In response to Cappy.
Attacking their "lack" of innovation is a lost cause. Sure they've stolen or bought many of their ideas(not all of them) but though you may frown on it, they have actually been very innovative in a business sense which is what the bottom line is all about.
I probably wasn't very clear as you didn't understand. I wasn't attacking their "lack" of innovation as much as I am attacking the times they have ATTEMPTED innovation. Everytime Microsoft was claimed Innovation it has either been 1. Not revolutionary and more evolutionary, which I feel is still innovation just not something worth gloating about necessarily. 2. Is innovation they stole from another company (we all know this one all too well and not just from Apple) or 3. Ill-concieved innovation that they they simply expect consumers to love and is usually poorly-designed, backward, etc.
Microsoft should do less revolutionary innovation and MORE evolutionary innovation. They don't have the skill or the right staff to attempt what Apple and other companies do in that respect. From my perspective the Star Menu (which is filed uner evolutionary innovation) was a great idea and is very functional. I feel a thing they could improve is making it easier and more intuitive to customize the starbar itself. But the Taskbar and control panel to the right are very well done.
Now compare this to XP which claimed a "revolutionary user interface" which basically equates hiding everything useful under an annoying layer of cutesy styfling Wizards. I am a Windows power user, I don't need any of that and I can see other's using it but it should not be a "forced" part of Windows XP Professional. Professional means I should be able to exercise control over my computer and it's functions and not be limited to some animated question-mark jumping around telling me I need to set up my internet every five minutes.
Am I being more clear this time?
Keep things in perspective though. They were originally talking 2005 for the release of that OS. By then people are going to be running higher resolutions and you have to admit that it's still early in the beta cycle that things can change. When Aqua was introduced, many were disappointed that things were taking up too much reale estate if you had a screen res of 800 x 600 and some didn't even like it with 1024 x 768. You also have to keep in mind what kind of users are going to be picky about that as well. The basic home user typically won't care that much depending on how bad it is.
At any rate I'm not out to condone what MS does or is doing but lets not be blind to things either.
I don't like to think I am blind to things. I have used PC's far longer and along-side my Macs. I respect both platforms...mostly. I depend on my Macintosh for getting my work done and managing just about everything but gaming and some specific multimedia tasks that I do on my PC.
I am not one who feels 'dirty' using Windows but one is constantly disapointed by tasks taking longer and being more counter-intuitive than the Mac. Also how Microsoft feels the need to literally change the interface of various control panels with almost every release. Before XP I had been using 2000 Pro which in my opinion is the finest piece of Windows software EVER produced. Stability, speed, cohesive interface. Everything one has come to not expect from Windows is done fairly well. With XP it was a step backwards. I plan to upgrade back down to 2000 when I have time to reformat.
Longhorn will be substantially different when it comes out then how it is now. That doesn't stop me from being stupified as to why Microsoft chooses to carry Microsoft in a different direction than it should (Towards the less functional cutesy interface). In the end this will alienate businesses who already feel XP is too distracting and professionals who only get annoyed by the limitations of the dumbed-down UI.
Microsoft hopefully in time will see this and make some changes...we can at least hope for the Professional version. The consumer version they can make as ugly, cutesy, and moronic as they choose. There isn't a need to force that on people who know what they are doing.
Anyways, LongHorn has been deleted and replaced with Linux, once more. Of course Linus is just as much of an arrogant ass as Gates is so I don't see that as cleansing the computer at all. Oh, well.
We can all enjoy laughing at Longhorn for Consumers when it finally comes out. Microsoft is carrying itself down the wrong road and one it should not try and follow Apple as I myself don't like the direction Apple has chosen to take itself, despite the fact that the road may straighten out for Apple later on.
Those are exactly the only apps I have installed in my PC (Visual Studio, AIM and Office).
