• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

Windows 10

Windows 10 still has the Run dialog accessible by Win+R. I almost always use that; never even noticed that the text box was missing from the 'start' menu.
 
grmcdorman said:
Windows 10 still has the Run dialog accessible by Win+R. I almost always use that; never even noticed that the text box was missing from the 'start' menu.
Click to expand...

Cool! And I never knew about WIN+R. Now I do.:thumbsup: So it has not been a total waste of time I guess.
 
http://blogs.technet.com/b/sebastia...indows-10-keyboard-shortcuts-at-a-glance.aspx

Win+:
tab| Task View
C|Cortana (speech) search
S|Cortana (text) search
I|Settings
A|Action Center
Ctrl+D|Create new virtual desktop
Ctrl+F4|Close current virtual desktop
Ctrl+Left/Right|Switch between virtual desktops
[arrow key]|Move windows
H|Share content, if supported
K|Connect to wireless displays and audio devices
X|Open Start context menu
G|Open Game Bar to take screenshots/record screen
|
D|Show desktop
E|Open Explorer
L|Lock
Space|Switch keyboard language
[digit]|Open pinned application (e.g. Win+1 opens first pinned app)
R|Run a command
P|Project a screen
 
Olowkow said:
I think we are talking about two separate things.

In Windows 7, if I want to run "msconfig", for instance, I click "start", then type in "msconfig" into the text box. I was under the impression that the Windows 10 text box in post 471 was for a web search only, using Bing, or by voice using "Cortana". Apparently I'm mistaken, and I should have typed a command into the box shown in post #471. I don't think I ever tried that...not sure anymore.

In Windows 10, I clicked "start", the menus with icons opened, but no text box appeared, so I just typed in "msconfig", and the text box appeared as soon as I typed the first letter /m/, and finally containing "msconfig", and msconfig.exe appeared above.
Click to expand...

There's a big fat textbox right on the task bar beside the Start menu icon in Windows 10 where you can type in searches and communicate with Cortana without voice. It's always on, at least that's the default after the install I did. I presume one can turn it off. It bothers some since it takes away space on the task bar for a function that quite a few people would not need so often that it needs to be visible all the time. I presume MS put it there, with the default always there, to show off Cortana. They have done similar things before (using big fat design elements to show off and waste screen real estate).
 
Last edited:
Try right-clicking on the task bar, and in the menu Search select the sub-item Hidden.
 
grmcdorman said:
Try right-clicking on the task bar, and in the menu Search select the sub-item Hidden.
Click to expand...
It's not my machine; it's my mom's, and she has delegated maintenance to me. So I don't really care how to turn it off since I won't be working everyday on it.

But speaking of right-clicking/context menus: I notice a continuous development within Windows that makes away with them. As I was setting it up, I had to spent some time with the wi-fi menu (off the task bar) which presented me with a list of available networks. No context menu whatsoever. It used to be that you could right-click and (dis)connect. Here, you have to click, which expands the listing slightly, and adds one button, which either reads "connect" or "disconnect". It's probably related to the attempt of trying to join tablets (touch UI) and desktops (mouse UI).

Not that I'm saying it's a bad thing; it's just an observation. However, it feels a bit disjointed when some elements have a context menu, and others don't.

The reason it felt noticeable to me was, of course, the mess that was the tile screen of Win 8, which violated quite some rules of good UI design. Seems MS has not completely written off some of the things they did there.
 
Thing is, touch devices do have something that can vaguely equivalent to context-menu: long-press. Had that in a product I worked on that was both touch-device and desktop; long-press or right click gave you a context menu. Business had us do away with the long-press and replaced it with a small target in the upper right corner of the icon. I hated it; too easy to miss and open the item instead of getting the action (context) menu. Business, though, did not appear to understand standard touch device idioms; also wanted drag-and-drop in scroll areas (with big drag targets) - basically made scrolling very hard. They saw nothing wrong with that.

(end rant)
 
grmcdorman said:
Thing is, touch devices do have something that can vaguely equivalent to context-menu: long-press. Had that in a product I worked on that was both touch-device and desktop; long-press or right click gave you a context menu. Business had us do away with the long-press and replaced it with a small target in the upper right corner of the icon. I hated it; too easy to miss and open the item instead of getting the action (context) menu. Business, though, did not appear to understand standard touch device idioms; also wanted drag-and-drop in scroll areas (with big drag targets) - basically made scrolling very hard. They saw nothing wrong with that.

(end rant)
Click to expand...
Windows 8.1 had something similar on the tile interface while using the mouse. I recall trying to clean it up (just deleting some of the apps, and reordering and resizing the rest).

IIRC, a single-click would open the app, single-click-hold allowed to move it, right-click allowed size changes. For the first two, I guess they were chosen as equivalents to tab and tab-hold on touch devises.

It was a pain in the butt. I gave up after I launched too many apps accidentally I just wanted to change the tile off. With the touchpad of the laptop it was even worse. There was no way except iron discipline to NOT launch an app. I basically had to meditate for a while with the mantra "hold hold hold", then change it, and then rest before I tried the next if I wanted to do it correctly. /rant
 
Odd. I see the list of shortcuts in the article; that's where I got the list I put in my post. In the article:
technet said:
Windows + C Search the web and Windows with Cortana (speech)

Windows + S Search the web and Windows with Cortana (keyboard input)
Click to expand...
 
Olowkow said:
So I asked, "What was the closing stock price on Tesla today?"
Click to expand...
Interestingly, that exact phrase didn't work - though I don't know if you're just paraphrasing anyway - but omitting "today" got the right answer. Or at least, it gave me a stock price for Tesla. I think Siri uses Wolfram Alpha for those sorts of queries, which would definitely help; on the other hand, you could just ask Cortana to track the stock price, and it would show up automatically, which I don't think Siri does yet?

Damien Evans said:
That's actually pretty funny.
Click to expand...
Whatever committee is responsible for Cortana's humour has actually done a really good job - I've accidentally laughed out loud more than once. (Except if you straight-up ask for a joke, in which case the responses are appropriately corny - and speaking of, I just found out she has ones specifically for "tell me a science joke".)

Ctrl+D Create new virtual desktop
Ctrl+F4 Close current virtual desktop
Ctrl+Left/Right Switch between virtual desktops
Click to expand...
That's going to come in handy, I've started using them but it never occurred to me to look up the shortcuts.
 
Olowkow said:
I think we are talking about two separate things.

In Windows 7, if I want to run "msconfig", for instance, I click "start", then type in "msconfig" into the text box. I was under the impression that the Windows 10 text box in post 471 was for a web search only, using Bing, or by voice using "Cortana". Apparently I'm mistaken, and I should have typed a command into the box shown in post #471. I don't think I ever tried that...not sure anymore.

In Windows 10, I clicked "start", the menus with icons opened, but no text box appeared, so I just typed in "msconfig", and the text box appeared as soon as I typed the first letter /m/, and finally containing "msconfig", and msconfig.exe appeared above.
Click to expand...

Clicking on Start in Windows 10 actually puts your cursor in the same box, ready to accept "msconfig" and run it (if msconfig is in the path) or search for it if it's not in the path. This is the same behavior as Windows 8.1, Windows 8, and Windows 7. If you start typing after clicking on Start Windows will search for it or execute it, depending on what you type. This is due to the feedback received for Windows 8 where users did not like the Search bar being removed from Start. So Windows 10 is more like Windows 7 in this respect.
 
Just updated to Win10. Contrary to expectations, I did not experience any issues during the upgrade process.

Currently trying to use and actually like Win10, rather than criticize it without context.

My immediate impression so far: congrats MS Edge, you've finally achieved feature parity with Google Chrome circa 2009. Wtf, you still fail the Acid 2? Are you kidding?
 
Updated my HP laptop (Pavilion g series). Took about 90 minutes. No hiccups. Used custom option. So far, I'm on the positive side of the aisle. Much more exploring to do though.
 
I watched a video with what I suppose is the default video player. The control bar that pops up when you move the mouse is enormous, white, and not transaparent at all. On my laptop it blocks about 20% of the screen, I guess.

Is there a way to make it transparent like it was in Win7? Or recommend a video player that does not have a humongous control bar.
 
MetalPig said:
I watched a video with what I suppose is the default video player. The control bar that pops up when you move the mouse is enormous, white, and not transaparent at all. On my laptop it blocks about 20% of the screen, I guess.

Is there a way to make it transparent like it was in Win7? Or recommend a video player that does not have a humongous control bar.
Click to expand...


The big ole white bar thing is Win10's Moives & TV app. You can change the default to the proper Windows Media Player, which looks and acts as it ever did (apart from the top bar being white, as with all other windows). Personally I've always been fond of Media Player Classic ( <redacted> ) , as it handles subtitles far better, and is insanely lightweight.

Edit again : okay, according to the Help menu on my install of MPC their download page is indeed https://mpc-hc.org/ . It didn't look right to me after I pasted it up there the first time, that that is in fact it, per the program itself. I really shouldn't post before finishing at least one cup of coffee ...
 
Last edited:
Dessi said:
My immediate impression so far: congrats MS Edge, you've finally achieved feature parity with Google Chrome circa 2009. Wtf, you still fail the Acid 2? Are you kidding?
Click to expand...

Er, are you kidding? Acid2 displays fine, which is hardly surprising, since MS achieved that minimum level of acceptability (in IE) back in 2007*. I found someone on twitter with the same complaint and a screenshot, and I could replicate their issue by changing the zoom level, but...
Note: When taking the test, you should use the default settings of the browser you are testing. Changing the zoom level, minimum font size, applying a fit-to-width algorithm, or making other changes may alter the rendition of the Acid2 page without this constituting a failure in compliance. (Added 21 July 2006)
Click to expand...
http://www.webstandards.org/action/acid2/

Sure, Chrome supports "more", but you can't really have thought Edge was that bad...

*Which isn't evidence, since Edge isn't really IE, but what's with the italics in 'still fail' when it hasn't been an issue for nearly eight years?
 
Joe Random said:
The big ole white bar thing is Win10's Moives & TV app. You can change the default to the proper Windows Media Player, which looks and acts as it ever did (apart from the top bar being white, as with all other windows).
Click to expand...
Thank you! That's good news.
Joe Random said:
Personally I've always been fond of Media Player Classic ( <redacted> ) , as it handles subtitles far better, and is insanely lightweight.

Edit again : okay, according to the Help menu on my install of MPC their download page is indeed https://mpc-hc.org/
Click to expand...
Thanks, I will take a look. The lightweight thing is a big plus.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom