Submission details
Taskbar: Just a lot of "Windows ..." (Vista application naming)
Every application that ships with Windows Vista starts with “Windows” like Windows Photo Gallery and so on (except for the old ones like Paint or Notepad). If you open enough of them, the taskbar shows a lot of “Windows…” titles. I have counted 10 applications that starts with that word. (Interesting: On Mac OS X Microsoft Office Word only says “Word” to the user at the menu bar).
If that works on Mac OS X why not on Vista? Hide the term "Windows" on the taskbar buttons or rename the new applications. There is nothing wrong with simple names like "Paint" or "Notepad".
Medium
Medium
Not fixed
Discussion (38 comments)
The same is about "Microsoft Office Word 2007" - I know that it is developed by Microsoft, and if I don't I jus't don't care about who it was developed by, I know that I bought it as a part of Office suite, and if I forgot wich version I have I will see it in "properties". Call it just "Word", "Exel", "PowerPoint", etc.
@Sergeev0: Exactly. But to be fair, Word shows the document title first on the taskbar buttons.
There is a reason for the naming to be like that... read http://blogs.msdn.com/oldnewthing/archive/2008/05/14/8502228.aspx
@sushovande: The article does not explain why the new applications INSIDE Windows Vista start with the term "Windows" and the old ones like Paint do not. And as I mentioned before, in Mac OS X, Microsoft calls "Microsoft Office Word 2008" just "Word" in the menu bar.
What they can do IMO is that name the program as "Windows .." but the application's title would be without the Windows label. This also brings another thing to my mind - with transparency effects, the "..." should be replaced with fading text
@tino: They start like that because some genius on the windows team thought it would be a great idea. And I'm guessing that now they've filed the trademarks and can't go back. They probably had no idea that this might be annoying.
If it's a legal thing, maybe it would be possible to make taskbar "titles" customisable. That way, Microsoft avoid any legal issues, and I avoid seeing tonnes of "windows...".
Yeah I mean seriously, you don't see Apple saying "Apple Safari" or "Apple Xcode" in the menu bar or dock...
Adding to this, another thing that would be useful is if the size of taskbar titles widened when you moused over them, revealing more characters for that title and less for all the others.
I just read http://blogs.msdn.com/oldnewthing/archive/2008/05/14/8502228.aspx
and I now understand, BUT:
Here's a suggested workaround:
There are many taskbars.
Instead of displaying "Windows..." for "Windows Live Messenger",
display this: "... Live Messe...".
Notice the ellipses are the beginning?
This will require the Windows Taskbar to analyze the displayed captions, and try shifting out the first few words that look common, resulting in easily-identifiable Windows.
Tooltips will still display "Windows Live Messenger" to comply with the Legal stuff.
I agree. Too many "Windows..."
Definitely. It's not like users are not aware Microsoft makes Windows. The logo is everywhere, And there's no need to give marketing shine to every piece of software in the Operating System. I'd rather use Paint, Notepad and Visual Studio than "Microsoft Windows Paint For Microsoft Windows Vista" or anything silly like that.
they over did it on "windows"
This is called over branding... and it sucks :)
Good point!
totally agree!!
Go to control panel and you have the same mess again! You don't find Firewall under F, you find it unter W, "Windows Firewall". Calendar is "Windows Calendar", Anti-Malware or AdAware or something like that is "Windows Defender"... Well I could accept "Windows Update" but you've got at least 5 "Windows..." things and then you wonder why you don't find them...
Ability to change the window title property should be put into application Options
If you don't like Windows Mail you could change its name to VistaMail or EMail - but it would still be that same crappy mail program - hey you could change it to iHateThis%^$()!Mail
I'm 100% for removing the "Windows" prefix to all the included applications. A convenient feature would be to include in Explorer the ability to read a shortened window title from metadata.
I think Microsoft is considering a move in this direction. Example: with Windows Live, they plan to have [or use across the Windows Live menu bar] names like "Files" and "Friends" for Skydrive and Live Spaces, respectively. Not sure about the "Friends" one, but you get the point.
This is one place Apple got it right. The programs shoud be Mail, Photo Gallery (or even photos), Calendar, etc. There is no need for the Windows prefix. And the same could go for Windows Live services as well.
If Microsoft called theirs Mail, they would be accused of copying Apple.
Imagine if you have Google Talk, AOL Instant Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, and Yahoo! Messenger on your taskbar. If company names we're removed you would end up with " [Talk] [Instant Messenger] [Messenger] [Messenger]" in your taskbar. That would be a complete mess.
@DeathSeeker: Yes but that is unlikely. Who would use so many messengers at the same time? There are multi-protocol messengers out there to handle this.
@RyGuy12: Apple has its own problems with product naming. Safari, QuickTime and so on aren't really self explaining and all the "i..." product names just sound stupid. Just watch the PC vs. Mac ads where the Mac names all apps that ship with a new Mac. ;)
LOL, I never noticed that because I rarely use the built-in Windows applications. I wish they weren't be installed in the first place!
Overall, thenonhacker's comment is the best (http://www.aerotaskforce.com/view/79#comment-562)... That was a perfect idea (fit both Naming and Copyright/Legal issues). I just want to keep current naming or change like thenonhacker's idea. Other ideas are hard to be present, Microsoft has a reason to do this (sushovande's link: http://blogs.msdn.com/oldnewthing/archive/2008/05/14/8502228.aspx)
1. Windows applications won't be themselves if without "Windows". (Except some special applications)
2. Recommended to remove "Microsoft" in Windows applications... Keep it in other non-Windows applications, by some situations.
Example: Microsoft Silverlight, Microsoft Office,...
3. Following Apple's naming is truly stupid!
4. See Death Seeker's comment (http://www.aerotaskforce.com/view/79#comment-2863)
@Tuanese: These are different features of Windows not all are separate products.
1. What about Paint? Or WordPad?
@Tuanese: And once more: This article is more about the naming of the entire OS or different MS products in Windows. But it does not explain why the Sidebar in Windows Vista must be called Windows Sidebar. Or should we also say "Windows mouse pointer"?
And this is not only about the names in the taskbar. Think of going to a folder of a specific program. They are also starting with "Windows". You cant just press "S" for jumping to the right folder for the Sidebar.
Windows Vita is (or should be) an o p e r a t i n g system not a trademark database.
you could lay back on being the taskforce police and pointing out every topic thats not UI related. its starting to piss a lot of us off
- What have I done wrong, anything?
- Everyone can write unlimited comments, as they're registered users.
Noone can control us not to speak ourselves out, except "the one and only" LZ.
- Windows, be the best, that's only I wished for and why I'm here.
This started bothering me years ago, in the Win2000 days. When I finally discovered the wonderment of multiple monitors, I moved the taskbar to the left of the far left screen and stretched it out 500px. Now I can read everything!
@Tino: http://www.aerotaskforce.com/view/79#comment-2928
Its very likely.. SOME people like to use the individual features that come with each of the messengers. Alot of times they even work better.
I myself have never liked (yes Ive used just about all of them) multiprotocol messengers. I have AIM and WLM on all the time with Yahoo on occasionally. With 2GB and more on most computers nowadays, having multiple messengers open at one time doesnt impact your computer at all..
And then theres the ads that people complain about all the time. Does the one ad on AIM stop you from using any One of the many features thats included in AIM? NO it does not. Does any ad on any app stop you from using the app? No it does not.
Or do it like names.. consider "Windows" the surname and "Mail" the last name.
Displaying it as Mail, Windows and Photo Gallery, Windows.
Ok I shouldn't smoke so much of that s**t... ;-)
Wouldn't be considered as fixed due to the new taskbar in Windows 7?
no, because they're still calling it Windows Internet Explorer for each tab in the mini-previews.
hiding does not take the mess away. imagine Narrator reading the window titles to you. And it's interesting that MS's own Speech Recognition (not Windows SR) only requires you to say Internet (or Internet Explorer)
I strongly believe that especially for things like Internet Explorer, Movie Maker, Photo Gallery, which are two word titles, MS needn't use Windows or Windows Live (lucky it's not "Microsoft Windows Live ABC XYZ on Microsoft Windows Live Mesh by Microsoft Windows Azure" with all the TMs) . For things like Writer and other one-words, they could say Mail Live, Writer Live, Messenger Live, Media Player (Windows), Media Center (Windows) etc.
+1!
For non-Live apps, it must:
Internet Explorer, Mail, Photo Gallery, Media Player, etc.
For Live apps:
Live Mail, Live Messenger, Live Photo Gallery, Live Writer, etc.
In XP, there is also too many Windows... or Microsoft... naming:
Windows Media Player
Windows Movie Maker
Windows Messenger
Microsoft Internet Explorer (version 6) and Windows Internet Explorer (version 7 and above)
Yeah, but not as much as in Vista...
If it wasn't Windows __APPNAME__ it would be Microsoft __APPNAME__ ;) or Microsoft Windows, lol.
ryanlm wrote on June 3, 2008, 10:06pm
AGREED!!! I know its windows, I get it. It should just be Mail, Media Player, Calendar, etc. I do not care if it is windows or "Live" for that matter. I care that it works for me and is a well written program. I feel most of them are below par, and only use messenger out of the bunch. (note: I did not call it Windows Live Messenger, because its just a messenger program)