Suggestion for Win 7
- I have just downloaded the beta yesterday, haven't gotten a chance to install it yet. However I have been reading up and nothing Ive seen has indicated anything of this nature
There is a plugin/modification to Windows Explorer that I have recently falling in love with and dearly hope gets integrated into the native code. It is called QTTabBar. Esentially what it does is add multi-tab support for the Explorer windows. It does it in a very smooth and logical way, and my only complaint with it is that it can be a little buggy sometimes. Occasionally it hits an error and gets some nice popup illegal operations. I think it would be a wonderful addition to the new interface, as I am sure that a team of programmers could come up with something a littlem ore stable than a single hobbyist. Heck, Microsoft has enough money to just buy rights to his code and bug test it. Please o please o please someone important read this :D
All Replies
- It would be a good idea to improve the look of the task bar. At the moment it look unsightly it needs to be a bit like Vista's task bar all curved. Windows 7 task bar is just a bar running along the bottom of the screen.
- I hadn't heard that. If not, they should.
- Well its with much regret that I come back to say that QTTabBar seems to be broken. After closing a window and opening a new one then the filepaths and tab names come back blank. Not much I could do for it. This was on 64 bit with the latest Qttab release (from like 4 days ago)
- I see that therearemany improementsin UI, but I want to point out some drawbacks in W7.
Tabbed file manager is a feature weexpect from MS. I was expecting it in W7.
The Backspace key functionality change is a big drawback. I have been using it for around 15 years. It shall be switched back or it shall be configurable somehow.
Thanks in advance. - I have no need, want, nor use for tabs. I like multiple separate windows and I have opted instead to use dual big monitors.
HOWEVER... I STRONGLY SUPPORT other peoples' desires to use their computers the way they want. If you like tabs, that's great. It is a reasonable way to manage limited desktop space.
All I ask Microsoft is that if tabs are added to Explorer that the feature be made CONFIGURABLE, as has been done with Internet Explorer. Rest assured some of us won't want to use them.
>The Backspace key functionality change is a big drawback.
What do you mean? Can you elaborate on this? As far as I can see one can still use the Delete key to navigate to a higher folder in Explorer - though I'm stumped as to why you'd WANT to use a key that's normally associated with DELETING something for navigating instead. Personally I've always avoided using this particular key in this manner precisely because there's always a chance I have the wrong window current and I'll accidentally delete something I didn't intend to. And now, with Aero Glass (Vista and newer) and multiple subtle levels of gray it's as hard as ever to tell which window is current without looking quite hard...
-Noel - I respect your opinion about Tab support. More configurable usage brings better usability for all. :)
About Backspace, in XP, Backspace key navigated to upper folder. A lot of people, including me, are used to it. If I remember correctly, it was Microsoft's approach to add Backspace "navigate to parent folder" functionality in Windows Explorer and "navigate to previous page" in Internet Explorer. Even in Linux file managers, "navigate to parent folder" is being supported these days.
I do not like using a delete-oriented key, either. However, I do not want to leave my mouse to navigate to parent folder. (I am using Turkish keyboard layout, so my right Alt key functions are slightly different, I can only use left Alt+Up arrow to navigate up.)
Another alternative is opening folder tree and clicking on parent folder, but it is not usable, either.
Özgür
- To be clear, you're saying your Backspace key - the one at the upper-right of the main part of the keyboard - doesn't navigate to a higher folder for you? That works just fine on my Win7 installation, exactly as in prior versions. Perhaps it is a quirk of the Turkish keyboard layout. I doubt it was removed on purpose.
-Noel - I'd like to see a tab bar that gets you multi-paned browsing when you hold ctrl while selecting tabs.
To be clear, you're saying your Backspace key - the one at the upper-right of the main part of the keyboard - doesn't navigate to a higher folder for you? That works just fine on my Win7 installation
are you sure? Here's the way it works on mine:
If the focus is on Nav pane (left one) then indeed, backspace takes you up the folder link structure
If the focus is in Content pane then backspace takes you "back" to the previous folder, which may not necessarily be the one above it.
And I must say, since MS decided to bless us with the new selection cues, it is hard to tell and frustrating to quickly go where one needs to go using various shorthands.- You're absolutely right, I hadn't noticed that. If I'm in the right pane it goes back to a previous folder, not the folder in the tree above this one.
Thanks for pointing that out. I stand corrected!
-Noel - I'm really missing my tabs. :(
- yeah, tabbed explorer is DEFINITELY required.
and I hope that I can have a button or shortcut to start console at current folder. that will be very very useful for me. yeah, tabbed explorer is DEFINITELY required.
Hold the shift key down and right click the folder. Look for "Open command window here".
and I hope that I can have a button or shortcut to start console at current folder. that will be very very useful for me.
-Noel
