Windows 11's tablet-friendly taskbar pulled from Insider builds
- Reference: 1651577467
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2022/05/03/tablet_taskbar_windows_11/
- Source link:
Few will forget how the company made major OS tweaks for the sake of tablet users [1]in Windows 8 , no matter how much Microsoft might wish they did. The company has since gradually distanced itself from such exploits, despite producing what is ostensibly a tablet with the Surface Pro line of devices.
With Windows 11, Microsoft appeared to be looking more favorably on tablets.
[2]
The (recently killed) expanded [3]taskbar was rolled out in [4]late February 2022, at the time hailed as "specifically designed to make you feel more confident and comfortable using your device as a tablet."
[5]
[6]
This took the form of Windows noting when the keyboard was pulled from a 2-in-1 device. The taskbar could then either be collapsed to make more space on the desktop or swiped up to be expanded and easier to prod, with a thickening up of the taskbar along with some added (large) icons of frequently used programs for the fat of finger.
The company [7]asked for feedback on the feature from those Insiders lucky enough to get it and... it looks like "tablet optimization" is on the back burner for now. Just because something shows up in the Beta or Dev Windows Insider channels doesn't mean it will ever see the light of day.
[8]Microsoft fixes Point of Sale bug that delayed Windows 11 startup for 40 minutes
[9]Microsoft plans to drop SMB1 binaries from Windows 11
[10]Windows 11 usage stats within touching distance of... XP
[11]Windows 11 growth at a standstill amid stringent hardware requirements
If only Microsoft similarly listened to feedback back when it sought to push a touch-first operating system at customers.
As well as the departure – for now – of the tablet-friendly taskbar, build 22610 also removed the build watermark from the desktop. This is a hint that Microsoft might be nearing the finish line for the next version of Windows 11, although the team insisted "this doesn't mean we're done."
[12]
Also based on feedback is the return of TKIP and WEP connections, no longer allowed in build 22557. Both are deprecated security standards as far as Microsoft is concerned so their reprieve is only temporary. Removal is promised in a later release.
Finally, among a raft of tweaks and updates, there are new mobile device management and group policies for administrators, battery indicator fixes, and changes to task manager that will make the app pay attention to a user's accent colors. ®
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[1] https://www.theregister.com/2011/06/06/windows_tablets_without_silverlight_dot_net/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YnFRrxhFrJSgAEXd93Om@AAAAAA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2022/04/29/announcing-windows-11-insider-preview-build-22610/
[4] https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2022/02/24/announcing-windows-11-insider-preview-build-22563/
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YnFRrxhFrJSgAEXd93Om@AAAAAA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YnFRrxhFrJSgAEXd93Om@AAAAAA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2022/02/24/announcing-windows-11-insider-preview-build-22563/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/04/26/windows_11_patch/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2022/04/20/smb1_uninstalled_by_default_windows_11/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2022/04/19/windows_11_marketshare/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/31/windows_11_stalls/
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YnFRrxhFrJSgAEXd93Om@AAAAAA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[13] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
I suspect there was a bug in it that they couldn't be bothered fixing, or some manager didn't like it. I mean, why would they change the habits of a lifetime by actually listening to user feedback, instead of either ignoring it or replying with a snidely worded piece that's just a longwinded way of saying "you're wrong"?
WIFP
Microsoft should give away a selfe stick and matching stuffed glove with every copy of Windows. That way they can standardise on touch-sensitive screens and completely do away with the ancient mouse/pointer rubbish for deskbound users - no longer a WIMP but a WIFP (Windows-Icons-Finger-Prod) UI. Icon for ... uh, I'm not actually sure which aspect of this post.
Re: WIFP
Microsoft misunderstood touch screen users request when they proffered two fingers.
"With Windows 11... more favorably on tablets."
Windows has intentionally been developed in a mobile first approach since Windows 8, this is just a well known fact.
Windows 8, 9 , 10 and 11 are designed for phones and tablets, that's why nearly all driver support for PCI(e) expansion cards were omitted in Windows 10. In fact, driver support in Windows 10 and 11 can be summed entirely by whatever hardware 3 players are using: HP, DELL and Lenovo.
Re: "With Windows 11... more favorably on tablets."
So the next step is to leverage GNOME 3 and economise on UI developers. It's a perfect fit.
I hear that Microsoft and Debian are already working on their combined OS environment, codename Microbian.
Just make it optional
I own a Surface and very occasionally use it as a tablet. So a 'tablet taskbar' aka fat fingered taskbar isn't a bad idea
Just make it a option that can be turned on rather than buggering about with the UI for everyone else.
Better still, spend the resources fixing the horrible context-sensitive on-screen keyboard. My iPad keypad appears just when needed. The Windows 10 one appears when not required and doesn't open without a click (on the too-small taskbar!) when needed. Or it disappears when it does eventually auto-open by which time you've prodded the task bar (expecting it not to appear) and promptly close it again.
Have they been looking for a clue?
"If only Microsoft similarly listened to feedback back when it sought to push a touch-first operating system at customers."
I knew a Microsoftie through another forum. It seems they had performed quite extensive testing of W8 with 'ordinary users' and the arrangements in that version were well received and easily understood. He was really quite certain about this, and was very upset that everyone though it was the un-tested tramsmash that the world+dog perceived it to be.
There must have been some kind of primer and pre-participation training that heavily skewed the results, but somehow didn't get incorporated into the introduction process that one sometimes gets with a fresh OS installation. It's always been a source of wonder that Apple can get the introduction to a new install so right and M$ get it so wrong, as though no-one in marketing would look at the competition and think "That's a really good idea - we'll do it better next time" instead of presenting candy crush crap etc in start.
They're listening to user feedback? So they're going to bring back the windows 7 UI, and stop all these minimalist rubbish?