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as a windows power user (an enlighened one, not the blinded "my way or no way" type) I am looking forward to the new dock. while it is a graphical overhall it also represents a new level of funtionality. some of the so called power users will be upset that they dont get to do it the "clasic" way any more. but honestly the new dock is great and within 3 minuites of using it you wont ever want to go back. also, what most people wouldnt expect is that dock is lightning quick in responce time, i personaly was shocked with my experience.

In my experience, windows "power users" never really want anything to change. I have always found this odd, because (again in my experience) both linux and apple "power users" absolutely love new stuff getting added, or things getting moved around.

An example of this is the Network and Sharing center in vista. Windows peer to peer networking has always been a pain to set up, configure, and trouble shoot, due to the lack of any real panel like that. Pre vista, I found it easier to set up file sharing on a windows workgroup with linux and osx machines then with windows machines, which is kind of sad. When vista launched, there were nothing but complaints about it though from power users who (i guess) wanted their obtuse wizard back.

Another one would be the ribbon in office 2k7. I have a friend who is a certified office trainer, and he despised it when he started learning it. By the end of his training, he admitted though that it was a better design then before.

I've only been using windows seriously for about five years now, but I am probably a power user by now too, and I think the changes are great, so I'm sure there are people out there that both know windows, and enjoy playing with new OS features. But at the same time, I expect a revolt by the majority.

Aren't you contradicting yourself a bit here? Either people can't handle massive interface changes, in which case your second point is wrong. Or they get used to it fairly quickly, in which case your first point is wrong. Which one is it?

"Either people can't handle massive interface changes, in which case your second point is wrong. Or they get used to it fairly quickly, in which case your first point is wrong. Which one is it?"

you are assuming that ALL people are the same. people well react differently to things. though the MASSES will likey get used ot the changes in a month like the previous poster said. the tech savey will take about 5 minutes, and then each day explore something cool by mistake (since we are tech savey and saw no reason to do the "take a tour of the new features option" .

I am really waiting ot see Apple's adds when this comes out and people like it.

"hello I'm a mac"
"and I'm a PC"
mac: "i hear you upgraded to windows 7"
pc: ya, its pretty good, boot time is fast, UI is nicely revamped, nice and responive, suports tons of codecs and features users have wanted for years, and its sister server (2008 R2) is incredible."
mac: ....well, ....you ...your a butt head"
pc: "very mature..."
/end

If your complaint is a change to the taskbar, suggestions to move to something where more then the taskbar changes are not going to be helpful in any way.

I've seen linux "evangelist" suggest switching when people complained about games not working well when vista launched too. same twisted logic.

Windows 7 is hardly a massive interface change. The amount you need to relearn is tiny compared with a switch to Linux.

Add a option to enable "classic" taskbar. Problem solved.

Won't happen, Microsoft already said they're not going to do that.

http://www.osnews.com/story/20464/No_Legacy_Switch_for_New_Taskbar

Double standard.

Either the "ribbon everywhere" approach taken in Windows 7 is likewise a "glossed-over massive interface change" ... or interface experts should also be praising Linux innovations such as KDE4.

What is good for the goose is good for the gander. One should try at least to be consistent.

Personally, I would think that Windows 7 will try to keep legacy compatibility ... and hence will still be the same unmitigated security disaster just as all its predecessors have been. I think Windows 7 will keep all of the DRM and super-secret-sauce internal workings (such as .NET and ActiveX and all similar legacy cruft such as this) and hence be the same performance dog that Vista is. I think Windows 7 will still have Windows update that works in the same way, and hence have the same backdoor for Microsoft as its predecessors.

Finally, Windows 7 will have at least the same (if not far worse) EULA, so that despite paying for it you won't own it or have any rights to it at all, and you will not have control of your own hardware and data.

Edited 2008-11-18 00:10 UTC

"I think Windows 7 will keep all of the DRM and super-secret-sauce internal workings (such as .NET and ActiveX and all similar legacy cruft such as this) and hence be the same performance dog that Vista is."

Stop the presses! .NET is a super secret! ...unless you went to MS's website and got the docs for programming with .NET in windows. .NET's intigration into windows is also no secret really.

Windows 7 goes into improving security a bit, not as much as they tried from xp to vista but it fine tunes and reworks some stuff introduced into vista (more is planned and being worked on but currently un accounced, which should be at the end of decemeber if i remember the upcomming press release dates, or were those not officialy announced, oops).

windows 7 will suport legacy code, and its not a totaly radical API change (barely any chance at all actualy) but teh fact of the matter is this. if someone wants to exploit something in even the most secure environments, eventualy, with enough time and man power, it will be done. Windows is a target not due to it's security model per say, but due to its customer base assosiated with the OS. its just the way it is...

"Finally, Windows 7 will have at least the same (if not far worse) EULA, so that despite paying for it you won't own it or have any rights to it at all, and you will not have control of your own hardware and data."

good thing its not as loose as Apple's EULA that lets you have total freedom of... oh wait.

Edited 2008-11-18 00:24 UTC

Stop trolling every windows story lemur. This had nothing to do with linux. I'm sort of tired of talking the same talk with you again and again over this. This site is not called linux news, it is called osnews.

seriously, im glad you like linux. have fun with it. if you really thought it was any good, you wouldn't feel the burning need to justify your use of it by trash talking everything else all the time.

Edited 2008-11-18 01:38 UTC

Well, the really funny thing is that Microsoft themselves have always tried to play the "Don't switch to Linux, the interface is completely different and you'd have to retrain everyone!" They did the same crap for Office vs. OpenOffice.org.

Then what do they do? Release Vista and Office 2007, which both have enough changes in them that anyone used to XP would be completely confused. Not to mention that OpenOffice.org is much closer to Office 2003 than Office 2007 is. So much for retraining people.

I don't think I've ever read a Linux user say anything about "Oh, you should switch to Linux instead of Vista, because they changed the interface too much." That would be pretty retarded, considering it really IS more of a change to go to a Gnome / KDE / XFCE desktop than it is to go to Vista.

I just tell people to switch to Linux so you don't have to bow down to the Microsoft Emperor.

There are far too many people that just feel overwhelmed at Microsoft's iron hand in the way they 'license' their software out. So they are switching to alternatives, whether Linux or Apple based.

I really wish there would be 4 or 5 different contenders. Unfortunately the BSDs and Solaris just don't have the driver support that Linux does. Even Mac OS X doesn't have the hard ware support that it should. If we could only get all the commercial houses to program for the three major platforms, then the PC world would be a better place. That's right, I said it. A MAC IS A PC!!! Take that, you damned Apple ads! Personal Computer does not equal a Microsoft Computer!