Aero gas
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Saw a really interesting article, from a link here baout the changes to the kernel. 50 minute talk. Well worth it though. An awful lot going on interally, and a fairly honest talk about exitsting failings. http://channel9.msdn.com/Showpost.aspx?postid=148820[^]
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Wow! Talk about a loooooooooong boooooooooring video about kernel changes. The only thing I found interesting was that they were FINALLY going after the multimedia glitches! I'll believe it when i see it. That's been a problem since windows 9x for god's sake! It's 2006!!! And the way they fix it is by adjusting thread prios??? How about going thru the MS GUI code and fixing the PROBLEM?? I know i'm going soap box here, buuuuut... Has anybody seen any GOOD kernel stuff since Win2k? I understand MS has gotten big and can't just DO what it used to. But it's kinda depressing, ain't it??? I mean, they yack for almost an HOUR about what they're doing. And it sure doesn't sound like much. I wish they woulda gone thru that "list" the "irish guy" had a little better in a little more detail. (And a lot faster than they went thru the rest of their "boring bullets") The "irp guy" seemed to be the only one that actually knew anything. Yacking forever about functional dependency by the "black shirt guy" sounds like a MAJOR cop out. Sure, you're mapping it out. How are you MAKING WINDOWS BETTER tho? I mean, when the guy gets a cell phone call in the middle of this, he doesn't exactly appear "oooh so interested" in the conversation. As if he knows as well as I that this is a "blowing smoke" session... And don't get me started on the registry! It =WAS= a bad idea. Admit it. Apps should have to fend for themselves for storing config info. Mixing unrelated stuff together in ONE file just ain't right. I heard a lot of hemming and hawing, but didn't see any results. I know I have no right to complain. And I understand that Microsoft has become IBM. At least they haven't TOTALLY screwed up the win32 api. Yet. I guess I should be happy they haven't done any more damage even if they've stopped innovating. I sure miss those days though. When they wrote new GOOD stuff... It was exciting to see it happen! Win95! MSDN! Win2K! then... Sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... (sorry) ...Steve PS: all my opinion of course. I'm likely way off on a lotta stuff. Please be nice when correcting me.
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To me "Classic" is anything but. X| After 3 years of being able to choose my own theme (and no, it ain't Luna!) I really can't stand the blocky gray look of "Windows Classic" now. If I wanted a Windows 95 system, I'd still be using one... ;P Anna :rose: Currently working mostly on: Visual Lint :cool: Anna's Place | Tears and Laughter "Be yourself - not what others think you should be" - Marcia Graesch "Anna's just a sexy-looking lesbian tart" - A friend, trying to wind me up. It didn't work.
of all the themes that come with XP, Classic is the theme that requires the least amount of real estate. everything else is big, clunky and intrusive. there may be better themes out there somewhere, but i'm not interested in running something like Windowblinds to make them work. Classic is functional and unobtrusive - like me :) no, it's not win95 - it's more like Win98 (gradient title bars!) Cleek | Image Toolkits | Thumbnail maker
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of all the themes that come with XP, Classic is the theme that requires the least amount of real estate. everything else is big, clunky and intrusive. there may be better themes out there somewhere, but i'm not interested in running something like Windowblinds to make them work. Classic is functional and unobtrusive - like me :) no, it's not win95 - it's more like Win98 (gradient title bars!) Cleek | Image Toolkits | Thumbnail maker
Who says I use a theme that came with XP? :laugh: I don't run WindowBlinds either - just a couple of native XP themes (Eclipse and Aickon XP) developed by others. :cool: Incidentally, having different themes on different machines is a really good way of ensuring you don't forget which one you're working on when remoting onto others in the vicinity...:-> Anna :rose: Currently working mostly on: Visual Lint :cool: Anna's Place | Tears and Laughter "Be yourself - not what others think you should be" - Marcia Graesch "Anna's just a sexy-looking lesbian tart" - A friend, trying to wind me up. It didn't work.
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Who says I use a theme that came with XP? :laugh: I don't run WindowBlinds either - just a couple of native XP themes (Eclipse and Aickon XP) developed by others. :cool: Incidentally, having different themes on different machines is a really good way of ensuring you don't forget which one you're working on when remoting onto others in the vicinity...:-> Anna :rose: Currently working mostly on: Visual Lint :cool: Anna's Place | Tears and Laughter "Be yourself - not what others think you should be" - Marcia Graesch "Anna's just a sexy-looking lesbian tart" - A friend, trying to wind me up. It didn't work.
Anna-Jayne Metcalfe wrote:
Who says I use a theme that came with XP?
nobody, of course. i'm just not interested in searching for new themes because the one i use does everything i ask it to do (draw windows and get out of the way). Cleek | Image Toolkits | Thumbnail maker
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What do you think of the Aero Glass look/theme for Windows Vista? Derek announced that it is the official look[^]. You can see some screenshots from build 5270 at Paul Thurrott's site[^]. I realise it is not finished and there are still months of polish to be done but overall I am disapointed. This is not the look of a modern, fresh, clean and usable OS in my opinion. The dark, techy look with the distorting transparency is quite awful. I do like the layout changes but the look is very uninspiring. (If your reply contains "You can change the theme so stop whining!" I have to point out that that is not the point.) regards, Paul Watson Ireland Colib and ilikecameras. K(arl) wrote: oh, and BTW, CHRISTIAN ISN'T A PARADOX, HE IS A TASMANIAN!
Paul Watson wrote:
What do you think of the Aero Glass look/theme for Windows Vista?
It confirms what i've expected right along - MS won't try anything dangerous or interesting on the Windows UI front. Translucent borders? Big deal. A round start button? Yeah, that'll keep me interested. No toolbar or top menu in Explorer? I guess my Aunt will finally learn to right-click... oh, wait, you just moved it all to a list on the side. There's not even anything to be upset over. With a few very minor changes, XP could produce screenshots like that. The only thing that i found the least bit interesting was that they finally went with a high-contrast white-on-black look for the taskbar. Sure, the next Beta is supposed to re-introduce that sidebar thing, but come on - do you *really* think they'll make it useful? Of course not, it'll just be a big, distracting collection of reminders and notifications, a "Super Tray". The only thing that i'm at all interested in WRT the Vista UI is that it'll finally be completely double-buffered. You know, so that ten years from now i can write software for a supposedly modern desktop operating system without having to rely on techniques learned writing games, in DOS, ten years ago.
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What do you think of the Aero Glass look/theme for Windows Vista? Derek announced that it is the official look[^]. You can see some screenshots from build 5270 at Paul Thurrott's site[^]. I realise it is not finished and there are still months of polish to be done but overall I am disapointed. This is not the look of a modern, fresh, clean and usable OS in my opinion. The dark, techy look with the distorting transparency is quite awful. I do like the layout changes but the look is very uninspiring. (If your reply contains "You can change the theme so stop whining!" I have to point out that that is not the point.) regards, Paul Watson Ireland Colib and ilikecameras. K(arl) wrote: oh, and BTW, CHRISTIAN ISN'T A PARADOX, HE IS A TASMANIAN!
As long as it comes with a setting to make it look like Windows 95 standard as I have done with XP ever since then I'll be happy.
"Hello, hello, what's all this shouting, we'll have no trouble here! This is a Local Shop for Local People, there's nothing for you here!" -Edward Tattsyrup
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Paul Watson wrote:
What do you think of the Aero Glass look/theme for Windows Vista?
It confirms what i've expected right along - MS won't try anything dangerous or interesting on the Windows UI front. Translucent borders? Big deal. A round start button? Yeah, that'll keep me interested. No toolbar or top menu in Explorer? I guess my Aunt will finally learn to right-click... oh, wait, you just moved it all to a list on the side. There's not even anything to be upset over. With a few very minor changes, XP could produce screenshots like that. The only thing that i found the least bit interesting was that they finally went with a high-contrast white-on-black look for the taskbar. Sure, the next Beta is supposed to re-introduce that sidebar thing, but come on - do you *really* think they'll make it useful? Of course not, it'll just be a big, distracting collection of reminders and notifications, a "Super Tray". The only thing that i'm at all interested in WRT the Vista UI is that it'll finally be completely double-buffered. You know, so that ten years from now i can write software for a supposedly modern desktop operating system without having to rely on techniques learned writing games, in DOS, ten years ago.
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Shog9 wrote:
Sure, the next Beta is supposed to re-introduce that sidebar thing, but come on - do you *really* think they'll make it useful? Of course not, it'll just be a big, distracting collection of reminders and notifications, a "Super Tray".
I disagree with that. I've been using a Vista sidebar knock off for the past 2 years called Desktop Sidebar. It allows me to better organize my shortcuts, monitor CPU/Disk/Mem usage, view RSS news feeds, Outlook integration, and more. I think it's a great little innovation. Especially on a wide screen display. So, don't knock it until you try it.
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Shog9 wrote:
Sure, the next Beta is supposed to re-introduce that sidebar thing, but come on - do you *really* think they'll make it useful? Of course not, it'll just be a big, distracting collection of reminders and notifications, a "Super Tray".
I disagree with that. I've been using a Vista sidebar knock off for the past 2 years called Desktop Sidebar. It allows me to better organize my shortcuts, monitor CPU/Disk/Mem usage, view RSS news feeds, Outlook integration, and more. I think it's a great little innovation. Especially on a wide screen display. So, don't knock it until you try it.
I've had toolbars full of shortcuts docked on my desktop since Win98. The rest are distractions, and so i keep them handy, but off-screen. What i'd *like* to see in a sidebar: Tray (the real tray, a transient holder for shortcuts to aid in file management), Clipboard (as in Visual Studio, complete with preview, history, and rotation), Undo (integrated with whatever the current app is), Recent Apps (list the last five or so apps run).
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Anna-Jayne Metcalfe wrote:
Who says I use a theme that came with XP?
nobody, of course. i'm just not interested in searching for new themes because the one i use does everything i ask it to do (draw windows and get out of the way). Cleek | Image Toolkits | Thumbnail maker
Fair enough. :) I tihnk the real point is that when the OS supports Visual Styles it is the users choice how the system appears, and not the vendors. Those who prefer "Classic" can have it as before, but those who prefer other styles can have them too. As a UI developer I have to test apps under a wide variety of conditions, and one of my test criterion is that an app supports Visual Styles correctly, but also behaves correctly if they are inactive or unavailable. After all, an unthemed app on a themed system looks equally as ghastly as a themed app on an unthemed syste... Anna :rose: Currently working mostly on: Visual Lint :cool: Anna's Place | Tears and Laughter "Be yourself - not what others think you should be" - Marcia Graesch "Anna's just a sexy-looking lesbian tart" - A friend, trying to wind me up. It didn't work.
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What do you think of the Aero Glass look/theme for Windows Vista? Derek announced that it is the official look[^]. You can see some screenshots from build 5270 at Paul Thurrott's site[^]. I realise it is not finished and there are still months of polish to be done but overall I am disapointed. This is not the look of a modern, fresh, clean and usable OS in my opinion. The dark, techy look with the distorting transparency is quite awful. I do like the layout changes but the look is very uninspiring. (If your reply contains "You can change the theme so stop whining!" I have to point out that that is not the point.) regards, Paul Watson Ireland Colib and ilikecameras. K(arl) wrote: oh, and BTW, CHRISTIAN ISN'T A PARADOX, HE IS A TASMANIAN!
I only wish the window caption bars were even bigger. Anyone who thinks he has a better idea of what's good for people than people do is a swine. - P.J. O'Rourke
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I've had toolbars full of shortcuts docked on my desktop since Win98. The rest are distractions, and so i keep them handy, but off-screen. What i'd *like* to see in a sidebar: Tray (the real tray, a transient holder for shortcuts to aid in file management), Clipboard (as in Visual Studio, complete with preview, history, and rotation), Undo (integrated with whatever the current app is), Recent Apps (list the last five or so apps run).
---- Scripts i've known... CPhog 0.9.9 - make CP better. Forum Bookmark 0.2.1 - bookmark forum posts on Pensieve Print forum 0.1.2 - printer-friendly forums
I'm not sure what the sidebar will really end up like, but one of the first times I saw the sidebar was in a demo showing how easy it was for you to add a little application to the sidebar -- doing whatever you want. (Probably can't get the integrated Undo, though.)
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What do you think of the Aero Glass look/theme for Windows Vista? Derek announced that it is the official look[^]. You can see some screenshots from build 5270 at Paul Thurrott's site[^]. I realise it is not finished and there are still months of polish to be done but overall I am disapointed. This is not the look of a modern, fresh, clean and usable OS in my opinion. The dark, techy look with the distorting transparency is quite awful. I do like the layout changes but the look is very uninspiring. (If your reply contains "You can change the theme so stop whining!" I have to point out that that is not the point.) regards, Paul Watson Ireland Colib and ilikecameras. K(arl) wrote: oh, and BTW, CHRISTIAN ISN'T A PARADOX, HE IS A TASMANIAN!
I think it will look much cleaner than what we currently have or have had with Windows. I only wish MS would have made it easy to select third party skins for the system and make the UI more extensible. Guess they just want to keep Window Blinds in business ;) After Vista has been out for a while, I expect quite a number of third party addons to spice up the GUI more. While this is not huge revolutionary change, the performance and abilty to easily combine media in a graphic enhanced engine will be as far as Windows is concerned. Recently, I watched some of the MS TV episodes about Vista and it looks like it will be quite fun, both in a user and developer sense. The idea of having Windows handled through a Direct-X type system is great and offers developers quite a bit of GUI abiltiy. Also love the media side of the system which actually allows you to connect your XBox 360 and your PC using the XBox like a form of media player. That finally gives me a reason for an XBox :) Rocky <>< Latest Post: SQL2005 Server Managemnet Studio timeouts! Blog: www.RockyMoore.com/TheCoder/[^]
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The primary change is that the display is 3D accelerated, windows become textures on planes in a 3D layered environment. A change in look is expected, I'm with the rest of you yawning at the exact choice in appearance, but I am glad they finally 3D accelerated the Aero environment. _________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)
Yeah they had to catch up w/ Apple sometime. :laugh: Jeremy Falcon
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Yeah they had to catch up w/ Apple sometime. :laugh: Jeremy Falcon
Jeremy Falcon wrote:
Yeah they had to catch up w/ Apple sometime.
I've always wondered why this wasn't done before. 3D desktops have been "toys" for some time with people putting launch icons as picture frames in virtual buildings and Doom like hallways. But the truth is a Windows environment regardless of machine, is a 3D display. Windows are single panes stacked in a sequence from bottom to top with the "desktop" being the lowest layer and the active panel being the top-most layer. 3D depth representation of the window stack should have been obvious to everyone with an IQ over 50 for years. There are some techniques that make it "easier" and "fancier" that have come up in the last few years, such as render-to-texture which would allow you to render a 3D display into a panel texture and display it in a windowed environment. I realize that is why the wait, I just don't see why all the fuss about how terrible 3D acceleration is to a windows environment. Admitedly I am biased, it's my career choice, but I don't see a reason not to put 3D graphics into every industry on the planet. _________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)