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0 pointscanucker20162mo ago0 comments

> ... the start button is somehow in the middle of the screen ...

If you take a look at the size of widescreen monitors, you can kinda guess why someone decided to move the start button/menu to the middle of the screen.

I know Samsung and Dell have ginmorous 49 inch monitors. Start menu that pops up from the lower left corner of the monitor would be a bad UX - the user might not even notice that a menu had popped up if that lower left corner of the monitor is out of their peripheral vision.

Moving the Start menu to the middle of the screen does go against years of muscle memory... moving your mouse/trackpad to the lower left, using the monitor border as a stop-zone though.

I guess they didn't want to make it an option/toggle hidden in some dialog box somewhere...

0 comments

delecti2mo ago

You used to be able to move the taskbar to any side of the screen. IMO the more sensible move for widescreen monitors is to move it to the side so it takes up less screen real estate. Windows 11 removed the ability to move the taskbar like that; it's stuck on the bottom (unless you seek out 3rd party software solutions).

Also it should be noted that (at least as recently as September, haven't used 11 since) you could move the start button back to the left side.

duskdozer2mo ago

The article mentions they're (re?)adding in the ability to put it on any edge of the screen

delecti2mo ago

Which is absolutely a good thing, but my point is that they removed a feature when it had only become more relevant with time. They get no credit for the change to move the start button to the middle, which is admittedly defensible if the goal was to accommodate widescreen displays, when they removed the ability to move the taskbar entirely, which had been in windows for 25+ years, and also had that benefit.

array_key_first2mo ago

It's inconceivable they ever removed it. Why would they do that? It's been a feature for a long time and a lot of people use it.

If you're going to introduce a new thing, you have to make sure it justifies replacing the old thing. The new windows 11 taskbar was essentially a straight downgrade.

helpfulfrond2mo ago

> We are introducing the ability to reposition it to the top or sides of your screen...

Using the word introducing is so disingenuous to me considering how long that was a capability.

MrDrMcCoy2mo ago

I have a 48" 4k non-curved monitor, running stock KDE with the launcher in the corner and UI scale set to 100%. Not only is the experience just fine, I simply cannot see having the launcher in the middle being useful. It would lead to a beak in left-right organizational thinking for where window and pinned tasks live as my active applications change and I have to hunt for their new screen position. Alt-tab breaks down after a certain number of windows, as does the exploding "overview". Having a consistent order and positioning for multitasking is both faster and less cognitive load.

vrighter2mo ago

the user would most definitely notice a menu popped up. Because they clicked it themselves

canucker2016OP2mo ago

Tapping the Windows key on the keyboard can also bring up the Start menu (or another key combo like WindowsKey+X brings up the Power User/WinX menu ).

With the Windows Key next to the Alt key on many keyboards, the user could press the Windows Key accidentally when they wanted to press the Alt key.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

delecti2mo ago

Also it should be noted that (at least as recently as September, haven't used 11 since) you could move the start button back to the left side.

duskdozer2mo ago

The article mentions they're (re?)adding in the ability to put it on any edge of the screen

delecti2mo ago

array_key_first2mo ago

It's inconceivable they ever removed it. Why would they do that? It's been a feature for a long time and a lot of people use it.

If you're going to introduce a new thing, you have to make sure it justifies replacing the old thing. The new windows 11 taskbar was essentially a straight downgrade.

helpfulfrond2mo ago

> We are introducing the ability to reposition it to the top or sides of your screen...

Using the word introducing is so disingenuous to me considering how long that was a capability.

MrDrMcCoy2mo ago

vrighter2mo ago

the user would most definitely notice a menu popped up. Because they clicked it themselves

canucker2016OP2mo ago

Tapping the Windows key on the keyboard can also bring up the Start menu (or another key combo like WindowsKey+X brings up the Power User/WinX menu ).

With the Windows Key next to the Alt key on many keyboards, the user could press the Windows Key accidentally when they wanted to press the Alt key.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse