Will Windows 7 be visually similar to Vista?

[DudeBoyz]

I'm curious if Windows 7 is going to be similar to Vista in terms
dialog box layout, GUI characteristics, etc.

Or is it going to be changed (like how XP differed from Win 98
SE, for example.)

Thanks

 

[David B.]

See inline.

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I'm curious if Windows 7 is going to be similar to Vista in terms dialog
box layout, GUI characteristics, etc.

It is at the moment.

Or is it going to be changed (like how XP differed from Win 98 SE, for
example.)

No one has that answer, who's to say it won't be changed, when the RTM is
released you'll have your answer.

 

[Peter Foldes]

Wait until the public Beta comes out then you judge it yourself

 

[John]

First look at Windows 7 beta 1 (build 6.1.7000.0.081212-1400)
http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=3222

 

[Dave]

You might want to follow this blog.....
http://blogs.msdn.com/e7/

 

[Charles Tomaras]

I'm curious if Windows 7 is going to be similar to Vista in terms dialog
box layout, GUI characteristics, etc.

Or is it going to be changed (like how XP differed from Win 98 SE, for
example.)

Thanks

http://search.live.com/results.aspx?q=windows+7+screenshots&FORM=OPNSCH

 

[David B.]

I don't need to Google it, I'm already well aware of it's current state.

 

[Mark Veldhuis]

I'm curious if Windows 7 is going to be similar to Vista in terms dialog box
layout, GUI characteristics, etc.

Or is it going to be changed (like how XP differed from Win 98 SE, for
example.)

http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/

--



Met vriendelijke groet,
Mark Veldhuis.

 

[DudeBoyz]

I really appreciate the replies. They have been very helpful.

I'm having a hard time transitioning from XP to Vista in part due
to the substantial changes in the GUI for Dialogs, Folders, etc.

I was hoping that Windows 7 would perhaps take a step closer to
Windows XP so that the contrast was not so stark. You know -
address bars on top, Command Bar in IE 7 on the same line as the
tab bar, that "Organize, Views, System Properties, etc." bar
under the address bar in those dialogs / folders, etc.

But according to those screen shots, I'm going to face the same
thing when Windows 7 hits, so I guess I am going to need to learn
to be proficient in the changes.

I like in XP how I can turn off the button bar, address bar, etc.
for any dialog / folder window. I can't seem to find a way to do
that in Vista.

Regardless, thank you again for the helpful replies. I really am
grateful.

 

[Bender]

"totally different taskbar...already folks are bitching about it"

There will be three options...
From:
http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/win7_beta_notes.asp

Always combine, hide labels. This is the default view style, and it causes
square taskbar buttons with no labels.

Combine when taskbar is full. This is the optimal view style. Taskbar
buttons for running windows will have labels, while buttons for non-running
windows will not. If the taskbar fills up with too many icons, multiple
windows will be combined into a single button.

Never combine. This view style works almost identically to the previous one
except that buttons are never combined.

 

[Not Even Me]

it will be Vista SP3, but they will revice UAC, add touch screen support,
fix some bugs, call it Windows 7 and charge for it.

 

[DudeBoyz]

I hear ya. Thanks.

It looks like I'm just goig to have to suck it up and try to
learn the functionality of the new interfrace in comparison to
Windows XP.

I've become so dependent on how the dialogs and menus have been
implemented since Windows 95 through Windows XP that Vista is
sort of confusing and frustrating to me.

I open up My Computer. I go to the VIEW menu, selected the
TOOLBARS flyout and can toggle on or off all of the key elements:

Standard Buttons
Address Bar
Links

I can't seem to find a way to do this in Vista, and the order of
items in the Vista dialogs are different and I cannot find a way
to put them back in the order I want them in.

I do not like the Address Bar on top, and I don't like the
changing look and functionality of items in the "button bar"
(that green stripe with things like "Organized, Views, System
Properties", etc.

The address bar at the top serves more than one function - It's
almost like a directory tree but horizontal in that address bar
space instead of an explorer like "Expand / Collapse" tree on the
left side of the dialog.

I really do wish that the interface was more customizable. I
would like to be able to set the order of elements in that
interface, and toggle any of those elements on or off as I wish.

Having these changes in place and then realizing that you lost a
lot of the customizability that you had in XP - well, it gets
kind of annoying.

Anyway, thanks for the reply. I appreciate it.

 

[+Bob+]

I really do wish that the interface was more customizable. I
would like to be able to set the order of elements in that
interface, and toggle any of those elements on or off as I wish.

If you poke around the 'net, you can find some hacks for some of this.
MS IE can be tweaked a bit. I assume you've already returned to
"classic windows" - but if you have not, that helps a lot.

Having these changes in place and then realizing that you lost a
lot of the customizability that you had in XP - well, it gets
kind of annoying.

Yes, Vista is missing a LOT of features that they should have at least
retained as options for those with a clue. There doesn't seem to be
any reason they were removed - just stupidity at MS.

MS in recent years has been found of customer "focus" groups but
either the groups are invalid in composition, or the questions asked
of them don't allow for the proper answers, or their output is subject
to post-group manipulation at MS. The bottom line is that Vista,
MSIE7, and many things coming out of MS are a serious step back in
functionality in many areas for experienced or power users.

 

[DudeBoyz]

If you poke around the 'net, you can find some hacks for some

of this. MS IE can be tweaked a bit. I assume you've already
returned to "classic windows" - but if you have not, that
helps a lot.

It may be that Maxthon 1.6.x can be installed in Vista and work
with IE 7. I have asked the question and am awaiting an answer.

Right now I use Maxthon 1.6.x in Windows XP with IE 6, and it
works great. If it turns out that it will also work perfectly in
Vista with IE 7, then that would take care of that entire issue
for me.

Yes, Vista is missing a LOT of features that they should have
at least retained as options for those with a clue. There
doesn't seem to be any reason they were removed - just
stupidity at MS.

I hear ya. Not only can't I turn on and off the toolbars and
such in dialogs, but those dialogs / folders have been changed
both in how they look and in how they function.

That strange "green strip" that I think is supposed to replace
the "Standard Buttons" toolbar is just too foreign to me and the
way they have compounded the functionality of that "address bar
replacement" is very, very confusing for me. I'm really
struggling to deal with the changed design and the totally
altered functionality.

I wish they had given us the option of switching 100% back to the
XP GUI for all elements, yet still contain all the behind the
scenes stuff that Vista is supposed to have improved upon.

I don't know what to do, except stick with XP till 2014 and only
move after I'm absolutely forced to. Maybe in the next 5 years I
can figure out how to take advantage of all the "Forced" changes
in such a way that I might even be able to approach the same
level of productivity inside Vista that I have inside of XP right
now.

MS in recent years has been found of customer "focus" groups
but either the groups are invalid in composition, or the
questions asked of them don't allow for the proper answers, or
their output is subject to post-group manipulation at MS. The
bottom line is that Vista, MSIE7, and many things coming out
of MS are a serious step back in functionality in many areas
for experienced or power users.

It's all screwed up. That's for sure. No wonder so many people
have not warmed up to Vista yet.

I hope to gosh that SOMEONE comes up with some sort of tweaking
program that lets users revert back to the same look and
functionality they have grown used to in XP.

Thanks for the reply

 

[Mike Hall - MVP]

It may be that Maxthon 1.6.x can be installed in Vista and work with IE 7.
I have asked the question and am awaiting an answer.

Right now I use Maxthon 1.6.x in Windows XP with IE 6, and it works great.
If it turns out that it will also work perfectly in Vista with IE 7, then
that would take care of that entire issue for me.


I hear ya. Not only can't I turn on and off the toolbars and such in
dialogs, but those dialogs / folders have been changed both in how they
look and in how they function.

That strange "green strip" that I think is supposed to replace the
"Standard Buttons" toolbar is just too foreign to me and the way they have
compounded the functionality of that "address bar replacement" is very,
very confusing for me. I'm really struggling to deal with the changed
design and the totally altered functionality.

I wish they had given us the option of switching 100% back to the XP GUI
for all elements, yet still contain all the behind the scenes stuff that
Vista is supposed to have improved upon.

I don't know what to do, except stick with XP till 2014 and only move
after I'm absolutely forced to. Maybe in the next 5 years I can figure
out how to take advantage of all the "Forced" changes in such a way that I
might even be able to approach the same level of productivity inside Vista
that I have inside of XP right now.


It's all screwed up. That's for sure. No wonder so many people have not
warmed up to Vista yet.

I hope to gosh that SOMEONE comes up with some sort of tweaking program
that lets users revert back to the same look and functionality they have
grown used to in XP.

Thanks for the reply

If you give Vista a little time, you will get used to it. Sooner or later,
you are going to have to do this. The next run of hardware may not have a
great deal of XP support, even though XP itself will be supported well into
the future.

After a while, you will consider XP to be clunky and rather old hat..


--
Mike Hall - MVP
How to construct a good post..
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How to use the Microsoft Product Support Newsgroups..
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Mike's Window - My Blog..
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/default.aspx

 

[DudeBoyz]

If you give Vista a little time, you will get used to it.

Sooner or later, you are going to have to do this. The next
run of hardware may not have a great deal of XP support, even
though XP itself will be supported well into the future.

After a while, you will consider XP to be clunky and rather
old hat..

I hear ya. I think I can install Maxthon 1.6.5.18 on top of the
IE 7 engine, so I'll get the functions of IE 7 with an interface
that I'm familiar with. So there is that to help lessen the
impact.

I also use Free Commander for a file manager, and that will help
to lessen the impact a little more.

The rest I guess I'll just have to muddle along with when the
time comes.

I hear tell that Windows XP will be fully supported (including
WHQL certification for drivers, security patches, etc.) until
2014.

If that is the case, I will have plenty of time to learn the
Windows 7 interface, eh?

Thanks

 

[Mike Hall - MVP]

I hear ya. I think I can install Maxthon 1.6.5.18 on top of the IE 7
engine, so I'll get the functions of IE 7 with an interface that I'm
familiar with. So there is that to help lessen the impact.

I also use Free Commander for a file manager, and that will help to lessen
the impact a little more.

The rest I guess I'll just have to muddle along with when the time comes.

I hear tell that Windows XP will be fully supported (including WHQL
certification for drivers, security patches, etc.) until 2014.

If that is the case, I will have plenty of time to learn the Windows 7
interface, eh?

Thanks

When IE7 beta first appeared, I installed it for all of 5 minutes. Like you,
I thought that I would never get used to it. I sat for a few more minutes
thinking about what I had done, and promptly re-installed it.

Regardless of visual changes, IE7 offered more security and was the way to
go. Now IE6 feels and looks old, and I wonder how I managed with it.

--
Mike Hall - MVP
How to construct a good post..
http://dts-l.com/goodpost.htm
How to use the Microsoft Product Support Newsgroups..
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=newswhelp&style=toc
Mike's Window - My Blog..
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/default.aspx

 

[DudeBoyz]

When IE7 beta first appeared, I installed it for all of 5

minutes. Like you, I thought that I would never get used to
it. I sat for a few more minutes thinking about what I had
done, and promptly re-installed it.
Regardless of visual changes, IE7 offered more security and
was the way to go. Now IE6 feels and looks old, and I wonder
how I managed with it. Mike Hall - MVP

Thanks for sharing that experience. Now I don't feel too
reactionary.

I will try to get used to it, especially the limited TAB space
due to the Command Bar.

In case I have trouble though, I may be able to install Maxthon
1.6.x on the system and it will allow me to get all the key
benefits of the improved IE7 code with a more familiar interface.

I had thought that Maxthon 1.6.x ONLY worked on XP and IE 6, but
I'm being told otherwise, much to my surprise.

Anyway, thanks again. I appreciate the reply.

 

[+Bob+]

When IE7 beta first appeared, I installed it for all of 5 minutes. Like you,
I thought that I would never get used to it. I sat for a few more minutes
thinking about what I had done, and promptly re-installed it.

Regardless of visual changes, IE7 offered more security and was the way to
go. Now IE6 feels and looks old, and I wonder how I managed with it.

IE7's user interface sucks. First, the very origins and basics of
Windows design teach us to use STANDARDIZED windows. That means menus
below the title bar. Doh.

In addition, the address bar has been below the menu bar in every
Windows browser since the Mosaic betas. MS decided to change that.
Smart move.

Aside from that, IE7 can't be customized nearly as well as IE6. The
Command Bar can't be moved. The Links bar can't be placed in the
standard location.

To top it all off, the Add Favorites function for people with lots of
organized folders is beyond a description of how bad it sucks. Add to
that a Vista groan: If you put your favorites on a shared drive it
takes 30 seconds for Vista to respond after you select Add. This
worked perfectly in XP and Win2003 even with IE7. Another Vista sucks
moment.

All of this, as with Vista, could have been solved by MS allowing the
same flexibility and features of previous versions - at least as a
tuneable option.

 

[DudeBoyz]

Very good post. Thanks a lot.

IE7's user interface sucks. First, the very origins and basics
of Windows design teach us to use STANDARDIZED windows. That
means menus below the title bar. Doh.

In addition, the address bar has been below the menu bar in
every Windows browser since the Mosaic betas. MS decided to
change that. Smart move.

Aside from that, IE7 can't be customized nearly as well as
IE6. The Command Bar can't be moved. The Links bar can't be
placed in the standard location.

To top it all off, the Add Favorites function for people with
lots of organized folders is beyond a description of how bad
it sucks. Add to that a Vista groan: If you put your favorites
on a shared drive it takes 30 seconds for Vista to respond
after you select Add. This worked perfectly in XP and Win2003
even with IE7. Another Vista sucks moment.

All of this, as with Vista, could have been solved by MS
allowing the same flexibility and features of previous
versions - at least as a tuneable option.