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Most recent submissions by user "Solar257"

Registered since: June 16, 2008

16 +34/-18 votes

Faster Progress Bars Based on Perception

Submitted by Solar257 on June 17, 2008 to Aesthetics, Usability

The perception of a slow progress bar is more negative than the perception of a fast progress bar when they both take the same time to complete a process. There are ways to make a process that takes a certain amount of time appear that it took less time.

Design progress bars in such a way that they appear faster than they are. See weblink below to see what I mean.

Low

High

Not fixed

(5 comments)

-18 +11/-29 votes

The emphasis on only going back (Top Rules 6 & 7 of the Vista UX)

Submitted by Solar257 on June 17, 2008 to Annoyance, Usability

Why is there such a strong emphasis on only going back?
Here are a few that come to mind:
Zune
Media Center
Windows Move Maker 'Publish Movie' Dialog
Vista Install Screens
Wireless Laser Keyboard v2.0
(more...)

Going forward is at least as important as going back. Keep the forward and back buttons together and evenly proportioned.

Low

Medium

Not fixed

(8 comments)

-20 +11/-31 votes

Media Center Using XP-era Shutdown Icons

Submitted by Solar257 on June 17, 2008 to Aesthetics, Icons, Legacy

In Vista Media Center, Navigating to Tasks > Shutdown brings up icons and images reminiscent of Windows XP.

Seeing how Vista doesn't really have its own icons (just 9!! shutdown options from the start menu) I'm not quite sure on how to remedy this one. The icons are old, but they're not in conflict with anything already established. It seems (more...)

Low

Low

Not fixed

(7 comments)

This submission [Overall Inconsistencies with Control Panel Properties & Links] has been marked a duplicate of

Legacy control panel applets

Please vote and comment on the original submission.

5 +5/-0 votes

Overall Inconsistencies with Control Panel Properties & Links

Submitted by Solar257 on June 17, 2008 to Aesthetics, Annoyance, Legacy, Usability

Using the Control Panel > Personalization screen as my example. The first two options open in the same window. However, the next five all open in new windows exposing singular tabs. Some of these used to be grouped in XP. There are many settings in (more...)

Redo all those stranded tab windows, left over from XP, so they do not open in a new window and instead open in the window their link originates from.

Medium

Low

Not fixed

(2 comments)

57 +60/-3 votes

Different Personalization Icons

Submitted by Solar257 on June 17, 2008 to Aesthetics, Icons

There are two ways to get to 'Control Panel\Personalization.' One way is through the desktop the other, via the control panel. Lamentably, there are also two icons representing the same location.

Use a single icon to represent the location.

Low

Low

Fixed

(6 comments)

61 +64/-3 votes

Inconsistent Window Order with 'Show Desktop' Operation

Submitted by Solar257 on June 17, 2008 to Annoyance

When using either the 'win key' + 'D' or the 'Show Desktop' quick link, upon returning all windows to their previously maximized status, the order of the windows will be incorrect.

Make sure Windows remember which window was the active window and the order in which they appeared before being minimized.

Low

Low

Not fixed

(7 comments)

48 +51/-3 votes

Remote Desktop 'Windows Security' Icon

Submitted by Solar257 on June 17, 2008 to Aesthetics, Icons, Legacy

While using Vista's remote desktop feature, the icon pertaining to Windows Security (the equivalent of the ctrl + alt + del splash screen), on the start menu looks legacy and appears to be the incorrect icon size. I wouldn't even call it aliased, (more...)

Replace the icon with a more up to date alternative.

Low

Low

Fixed

(3 comments)

79 +81/-2 votes

Screen Saver Configuration UI Missing

Submitted by Solar257 on June 16, 2008 to Aesthetics, Usability

When the new screen savers shipped with Windows Vista, they shipped without the options to change / customize them. Long blogged about it on Sept. 9, 2006. The option to change them is available in the registry see: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Screensavers\.

Add dialog boxes to allow access to the screen saver customization options that are already present in the OS.

Low

Low

Not fixed

(5 comments)

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