Windows 11 has done a lot to update and modernize long-neglected parts of Windows’ user interface, including many Settings menus and venerable apps like Notepad and Paint. But if you dig deep enough, you’ll still find parts of the user interface that look and work like they did in the mid-’90s, either for compatibility reasons or because no one ever thought to go back and update them.
Former Microsoft programmer Dave Plummer shared some history about one of those finely aged bits: the Format dialogue box, which is still used in fully updated Windows 11 installs to this day when you format a disk using Windows Explorer.
↫ Andrew Cunningham at Ars Technica
There’s a lot of old stuff left inside Windows, which is basically a layer cake of various user interface themes Microsoft fancied over the years. I delved into the history of another old Windows program 9 years ago: the Character Map.
Ohh crap… So this piece is preparing the ground for an “update” of the format utility. Bringing some stupid addition like tabs, and of course onecloud ads.
That Character Map should still live on in its current ancient incarnation is an insult, pure and simple.
How many “Alt-xxxx” combos I had to learn over the years… macOS has always dealt with special characters in a much more useful and elegant way, at least since System 7 (first version I’ve ever used).
Not sure about Linux.
OTOH, the Format dialogue box it’s true that feels very old-school but it’s also true that it does what it says on the tin… They’ll probably revamp it with their stupid Clippy AI: “It seems like you’ve just inserted a USB drive, would you like me to format that for you using (pick any FS here) HFS+?” Format complete. Windows Warning: “The volume you’ve just connected is not supported”.
Very Microsoft.
What does “elegant” even mean? It’s simple, easy to use. It just does what it’s supposed to do, you don’t have to wonder what each option means. Unless you want to add functionality like what Rufus does I don’t know how you can improve it.
My “elegant” referred to (against?) the Windows Character Map. As for its “meaning” you can either refer to Reverso Context, the OED or pick up a used M1 Air on eBay and see how easy it is to type è é à È ™ œ ž ˜ — Ÿ – • etc, instead of memorizing all the Alt-xxxx numbers.
Sorry to repeat:
OTOH, the Format dialogue box it’s true that feels very old-school but it’s also true that it does what it says on the tin…
Does this make it any clearer to you?