Main Index : Writings of Marie A. D'Amico, Esq.

Windows 4.0 Free Tips

Marie D'Amico November 10, 1993

Dear Microsoft :

I know you're working on Windows 4.0 and, since it's been three years since the last Windows upgrade, it's about time. Being a Macophile, I hesitate to give you helpful tips. And, with all those employees and money, you surely cannot need me for that. Then, I look at Windows 1.0 and I think you might. So, here's a free list. If you use any of them, please list me in the About box.

A. Windows.

(1) Child Windows: The paradigm of windows "owning" other windows should be discarded. The only way I know if a window is a child is when I cannot move it anywhere I want. Let them grow up and move out of the house already.

(2) Sizing Windows: Sizing windows via a four pixel wide border around the window requires bionic vision. I need a quicker, easier way to size windows. Also, either remove the nonfunctional size box or make it functional. Otherwise, you look guilty of stealing a Mac feature and then wimping out at the last minute.

(3) Opening/Closing Windows: There is no feedback during opening or closing of windows and there needs to be some. But, it needn't be zooming rectangles. Contrary to what your hired Uzis said in court, there is more than one way to skin that cat.

(4) Moving Windows: The XOR pattern (used also in sizing windows) is disturbing since it changes color depending upon the background. While Mac uses a similar XOR algorithm, the one pixel width makes it appear seamless. I'm not recommending the Mac way; just a different way.

B. Icons

(1) Selecting Icons: I need more feedback than merely changing the icon's name to white letters centered in a blue box. This is especially confusing since blue appears to be the most popular color in icons. And, in the Program Manager, I need to be able to select (and move) more than one icon simultaneously. I'm moving about 90 m.p.h. on the information highway of life and I need my GUI to keep up with me.

(2) Group Icons: Don't put my icons in groups for me. Remember, the middle word in GUI is user not Microsoft.

(3) Arrange Icons: This feature is very anal; as a lawyer I like that. The mellow California Clean Up feature in Mac annoys me. Keep this feature. You thought I wasn't going to say anything nice, didn't you?

(4) Moving Icons: Moving the entire icon, without its name, lacks feedback and doesn't easily allow me to return the icon to its original location. You think I can recall where I got that icon from when I can't often find my car keys? And, remove that no smoking sign which indicates when an icon cannot be moved to a proposed location. Did you really hire a graphic artist to draw that?

(5) Naming Icons: I don't care if I’m limited in the number of letters for an icon's name since I was weaned on DOS machines. But, I'd like some type of direct icon name editing capability.

(6) Opened Icons: Group icons disappear when opened. Where do they go - Icon purgatory? Other icons remain the same when opened. I have only one word - FEEDBACK .

C. Menus.

(1) Wrapping: The wrapping of the window menu with window size prevents the user from having a consistent sense of "place" for a menu. The Lisa team tried this method and discarded it. Follow their example.

(2) Keyboard Equivalents: I would use them if I could locate them easily. It's a user interface; not a treasure hunt.

C. Menus.

(3) Pull-Down Menu: I don't like having to click off a menu to make it disappear. Apple has a patent on the Mac pull-down menu but since when has that stopped you?