Comments on: Measuring up Windows 7′s new “super” taskbar

By: ynkot

ynkot — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 06:01:38 +0000

By the way, to add to my post above, in this new taskbar DPI does not work correctly when set to “small”. Vertical size only adjusts after 150% DPI scaling. Horizontal size never changes, so instead of “Internet Explorer” you only see “Intern…”

I agree with Gregg E. that in Vista/Windows 7 the start menu is inefficient. On WinXP I used to order applications in folders and could launch them very quickly. Now I leave the Startup menu mess alone and usually launch them either from shortcuts on desktop (before used to have clean desktop, now it’s filled with shortcuts) or have them pinned. I rarely use “search” text except when looking for things within Control Panel.

By: kycat

kycat — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 17:03:06 +0000

That’s fine if you’re using a touchscreen computer, but I’d wager that most Windows 7 users are not. It is annoying to waste that much space for each icon. Users should have the option of decreasing the space; that would make Windows 7 more friendly for ALL users.

By: Cesar Silveira

Cesar Silveira — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 18:16:47 +0000

Maybe you like this theme, I think that solves all the problems with very large buttons.
http://stingray1961.deviantart.com/art/Compact-Taskbar-Buttons-v-2-0-1 91360993?q=boost%3Apopular%20in%3Acustomization%2Fskins%2Fwindows7%2Fv isualstyle%20compact&qo=1

By: Gregg E.

Gregg E. — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 11:27:44 +0000

Microsoft got the Start Menu pretty well right back in 1995. Then they decided to “fix” it with various things like ‘personalized’ (constantly hiding your stuff!) and the single column scrolling baloney Win Me introduced (along with the default ‘web style’ single click). The only really *useful* thing that’s been added to the Windows 95 Start menu is the ability to drag and drop shortcuts directly to/from it.

I dunno why anyone likes either having to scroooooolllll a long ways in the default Vista or the only available 7 Start menu, or having to type in the name of what the app they want to run in the Search box Every. Time. To. Launch. It. WIMP (Windows Icons Mouse Pointer), the GUI… supposed to *reduce* the need to use the keyboard. (Remember the Macintosh originally had no cursor keys to push people to use the mouse more.) These new menus force users to have to use the keyboard more.

With Ye Olde Start Menu it takes TWO CLICKS to launch anything. Click Start, zip the pointer through the menu that quickly opens and follows where you’re going, click the icon. DONE! Far far faster than the supposedly “better” new menu.

One thing I do really like about the Vista/7 taskbar is the live popup thumbnails. Makes it easy to monitor something running in the background without having to bring it to the front. OTOH, the “innovation” of grouping things on the taskbar only makes it extremely difficult to find a specific window to close, especially when it’s not responding and will not come to the front.

As for Quicklaunch, I only have it on one of my PCs, and only because that one is shared with a person who insists on having it hogging a chunk of the Taskbar.

If there’s a way to port the Vista taskbar with Classic start menu to both XP and 7, I’d love it. I just installed Alky for Applications and the real Vista sidebar on the shared XP box. It does look pretty decent. (I don’t have it running on my laptop with Vista Ultimate. That one is pared down as much as it can be, mostly the built in annoy the user cruft like UAC turned off.

PS. UAC = Union Aerospace Corporation from the old DOOM games. There were obviously no oldschool DOS gamers working on that part of Vista!

By: odi

odi — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 22:18:44 +0000

move to left, small icons + text, combine when full, make it as wide as you like -> win 7 awesomeness

By: eddom

eddom — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 03:29:37 +0000

you always can use the Winkey + R to have your “Run” text box back

By: Sibahi

Sibahi — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:07:55 +0000

You DO realize that you can change the taskbar’s size ? or dock it to the left ?

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 03:44:24 +0000

Taskbar size
I hate the windows 7 taskbar – here’s why. I just changed from XP – the task bar on XP is just over 50% of the size of the win 7 – forget vista – why compare with something that was horrible anyway. So, this new Lenovo 400 , a replacement for my T60p, has 2.5 cm LESS vertical space, and the screen is 2.5 cm wider – really useless for actual work – who watches movies on their computer anyway? S0, with 2. 5cm less space and a HUGE task bar you cant change in size….what were these idiots thinking. I would actually like to get at least HALF a page on the screen at once….. What I really hate about microsoft is that they give you options for things you never want to do, and take away really good ideas that you like. Its an amazing way to run a business and we are all stupid enough to think we cant do without them.

By: Computer Scatter

Computer Scatter — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:37:49 +0000

Seriously, what’s up with the padding/spacing around the icons on the taskbar? I was annoyed with vista because they were so spread apart, in windows 7 it is insane how far they’re spread…wasted space. Why?

By: Ollie

Ollie — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:16:48 +0000

I mean a “Quick Launch”-field…

Chose “New Toolbar”.

Write “%userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch” (without the “”) in the field and click Select Folder.

This will create a new Toolbar. Empty it, unclick Show Text and so on…