Day 8,045: Why Windows 7 is not the answer
I downloaded the Windows 7 Release Candidate this morning. When I plugged in my mouse, I was presented with this dialog box. I'd like to say a few words about how this epitomizes the Windows predicament.
First of all, this dialog box is totally useless. There is no good reason why Windows should not download "realistic" icons or the best driver software for my mouse. But it forces me to make a choice while totally locking the rest of my computer. But that is only the beginning. The question itself is impossible to parse and understand without spending several seconds considering the bizarre combination of seemingly random choices.
I can download driver software and realistic icons automatically, which is recommended. Great. Or I can "not" download driver software and realistic icons automatically, but "always install the best driver from Windows Update" -- which I assume involves downloading the software automatically -- and "replace generic device icons with enhanced icons." What is the difference between a generic device icon, an enhanced icon and a realistic icon, and why do I have to choose one?
I can also "not" download driver software and realistic icons automatically, but -- if I don't have a driver on my computer already -- automatically download the driver software. That selection essentially means "install the worst driver software possible -- either the outdated one on my computer, or if it doesn't exist -- and only if it doesn't exist -- download and install the better one online automatically."
Finally, I can choose to always install the worst driver possible or no driver at all. But I can still have realistic icons. Or not.
This is Release Candidate Software. I do not know what to say.
20 comments
May 01, 2009
Tom Davis said...
Say c'est la vie!
May 02, 2009
brad jackson said...
Thats all you can say.
May 02, 2009
deb said...
I was planning to get a new laptop when 7 releases, but it seems i should better embrace ubuntu linux, will cost me nothing & make me proud of my decision.
May 02, 2009
Pity... said...
Yeah, but Ubuntu still sucks. It can't even drive my external monitor on this laptop. It renders the screen but at the wrong resolution, and with a refresh rate of like 1hz. But of course Windows is somehow worse.
May 02, 2009
David said...
I agree this is a dumb popup. I think that Microsoft is just scared to death that they will get nerd rage against them if they don't give every user all these options for "customization". The problem is, nobody cares about customizing this - just give us the best drivers and best icons! I think apple goes a little too far in the other direction, but its closer to what users want. Just do the most likely thing and then bury the preference in some "Advanced" area. Its okay to have some balls and just guess what the user wants every once in a while.
May 02, 2009
Tamer Salama said...
You have the option to say nothing. Or say everything but not nothing. Then, you can say little or not more of it.Does anyone actually look at those dialogs before releasing them?
May 02, 2009
sam said...
guessing is not one of Microsoft's strong suits. I remind everyone of Microsoft Office AutoFormat. ..."It looks like you are typing a list, here let me help [screwing up the entire document format]"I appreciate that they want some input from me when it comes to peripherals that I install, but the dialog box could be clarified and still be effective IMHO.
May 02, 2009
eDRoaCH said...
I am sure you will find this trolling, but I think you are just too limited in mindset. I personally WANT options. Sure, maybe there needs to be a 'retard mode' or something, but the option you have highlighted will end that dialog forever (I would assume)
A Mac friend linked this to me. I used the example of my Logitech Nano MX. It is my laptop mouse, and Windows (XP and Vista) can use all buttons just fine. But if I use the Logitech drivers I can change settings based on application, and other neat stuff. I found that the default Windows driver won out, but I like having that option.
For those that don't want the options, ya just click what you have highlighted. Or just stay with your OS of choice. But those of us who do don't want to loose them. In Vista, the same options were there (mostly) but it was multiple dialog boxes- "Do it for me" and "Advanced." Rolling the advanced options into the 1st dialog is a plus in my book.
The simple fact is every OS does almost exactly the same things. The difference is mostly individual preference.
May 02, 2009
Azeroth said...
I think they had a nice clean dialog, until someone at some meeting decided "Hey, we should totally allow device icons to be downloaded automatically". And the checkbox was added and afterwards the window caption had to be changed, too, which made this mess. Imagine the dialog without the "realistic icons" references and it makes a lot of sense, and is easy to read and parse.
May 03, 2009
Ace said...
It isn't about options, it's about how those options are presented. The operating system should not punch you in the face with a dialog like this just for plugging in a mouse. It should use a sensible default with easily access to the option to change it. I like options, but I don't like being constantly pestered about them when I'm trying to do my work.
May 03, 2009
Massimo Moruzzi said...
funny how an OS that lets you choose nothing will give you so many "choices" regarding your mouse that you'll get a headache...
May 03, 2009
Aku said...
Offtopic: why the heck does this page submit a request to w1.tcr20.tynt.com every time I select/highlight some text? I always select text while reading...Seriously...wtf?
May 03, 2009
Paddy said...
Aku: Tynt.com is a tracer that traces when words are copied. Rather than hijacking the copy function, it hijacks the select function.
May 03, 2009
pb said...
I think it would work better to default to the first option and a baloon popup notifying the preference could be changed with that dialog
May 03, 2009
Marcus said...
tynt.com is ridiculous. I constantly highlight text while I'm reading and it's obnoxious that every time I do it on this site I feel like Big Brother is watching me and my little habits :) Seriously, is that level of analytics necessary or useful?
May 03, 2009
SDC said...
I gave Windows 7 a chance via a pre-installed VMWare image. This meant I didn't have to deal with foolery like that dialog. However, aside from it being kind of pretty (but 'realistic icons'? really? aren't icons supposed to represent something without being a photorealistic image anyway?) I realized I really didn't have anything interesting to run on it, said screw it, and resumed my MacOSX/Linux (Ubuntu and Sidux) existence.
May 03, 2009
SDC said...
I gave Windows 7 a chance via a pre-installed VMWare image. This meant I didn't have to deal with foolery like that dialog. However, aside from it being kind of pretty (but 'realistic icons'? really? aren't icons supposed to represent something without being a photorealistic image anyway?) I realized I really didn't have anything interesting to run on it, said screw it, and resumed my MacOSX/Linux (Ubuntu and Sidux) existence.
May 04, 2009
is me! said...
I just want to give one recommendation to microsoft: Do what facebook does- keep interruptions at a small toolbar at the bottom which does not interrupt you which you can view later. I am sticking with Vista for now. No one knows what unstable stuff microsoft brings all the time.
May 20, 2009
RWU said...
Seriously, basing your decision on one pop-up window? Suppose you cant help all FOSStards. But I suppose doing this in Linux is faaaaar better: http://linuxreviews.org/howtos/xfree/mouse/
May 22, 2009
is me! said...
@RWU agreed that linux is far better- now i'm back on ubuntu but it still needs improvement on working smoothly on 64bit.
