My biggest problem with Windows Vista is not its speed. It is not the stupid amount of resources needed to run it. It is the organization of its nice-looking ui. Compared to XP, Vista just looks like a cluster of servers over in Redmond threw up all in the same place and Vista is what came of it. The Control Panel, every explorer window, and the start menu in particular simply seem so... confusing. It's a pity that I have to search for everything I want to do within the OS simply because it's easier for me to hope that it gives me good results than to have to go manually search for features myself. Point being, I was wondering if anyone knew of a way (be it some super hidden checkbox or some nice application) to cleanup or organize Vistas UI? -Urbz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iPirate Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 FlyAKite? Google it if you don't understand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbz Posted January 7, 2008 Author Share Posted January 7, 2008 not exaclty what I had in mind anyone have a real suggestion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SticMAC™ Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 I'm probably going to get slaughtered for this..... If you insert a original MACOS DVD there is a magic button on it "Install Mac OS X" i also had no point SticMAN not exaclty what I had in mind anyone have a real suggestion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InorganicMatter Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Nope. I use the indexed searcher for everything in both Vista and Leopard, but I don't understand why you dislike it. It is soooo much easier to go *Windows Key -> P-R-O-G -> Enter*, than to go "Start...Computer....uhh, Control Panel.....Add/Remove, wait, what did they rename it to?....aha, Programs and Features!" Same with Leopard, it's way easier to go *Command+Space -> D-I-S-K - > Enter*, than it is looking around in Application for 30 seconds only to realize that the Disk Utility is not in Applications, it's in Utilities. Indexed finding is great - it's like 21th century meets the old-school command line computing that people like me are used to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 I find the UI alot easier to use than XP's.. What part of it were you having trouble with? :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ayanami Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 The Control Panel is an interesting debate. If you're really having trouble with it, switch it to "Classic View," and it'll make things a lot easier for you. As for the Explorer, go to "Organize," and you can take most of that stuff out of there, and in "Folder Options," you can get the old file path back (C:/Program Files/). I really like Vista's UI. Parts of it had to grow on me, parts of it I still don't like *cough*SIDEBAR*cough*, and parts of them (transparency) can be changed. Look up some of Stardock's stuff...Their apps are REALLY customizable, and can make a completely different Windows experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 I really like Vista's UI. Parts of it had to grow on me, parts of it I still don't like *cough*SIDEBAR*cough*, Yeah. It's especially a pain if you've got a small monitor or laptop display that you're using it on. It can really get in the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apowerr Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 Look up some of Stardock's stuff...Their apps are REALLY customizable, and can make a completely different Windows experience. Yeah, try TweakVista and Windowblinds if what Ayanami suggested isn't enough. Personally I find Aero appealing, and I like it a lot better than Luna (ew). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbz Posted January 8, 2008 Author Share Posted January 8, 2008 I don't have any problems with Vista, don't get me wrong. I'm impressed with its general security and whatnot, although UAC is too stupid to understand that a Network Volume is NOT the internet, and there is no way to trust applications run from one... I administer two (2!) Vista computers at work and so I'm actually very familiar with the OS. I decided the other day to reinstall it on my Mac mini, even though my experience with it as even a casual OS has not been great (from the Beta 1 I knew that this was a doomed relationship!). Certain aspects of the UI boggle my mind, like the Sidebar (which is just... so... ugh...), but overall the system is very good-looking. Still, it just doesn't have that 'clean' look or feel that XP had, or that Mac OS X has. It has that clunky, bloated feel (UI-wise... i could give a {censored} about how much space it takes up) that IMO Linux generally has. Throughout my life, I have been a 'slider,' although I rather dislike that term, between Mac OS, Windows, and occasionally Linux, and with Vistas market penetration I simply can't afford to fall behind on familiarising myself with Vista as perfectly as I know XP. Back to the UI. It's so ugly that when I am in an explorer window, take 'My Computer' as an example, that there is a contextual bar below the address/navigation bar that serves very little purpose. What bothers me most is that this particular bar is as tall as the title of the actual window! And the new control panel is just the ugliest thing... everything is everywhere and I have to limit employees to certain apps by going to parental controls... couldn't they have named it something else? I'm not having any problems with any of this, it's just that it is annoying the hell out of me. I know, by now, where I will find everything I want, and yes, the search is a godsend, but it sucks that the whole OS isn't better organized... particularly considering the organization of XP and 2000, which I have always liked. I wasn't really looking for an application that would change my Vista experience (I do like Aero), Mac OS X is my main OS, I'm just looking for a small utility or some suggestions within the OS that will get rid of all this 'bloat' that I consider Vista to have. I'm sorry that I can't explain it much better... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InorganicMatter Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 Uhhh....what you are looking for is built right into Windows. It's a feature of Active Directory called the Group Policy Editor. The fact that you administer a network and have never heard of it makes me wonder if its Vista, or the user who is at fault here. :censored2: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robotskip Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 How do you find the Control Panel confusing, seriously? What's wrong with that? Or what, do you want the old Control Panel back? Actually, here is the XP SP2 Control Panel which you claim Vista is so much more confusing than: Yet Vista's is so much nicer looking, better organised, etc. And you also mention the Start Menu, well, here's some more screenshots showing that Vista's is so much nicer looking, better organised, better features, etc. I think the only 'better' thing about XP for some people would be the Shutdown button. Just what parts exactly do you find confusing? You were really ambiguous and I can't read minds over the Internet so some screenshots with little arrows would help dearly. Oh, and for those complaining about the Sidebar, either turn it off or make it show/hide automatically or use the shortcut to do so. And out of everyone in my family and all the people I know, using Vista, who are more or less computer illiterate they all managed to find out how to change the wallpaper them self and other simple things they did on XP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SticMAC™ Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 Hi Stardock's has a DOCKBAR that works like MAC's, so back in the old days i had all my icon off my desktop and only used the dockbar! I didn't try to make Vista look like MacOS, but merely used a GOOD program an a somewhat "flawed" system SticMAN My biggest problem with Windows Vista is not its speed. It is not the stupid amount of resources needed to run it. It is the organization of its nice-looking ui. Compared to XP, Vista just looks like a cluster of servers over in Redmond threw up all in the same place and Vista is what came of it. The Control Panel, every explorer window, and the start menu in particular simply seem so... confusing. It's a pity that I have to search for everything I want to do within the OS simply because it's easier for me to hope that it gives me good results than to have to go manually search for features myself. Point being, I was wondering if anyone knew of a way (be it some super hidden checkbox or some nice application) to cleanup or organize Vistas UI? -Urbz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ayanami Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 Object Dock is what SticMan is referencing. I <3 Object Dock...It can serve so much more than just a mimic of Apple's dock too. As far as the Explorer windows go, I just pulled out the entire left side. You can get to it from the "Organize" button. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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