Windows Vista Experiences

Today I was wondering about the 3 buttons on the top-right corner of windows in Windows Vista (from left to right: minimize, maximize/restore, close).

Windows 95/98/ME defined their size and design in a way that came to be known as the “Windows Classic Style“. In Windows XP, most elements in the new windows scheme looked as if they were made out of molded plastic, and grew much bigger, with the buttons in vibrant red, calling for you to use them (Close me! Close me!). One could argue that by being bigger, they offered an easier-to-find target area for the mouse pointer, making the buttons easier to use.

From the release of Windows 95 till Windows XP (the 98 and Millennium editions didn’t change much) they had 6 years to study and improve the user interface, to make it easier, more intuitive. Quiet a lot of money was spent on research, and the look-and-feel did change a lot. Yet from the launch of Windows XP till Windows Vista, well, they had another 6 years for further study and improvement, but what grew bigger then, grew smaller now.

I can only wonder why? As an experienced, non-handicapped user, I don’t really use the Minimize, the Maximize/Restore, nor the Close button often. The keyboard usually comes in handy to minimize a window (Win+M), to restore it (Shift+Win+M) or to close it (Alt+F4). To move between windows and see each one of them, Alt+Tab does the trick. In other cases, bigger target areas are preferred to those of the buttons. A double click on the Title Bar changes it from a maximized to a non-maximized state and vice versa, and a single click on the buttons on the Windows Task Bar (representing the programs or windows currently open) toggles the windows between minimized and restored state.

So I guess while building the stylish Aero Glass interface, the folks at Microsoft might have thought one of these things:

• We made a wrong assumption making the buttons so big in Windows XP.
• We made the right thing, but users now use the keyboard more often.
• We made the right thing, but mice are now more precise, so it is easier to point and click where you really want to.
• Who cares? These buttons look so much better like this!

There must be some Microsoft paper (or at least e-mail) where this subject is discussed, somewhere. If I ever find it, rest assured I will copy or link it here. In the mean time, enjoy the new buttons!

Remember the days when your computer was one thing, and the Internet another one? When navigating through the Web was one thing, and through your computer files another? Well, with Windows Vista the line that separates what’s in and what’s out gets even more blurred.

Time ago Internet Explorer got out and began being integrated deeper and deeper into the operating system. Now we had Windows Explorer for the inside and Internet Explorer for the outside, and we got Back and Forward buttons in our folder windows to navigate through files more easily, the way we got accustomed with the Web.

Also, the Location Bar in Windows Explorer that showed what directory (folder) on the hard disk we were working at, accepted the input of Internet addresses (WWW and FTP) and made Windows Explorer windows morph into Internet Explorer ones.

Then we had Web content embedded into the Desktop and “Web views” of folders, too, and more and more help guides and tutorials began looking like Web pages, when not being expressly made in HTML.

Now, what actually sparked this post, is that many options that were identified and accessed to by icons in Windows XP and previous incarnations, are now accessed through hyperlinks, just as if they were menus on a Web page. The funny thing is that on the same day I read a related article on Jakob Nielsen’s website, I got my first look at Windows Vista Basic, and faced the exact same usability issues he pointed out so well.

I guess this path of integration with the Web will just continue to grow, and the dividing line between the desktop GUI and the Web GUI will disappear eventually, with more and more applications now available from the Web and the value of non-networked PCs being close to nil. The network is the computer, said the visionaries at Sun years ago, and only now we are really getting it.

One of the things I have heard a lot about lately is the Remote Connection capability of Windows Vista, and being a happy user of LogMeIn’s remote desktop connection services (even the free offer is great), I decided to learn more on what was the edge that Windows Vista could be providing.

This is what Microsoft has to say about the Remote Connection features in the Windows Vista Ultimate product description:

“Using Remote Desktop Connection, you can access and control your PC remotely. This feature of Windows Vista Ultimate makes it easier to more securely access documents and programs on your computer remotely. You can gain remote access from across your home network, work network, or across the Internet from another computer, enabling you to get work done wherever you have a network connection.”

Strangely enough, though, with further reading in the Microsoft website, this Remote Connection seems to be intended only for business users, so as they can access their corporate network while away. It’s only present in the Windows Business and Ultimate editions.

They speak about accessing internal applications and “resources” in general, but I failed miserably to find information on remote connections for the little guys that just want to get into their home or office PC so as to get a hold of a picture or document they need, or for the ones that want to be able to help out their folks when they call in desperation because something is not working or because they think they have a virus or malware problem.

I am yet to try the remote connection myself and plan to keep looking for information on this subject, but in the meantime, I would appreciate any comments or additional information you may have related to this post.

“Easier, safer and more entertaining.” That’s how the Microsoft team says the new Windows Vista experience is, and it may actually be that way.

Whether you think the changes are worth the money spent in upgrading the software and (most likely) upgrading your old computer or buying a new one, one thing you can expect for certain is to find that Windows Vista is a positive and rather natural evolution of Windows XP.

Maybe it took too long to develop, and most of the things it offers are not really new to the market, but working with it is easier (common tasks are simplified), users are indeed more secure (there are restrictions and safeguards at many levels) and it surely does look better (windows, dialog boxes, folder views, buttons, icons and backgrounds have been upgraded).

You may check a few Flash presentations that the Microsoft team prepared on Ease of Use, Safety and Entertainment with Windows Vista at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/seeit/

Not too worried about the security enhancements of Windows Vista, but eagerly wanting the Vista look for your old Windows XP? Well, the best there is out there is the Brico Pack Vista Inspirat. Easy to install and deinstall (in case you change your mind), does not affect your PC’s performance, and looks a whole lot better than the Windows XP candy-like standard theme.

Also, by adding the (upper) docking bar for the most commonly used programs, it builds upon the usability improvements that you can enjoy with the (lower) Apple Mac OS X Dock, so you might find the new style not only pleases your eyes, but saves you some time in your everyday tasks, too.

You may download the pack here:
http://www.crystalxp.net/galerie/en.id.130.htm

This is a really useful section of the Microsoft Developer Network section, that provides basic yet practical guidelines for developing the front-end of software applications that work on Windows Vista. These are the 12 rules as they put them, with basic explanations for everyone of them:

1. Use the Aero Theme and System Font (Segoe UI).
   That means: do not invent the wheel all over again, use the Windows Vista standards, at least if you are not trying specifically to give your application a distinctive look and feel (if so, bear in mind that usability drawbacks may arise).
2. Use common controls and common dialogs.
   Again, users are accustomed to the way things work in Windows. Good or bad, give them what they expect or they may get confused and lose otherwise productive time on doing standard tasks.
3. Use the standard window frame, use glass judiciously.
   Transparency (glass) in windows may look nice, but it may lead to users not really knowing which controls belong to which window. More is not always better.
4. Use icons and graphics consistent with the Windows Vista style and quality.
   Screens and graphic cards have improved so vastly since the Windows 3.x and Windows 98/95 era, that icons made with them in mind simply look bad in Windows XP, and awful in Windows Vista. If the icon is the face of your application, make it as nice as possible, so as users are pleased to look at it every time they use the software.
5. Use task dialogs for new or frequently used dialog boxes and error messages.
   Make the most out of every message you present to the user. Be clear. Do not make people guess, call a friend or run to the Web in search of a meaningful explanation of what is happening with their computers.
6. Use Aero Wizards.
   Say what needs to be said. Ask what needs to be asked. Make wizards only as long as you must. Give users the freedom to do as they please.
7. Use Explorer-hosted, navigation-based user interfaces, provide a Back button.
   The Web is the most used application nowadays, making the boundaries between Web and Computer-based applications increasingly blurred, so imitating standard Web navigation whenever possible for multi-step processes will only do you good.
8. Use the Windows Search model.
   Well, they call it the Windows Search model, yet one could argue it is the Google Search model, applied as the Opera/Firefox Web-browsers did long ago. No matter how you call it, you know what it means: search box in the upper-right and search results displayed as fast as possible.
9. Use the Windows Vista tone in all UI text.
   Watch your writing. Be friendly, yet direct. Be concise, yet meaningful.
10. Clean up the user interface.
    Clutter is all around, so fortunately for all of us, simplicity is in vogue. Organize commands and options hierarchically, make frequently used items more prominent, illustrate with text or icons if needed, use tips for mouse-overs and full keyboard access. In short, trim all the fat you can from your user interface.
11. Use notifications judiciously.
    Showing notifications too often, in non-standard Windows modes or with too much text in them that obscures the core message will only ensure they are ignored. Keep them useful by not making those mistakes.
12. Reserve time for “fit and finish”!
    “Perception is reality” says the Microsoft website, and they surely know what they talk about: they made billions out of this. In these times, your application must look nice in order to be taken seriously and to be granted more room for error.

For the complete info:
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa511327.aspx.

Welcome to the Windows Vista Experiences website.

As of today, the plan for this website is to divide its contents in three main categories:

1. recollection of user experiences (initially through your comments),
2. tips for users on how to improve the way they use Windows Vista, and
3. tips for developers on how to better build (or rebuild) their applications for the new Windows Vista environment.

We will always be open to your comments and suggestions in order to improve the usefulness (and why not, experience) of the Windows Vista Experiences website, so do get in touch with us often by commenting on the different posts we will start adding.

Thank you, and enjoy your experience!