Windows washer: Meet Microsoft's antidote to Vista

[echrada]

REDMOND, Wash. (AP) — Julie Larson-Green hopes you'll like Windows 7. If not, well, now you and a billion other people know whom to blame.

Microsoft Corp. is counting on Larson-Green, its head of "Windows Experience," to deliver an operating system that delights the world's PC users as much as its last effort, Vista, disappointed them. She's in charge of a wide swath of the system, from the way buttons and menus work to getting the software out in January as scheduled.

Given Microsoft's history, Larson-Green's plan seems downright revolutionary: Build an operating system that doesn't require people to take computer classes or master thick manuals.

"We want to reduce the amount of thinking about the software that they have to do, so that they can concentrate all their thinking on the task they're trying to get done," Larson-Green said in an interview.

The Associated Press: Windows washer: Meet Microsoft's antidote to Vista

 

[jfar]

Thanks for the read.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there.
Second the above.

-- thanks also for the read

Now I know who to blame for the total "Obfuscation" and confusion I had in switching from Office 2003 to 2007.

In spite of "User data" and other stuff based in the article I still find Office 2003 much easier to use that I ever will with 2007.

Thank goodness the good madam mentioned in the article didn't stick her oar in too much in W7. It's still possible to do your work WITH HELP from the system and not IN SPITE OF IT.

I'm not afraid to try out new stuff or switch interfaces -- I've run loads of different Linux systems all with different GUI's etc etc. but Office 2007 gets a LOT of getting used to if you are a previous user. It's possibly fine for new users.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[RCrash]

Spend a week using Office 2007 exclusively and you'll love it. The UI is way easier to navigate once you've learned it.

 

[K3VL4R]

It is great if they are making Windows 7 more user friendly, but don't dummy it down too much. That may lead to unnecessary bloatware that we do not need slowing down what is so far a great OS.

 

[jimbo45]

Spend a week using Office 2007 exclusively and you'll love it. The UI is way easier to navigate once you've learned it.

I've been using it for nearly a Year -- I still prefer the older Office 2003 -- I can customize it very much more, make decent keyboard short cuts etc etc -- why should I also have to mess around with keystrokes to get rid of that stupid ribbon with zillions of options that I rarely use.

On EXCEL I could customize backgrounds much better with 2003 and if you want the VBA and "Developer" type menus it's still a pain in 2007. I don't use 2003 anymore -- but I most certainly DID prefer it.

I dread the remarks that often appear in various applications / new gear etc etc.

"In order to make it more acessible ..." which in plain English means "Dumb it down so much that it's impossible to use the application in the way YOU want - meanwhile fill it up with Bloat so you can still justify the high price for the product.

Or to put it another way -- we need to "Simplify" the product hugely so our Off Shore call centers can deal with customers enquiries - simplifying the screen so that the customer can only have 1 possible problem means the query could almost be handled by a Robot.

OT but "indirectly allied" to useability of Office 2007.

BTW if you can speak a language OTHER than English you can usually avoid the sheer aggro of dealing with "Indian / Phillipine / other Asian call centers" -- and get better / quicker service too. Languages needed are French, Dutch, German, Spanish, Russian, Hungarian (don't speak these last 2 BTW but colleagues do and tell me it's the same).

Fortunately most of these people who work in these off shored call centers are usually only trained in English -- I have it on good authority that they are even being trained in "Scouse" (Liverpool UK accent) to avoid the increasing anger UK people are showing at having to use these wretched off shore centers -- however since it's almost impossible to understand a native speaker anyway these guys have got NO chance.

Cheers
jimbo.

 

[johngalt]

"We want to reduce the amount of thinking about the software that they have to do, so that they can concentrate all their thinking on the task they're trying to get done," Larson-Green said in an interview.

Isn't this the type of thinking that got them in trouble with XP?

Micro$ofties *really* need to stop having press conferences. They really, REALLY, *REALLY* do.

 

[jimbo45]

Isn't this the type of thinking that got them in trouble with XP?

Micro$ofties *really* need to stop having press conferences. They really, REALLY, *REALLY* do.

Then what would management have to do all day.

At least this gets them out of people's hair leaving the REAL workers to get on with it (or at least play around unhindered on the Internet posting to W7 Forums ).

Cheers
Jimbo

 

[baarod]

Then what would management have to do all day.

At least this gets them out of people's hair leaving the REAL workers to get on with it (or at least play around unhindered on the Internet posting to W7 Forums ).

Cheers
Jimbo

And hopefully doing what they really ought to be doing right now, immediately: leaking the real RC!

 

[johngalt]

I foresee an Apple commercial coming out in 3-5 days saying "M$ - where you don't need to think, versus Apple, where you're allowed to think freely."