Hi Dark,
Well, I actually have my own Start Menu laid out pretty much as you
describe. Under Programs I have a menu for Games that has GMA, PCS,
Draconis, USA Games, etc all divided up by developer and game. I have
another option called Office where I have Jarte, Microsoft Office, Adobe
Reader, etc all devided up the same way. All of my Development tools are
under a subdirectory called Development just like Games and Office
programs are. Just because I'm using Windows 7 doesn't mean I can't
organize the Start Menu as you described. You still have a great deal of
ability to customize how you want your Start Menu to look.
For example, you mentioned the fact you really don't like all the
automated stuff where it puts the last used and recommended apps at the
top of your Start Menu. That's no big deal. You can go into Start Menu
properties and turn it off as well as various other settings for the
Start Menu. Its not quite as simple as the classic Start Menu setup but
the point is you can still customize it to a certain degree.
For instance, I really do not like the Control Panel in Windows 7, and
prefer the classic Control Panel from XP. Well, there is a way to reach
a compromise on that issue. In Windows 7 if I go under Start Menu
properties I can have the Control Panel display in a menu rather than as
a web page. That's almost as good as the classic Control Panel because
my Control Panel shows up as a menu in the Start menu with several icons
for Programs and Features, Users, Display Settings, etc. Windows 7 still
met me half way on that issue.
That said, there is a feature in Windows 7 I personally like that
doesn't even require the Start Menu. In Windows 7 you can pin icons to
the Taskbar and asign them to Windows+1 through Windows+0. If I pin
Firefox to the Taskbar I can use Windows+1 to launch it, and if it is
already open Windows+1 will bring Firefox to the foreground. What's cool
about this feature is I have Thunderbird and Firefox open at the same
time I can switch between apps with Windows+1 and Windows+2 because they
are pinned to the Taskbar and are assigned to those hot keys. This I
think does justify the automation added to Windows 7 because I think it
makes launching and switching between common apps better. At least for
me anyway.
Cheers!
On 3/11/2012 10:40 AM, dark wrote:
For me, the reason I prefer the classic start menue is simply that it
is static.
for instance, over the past 10 or so years I've been on the net, I've
worked out a system of subfolders in my start menue. I have an
audiogames folder with games index by developer, a text games folder
for eamon deluxe and if interpreters, a freeware games folder for my
graphical games, a useful programs folder for avg, 7zip, winamp and
other handy stuff etc.
I just much prefer having my stuff liked this, layed out like books in
a library than having context sensative this, last used that, and
recommended the other.
For instance, if I want to play gma tank commander, it doesn't matter
when I last played it, I know! i'll find it under audio games/gma
games. Indeed, I might not actually want! to play the last game I played.
Yes, I could use the search box, but just like brousing a set of book
shelves, I like brousing my game directories and thinking "hay, It's
been ages sinse I last played alien outback, why not give that a bash"
Same with favourites in fact. I have folders for work books, audio
games, online brouser games, online books such as darker projects,
scifi resources with subfolders for Dr. who and startrek etc.
I actually enjoy! individually organizing and collecting them, rather
than having the process automated.
That is why I prefer the classic menue in xp, and would use classic
shell in windows 7.
the other thing I found in windows 7, is that windows explorer was far
more annoying to use, in the way it didn't just put you inside folder
subgroups when you click on a folder, it seemed to have random silly
buttons everywhere, and looking at a folders contents was near
impossible!
Just like in my favourites, I have my audio books in folders by
author, and music genre and artist folders that I've organized myself.
When I want to play one, I just wander into my c:\music directory (I
never use my music in my documents, I prefer all my actual music in
the one place), find a folder or a track and play it in winamp.
Indeed sometimes I just bang my entire 70 gb music folder on shuffle
in winamp just for the heck of it :d.
I think this is really my problem with modern ui. I treat my computer
as a literal virtual environment that I myself wish to organize, just
the same way I might organize books or dvds on a shelf, with
catagories, subcatagories and the like that I can quickly reach. Where
as microsoft (and from the sound of it the ubuntu lynux developers),
what everything looking flashy with a bazillion buttons all over the
place offering you automated access to lots of stuff that the computer
recommends without having to leave a single screen, the idea having as
much information in the one place and on the one screen as possible,
----- though from what my sighted friends say about the ui it doesn't
sound like many of them like it much either, though there are some
that go for convenience over organization it is true. However if this
is the case, why couldn't microsoft just have variable ui settings?
The way in xp you could choose! classic or modern menues.
But no, microsoft, the big company is always right as usual.
Beware the grue!
dark.
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