Sunday, February 12, 2023

Progress

Column / Windows.

Nearly thirty years of progress... Did we make any? I compared the layout of the same app on old style Windows NT / 98 (XP with a theme), Windows XP, Windows 10, and Windows 11.

Just from a stupid user's point of view... did we make any progress? If you just look at the user interface then it's still the same beast. So why is Microsoft so desperate to change the looks, when in the end we'll buy the new version anyway?

When you think about it... things haven't changed much for the last 30 years...


From Past to Present...


Windows 2

Never seen it in real life...


Windows 3.1

Used it a lot.


Windows 95 / 98 / NT

Used it even more 😅


Windows ME

Ooopsie. What a disaster. I stayed with Windows 98 until Windows XP came along.


Windows 2000

Never really used it, except on an old Vaio laptop. Always felt like Windows XP without the bells and whistles.


Windows XP

Together with Windows 7 this is probably one of the best Windows versions ever. I typically ran it in classic mode (no theme) making it look like 95, but here's the XP themed XP:


Windows Vista

I immediately downgraded to Windows XP


Windows 7

Forget Vista, Windows 7 is like that, but better... better... better! Maybe the best version of Windows ever. And again I mostly used it in a 'classic' theme, but here it is in all its glory... Oh. With Aero turned off...



Windows 8 / 8.1

Everyone downgraded to Windows 7, or upgraded to Windows 10... What the hell was Microsoft thinking with their Start Menu idiocy? Then 8.1 came along and improved things a bit, but who ever used it? I mean... Splitting up settings and demolishing the Start menu? Seriously?


Windows 10

A usable version again. Everything hard and square, taking the Windows 8 philosophy a step further (lots of white, empty space). More craziness regarding the Start menu, and some ill-fated attempts at cleaning up the settings.


Windows 11

What Microsoft giveth, Microsoft taketh. Gone is the regular start menu... gone is the useful task bar. And we got crap in return. Thanks, Microsoft!



CodeCaddy

It's amazing how some elements haven't changed over the years... Here's my own app CodeCaddy on different versions of Windows, 2000, XP, 10 and 11.





When you think about it... things haven't changed much since 1995...


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