Windows is the most dependable mess I've ever seen
I recently updated to Windows 10 version 20H2 and I wanted to share the new features, one annoying change and how to fix it, and a rant about quality control.
So, let's get started, the biggest UI change is a small revamp of the start menu, now most tiles (except some live tiles) now follow a single-color scheme instead of the color scheme of the app. It also makes the new icons pop, those icons being the icons introduced to match the fluent icons released in version 1909. I'll miss the messy, chaotic, and unique start menu of yore but I'll welcome the new with open arms. There's also changes to Tablet mode, now Windows defaults to changing the desktop UI to fit tablets instead of switching to the dedicated tablet mode. I wish Microsoft would just improve tablet mode because I've used it and I actually like it but it still needs some work, I can't screen record at this moment but Windows Central has a great video review that'll let you know how it works.
Windows doesn't get many UI changes but this one is more a subtle change than anything else, subtle changes are better than nothing. While Chrome OS, Linux, and even Mac OS have been getting modern, bolder, UI's. Windows has been left behind, neglected, relegated to the corner of the market where Microsoft has been focused on ever since the consumer flop of Windows Phone. Enterprise is where Windows has lived, breathed, and grown old; Windows needs more UI changes to stay current. I know Windows 10X is more for consumers but I'm not using 10X now, you're not using 10X now, everyone is using regular Windows.
The reason Windows doesn't get many changes is because of enterprise and professionals not wanting anything to break, change, or destroy their work, they depend on the OS to get work done. Even with the tediousness of recent releases Microsoft has still managed to break things and make terrible decisions, because Why not?
More on stability and destruction later, let's talk about bad decisions, let's talk about the one new feature wish Microsoft had never released. I'm talking about the changes made to alt-tab, no there's no real changes to the UI there's only inclusion of web browser tab windows in the interface, I can't tell you how disruptive this is. Alt-Tab is mainly used for switching between apps, like many I am a heavy multi-tasker meaning I have multiple apps always open. This addition to Alt-Tab has disrupted the workflow by adding unnecessary baggage to the interface, you can turn it off or customize it by going to "system" in settings, "multitasking", and then head over to the Alt-Tab strip.
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There you can choose "all tabs", "5 tabs", or "just apps"; "just apps" switches it back to normal. Obviously, some can make good use of this feature, when I think about my Mom or even myself when I was younger, I usually only had 2-5 tabs always open. I could see why some could love it but I'm not that person anymore and many people agree, some have also said that it could be for web apps in a tab, I turn all my web apps into separate windows so I feel it's redundant.
Now I want to talk about stability in Windows in general, Windows needs to get its act together. I simply cannot stress how important it is to have a stable OS, I rely on Windows each day, enterprise relies on Windows each day, Pros rely on Windows each day. Windows gets a bad rap simply because every day I see articles about a new bug with Windows that's affecting people, some bugs are smaller than others but some bugs have caused people's machines to lose their files or worse. That's unacceptable, although one must sympathize with Microsoft when you realize the scale of support they must face.
Microsoft has tons and tons of Windows users using Windows every day, the problem arises when not every computer is on the same build. Imagine a certain percentage is on version one, then more are on version two, and then version 3 has most users but it's out of support. Now imagine all three versions have mission-critical problems that need solving NOW, that's life for Windows.
Chrome OS solved this problem from the start because of the lightweight and secure nature of the OS it's safe without intervention from Google and you can run older versions of Chrome OS and still be fine. Mac OS does have its problems, but the sheer integration Apple makes helps them to keep support tight and fast, besides, they have a set number of products. Windows has multiple OEMs all clamoring for their help and then they need to help their Surface line, and all at the same time they need to keep compatibility and features.
Despite all those problems …I still love Windows because it lets you do what you want when you need it. Windows isn't like Chrome OS or Mac OS in the sense that it has multiple purposes for multiple people, it tries to be the consumer machine, Pro Machine, and enterprise all in one. Windows is there when you need to compile code, run a PowerShell command, or just watch Netflix.
Windows is the most dependable mess I've ever seen; the power of Windows is the price you pay when you forgo the other 2 alternatives. Most know that's part of the price you pay when you use Windows, I love it anyways and wouldn't trade it for anything.
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