What Windows needs?

WinCustomize has up a top 10 list of what the next generation version of Windows needs. A lot of it is really stupid.

1) New display system. This is what Avalon is supposed to address. The new display system needs to let us always run our systems as the maximum resolution our monitor supports and have the DPI (dots per inch) be fluidly scalable without impacting software compatibility. I shouldn't have to run my laptop at 1024x768 in order to be able to read text if it supports 1600x1200. I should be able to run at 1600x1200 and size everything on the fly to be bigger.

This is what Avalon does address, vector based graphics. Buddy, go to Display Properties, Settings, Advanced. Windows already does support what you're wanting, with minimal impact on compatablity (the only problems are if a window wants to be 600 wide, it will be regardless of the DPI obviously).

2) Updated Searching. Google Desktop search only exists because the Find Files feature of Windows is essentially useless. I should be able to quickly find something on my system instantly. WinFS won't be out as part of Longhorn so what will they be improving in the meantime?

No, Google Desktop Search, like Apple's destop search and everyone elses only exists because they ripped the idea out of Microsoft's demonstration of Longhorn. That's the trouble when being so transparent - everyone copies you. Yeah you don't seem to understand quite what WinFS is - it's not just a fancy search thing, it was an API layer sat on NTFS, Longhorn will still support the fancy searching thing until WinFS is released.

5) Stop bloating with needless bundling. Every new version of Windows throws in some half-assed immitation of third party software. While we can all appreciate having a "free" version of ZIP or uxtheme or movie maker, it damages third party software development. I'd rather think that when I BUY my copy of Windows that the work was put into features that only the OS vendor could do. Especially since Microsoft rarely puts any effort to let third parties expand on what they bundle (like adding RAR support to the compressed folders for example). There are some features only the OS vendor can really do. I'd rather see resources put there.

What total rubbish, so if you had your way we'd still have to pay for a TCP/IP stack, still have to pay for a basic text editor, a media player etc etc. Things migrate down to the OS levels as consumers expect things to be built in.

6) Make Networking better. I don't know about you guys but the LAN support in Windows is still quite a pain. As I type this, I am on a wireless LAN which has several computers on the same work group. It often takes several seconds, if at all, to find all the machines on the network. It would be nice if Microsoft re-thought how people use network resources and included ways of working with them in a more straight forward, ROBUST, centralized way.

The networking you'd rather not be bundled with the OS right?

8) Fix Internet Explorer. CSS 2.0 compliance would be a nice start. How about making it much smarter about what it caches? I have lots of friends at Microsoft who admit to having switched to Firefox (or Opera). That's sad.

Why's it sad? People at Microsoft are free to use whatever software they like. Either way Internet Explorer 7 is in the works and won't only be part of Longhorn. As for Firefix, IE (version 6) actually does have more complete CSS 2.0 support then Firefox.

9) One of the ugly secrets of the PC OEM market is that computer manufacturers can't install things on Windows that changes the first boot-up experience. At best, they can put a few things on the desktop. But they can't, for example, include an alternative shell or have WindowBlinds running by default or change the boot screen or many other things. In short, there's not much way for PC manufacturers to distinguish their computer from every other computer. That means a LOT of lost innovation.

Good, PCs have enough crap installed from OEMs as it is, the last thing we wanna see is some stupid HP video replacing the Windows boot screen that totally slows the machine down.

10) Fix Security. Outlook Express is still a spyware/spammer's dream. We shouldn't have to "upgrade" to Outlook to have some basic protections.

When was the last time you used OE? You've clearly not used it in years.