Posted on 08/15/2023 11:55:09 AM PDT by CharlesOConnell
Yes, as with Smart Phones, it seems that design is mainly controlled by minds who think that users should never want alternative to their overall basic design. Chrome vs. Firefox legacy. But thank God for others who think outside the box. I have been able to quite easily and freely customize Windows, effecting improvements in efficiency (which Windows as well as Linux much warrant), via enhancements and quick access to applications and features but without much of a learning curve.
I am the type of person who wants compact yet expansive menus and quick access and having the ability to quickly customize certain aspects of the OS, from enabling quick access to programs and places and improve layout without needing to learn much coding (though I have edited the Windows registry a few times, and I have been the sole user), nor often run a terminal to accomplish such. Therefore I like the the over 200 tweaks
path d="M17 13.5v6H5v-12h6m3-3h6v6m0-6-9 9" class="icon_svg-stroke" stroke="#666" stroke-width="1.5" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round">available in Ultimate Windows Tweaker 5 (quicker download here from Major Geeks) for Windows 11 from the Windows club (Windows 10 users should use Ultimate Windows Tweaker 4.8).
Add to this Right-Click Extender (add items to many right click menus),
Also, there are the many Winaero features of the Winaero Tweaker (but best to leave those dealing with color alone).
Plus Open Shell (click on Releases>Latest on middle right side) to replace the Windows 11 start menu (though in W/11 22H2 right clicking for properties in the start menu stopped working for me), and Explorer Patcher (look for Releases on the right here) that restores the Windows 11 taskbar to be exactly like Windows 10, and with it I use the Windows 7+ Taskbar Tweaker which provides more customization.
Resulting in these expansive quickly accessible layouts (composite image of desktop view in Windows 11: Start and Right-Click menus, default Device manager; task bar via Explorer Patcher. Thank God for such — to be used for good — and those who provide them):
Versus these examples of more limited, less compact, if scrollable, menus Also, I like more right click options on files, and even menu shortcuts:
Then there are free utilities such as AutoHotKey which does involve finding out some basic coding to create scripts which will do such things as remap (due to much typing and operations with stiff arthritic fingers) Caps Lock to ctrl+c (which I find hard to accomplish past sessions in Linux), and Esc to ctrl+v ; NumLock to Esc and the middle mouse button to ctrl+x:
CapsLock::^c
(NumLock::Esc
Esc::^v
mbutton::^x
Agree. We got updated computers at work with this new Acrobat installed. Holy crap, I was calling tech support and reverting back within 10 minutes. All the computers in my group have been reverted back including the new MS Office. It sucks, hard core. No one likes it.
Every Kroger does that, and it makes me mad as BLEEP every time they do it. I’ve even told the local store manager to stop doing that because it makes commonly purchased items hard to find. He just walked away.
That's a big reason why I continue to use Windows 7 and Linux for every day operations and use W10 only when I absolutely have to. I also prefer Office 2010 over the newest incarnations because the newer software constantly removes items that I like to use.
But while the receding issue of a few illegal multimedia codecs, if needed, was a concern I would have to deal with, what has really kept me from being a “convert” to Linux was and mainly is that of lack of need and unwarranted time that would be required to customize it as I have with Windows (despite some MS resistance). Meaning that I have been able to quite easily and freely customize Windows, effecting improvements in efficiency (which Windows as well as Linux much warrant), via enhancements and quick access to applications and features, but without much of a learning curve.
I am the type of person who wants compact yet expansive menus and quick access and having the ability to quickly customize certain aspects of the OS, from enabling quick access to programs and places and improve layout without needing to learn much coding (though I have edited the Windows registry a few times, and I have been the sole user), nor often run a terminal to accomplish such.
Therefore I like the the over 200 tweaks (https://www.thewindowsclub.com/list-of-tweaks-available-in-uwt4)available in Ultimate Windows Tweaker 5 (https://www.thewindowsclub.com/ultimate-windows-tweaker-5-for-windows-11)(quicker download here from Major Geeks (https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/ultimate_windows_tweaker_5.html) for Windows 11 from the Windows club (Windows 10 users should use Ultimate Windows Tweaker 4.8 (https://www.thewindowsclub.com/ultimate-windows-tweaker-4-windows-10).
Taskbar (Windows 11, customized via Explorer Patcher (https://github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher) and 7+ Taskbar Tweaker beta (https://ramensoftware.com/7-taskbar-tweaker-beta-versions), and running portable Firefox (https://portableapps.com/apps/internet/firefox_portable) installations, each generally for its own purpose):
Add to this Right-Click Extender (add items to many right click menus),
Also, there are the many Winaero features of the Winaero Tweaker (but best to leave those dealing with color alone).
Plus Open Shell (click on Releases>Latest on middle right side) to replace the Windows 11 start menu (though in W/11 22H2 right clicking for properties in the start menu stopped working for me), and Explorer Patcher (look for Releases on the right here) that restores the Windows 11 taskbar to be exactly like Windows 10, and with it I use the Windows 7+ Taskbar Tweaker which provides more customization.
Resulting in these expansive quickly accessible layouts (composite image of desktop view in Windows 11: Start and Right-Click menus, default Device manager; task bar via Explorer Patcher. Thank God for such — to be used for good — and those who provide them):
In contrast are examples of more limited, spaced out/less compact (though scrollable) default menus in both Windows and typical Linux distros (and the sparsity of the Mint right click is not worth showing - Puppy is better)
(Mint):
But which better than the Windows 11 default Start menu (contrasted with OpenShell)
Meanwhile, T-Clock Redux works in W/10 far better than the default Windows clock, or any I have seen for Windows or Linux, but does not work for me in W/11 as yet.
Then there are free utilities such as AutoHotKey which does involve finding out some basic coding to create scripts which will do such things as remap (due to much typing and operations with stiff arthritic fingers) Caps Lock to ctrl+c (which I find hard to accomplish past sessions in Linux), and Esc to ctrl+v ; NumLock to Esc and the middle mouse button to ctrl+x:
CapsLock::^c
(NumLock::Esc
Esc::^v
mbutton::^x
Also, I like being able to quickly see and actually go the source of program executables in Windows via a right click on the menu icon, hit Properties and Open file location and go there.
Why? For one, because we should be able to. One of the first things I do in Windows is go to folder options and select Show hidden… and deselect Hide extensions… And I also sometimes want to edit something in the folder of programs. Here, I have found the extra security of Linux to a hindrance with my slow arthritic finders. I do not want to have to run a terminal to do many things I can do as a Admin in Windows, being the only user.
Note that you can also create a Quick launch menu for your taskbar, either for a custom folders or the default Quick launch (buried in %UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch) . Right click on your taskbar and hit Toolbars and then New Toolbars and navigate you the folder of your choice,
You can also make and send folder or program shortcuts to the Send to folder (%UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo), whereby you can send files as images or documents (such as web pages) to be opened by these programs, which may be better than the default Open with or navigating dialogs.
To do so, click on the Send to folder in %UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\ and then place that shortcut in the folder itself. Then you can right click on program shortcuts such as to image viewers, editors, and send them to the Send to folder, and then if you want to open up an image or document in one of a program designed for it other than the default then you can right click on it and point to Send to and one of the programs you placed there for such.
There are also Windows programs that there are no truly comparable applications for in Linux (maybe There is for AutoHotKey now).
However, if you can code and compile etc. then that is fine. I do not want to degrade all Linux users, and maybe one day I will mainly be one, but I am giving my reasons for not having switched. At least not yet.
I thank God for the tools we have, and those who create and improve and provide them. May they only be used for good, expressing God, the source of all that is Good.
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