Context for people who aren't Jen: I posted that I don't like using Windows 11 and that I think it would be better if Windows 11 "didn't exist". Realistically speaking, my ask there is for general improvements across the OS and application ecosystem that I feel would be more representative of another big number change, even though it's not been that long.

Jen responded to my post asking what I would like to actually be different, which forced me to actually think about the different gripes and pain points I experience on Windows outside of "well, I'm a dev who prefers macOS and Linux". I started out using Windows, it's the OS that I grew up with. I used Linux and OSX as a kid as well, but Windows was the default.

This is a kind of push/thought experiment that I enjoy generally so here is (what was going to be) a whole thread on these different issues that I've got with Windows and different philosophies that I think would improve the experience on the platform, ranging from small nitpicks like animations, to larger philosophical debates about software architecture on the OS.

Take a look:

The Thread

Taking a moment to actually think about it (I actually appreciate the push to do so) I think there are a few general themes:

Responsiveness and Fluidity

Responsiveness of trackpad gestures and keyboard shortcuts don't feel right and a lot of the time they feel like they should be doing the opposite "thing". What I mean is: when I do a three finger swipe up on the trackpad, the animation/action are not triggered until after the gesture has completed as opposed to with the gesture. It would feel more fluid if the animation responded to the gesture (this is very dependent on trackpad drivers, which can get kinda messy). The idea with a trackpad for me is that this is a horizontal representation of the vertical display, a way to touch it without having to raise my hand to the screen (which I don't like to do).

On the other hand, if I want to open the notification panel, it feels like it's not responding to the keyboard shortcut and happening instantaneously. In this case, the animation looks like I'm swiping the notification panel onto the screen with touch, not summoning it via a command.

Generally, keyboard and trackpad are, on a philosophical level, two completely different interaction methods: the former is for quick input and quick action. I type at over 90 words/minute. It's the place for quick actions, instantaneous response, little visual flair. The trackpad, on the other hand, is that representation of the display I was mentioning.

The "Weight" of the System

Things like File Explorer can take forever to open (I'm talking over 10s) or not even at all, requiring me to try and open it again. The start menu hits you with a whole bunch of information at once in a jarring way, taking up a large portion of screen. To me, it's often just supposed to be used as a quick launcher, something I'm supposed to type into, so the added folders, pinned applications, and such don't need to be there.

I recognize that this isn't historically what the start menu is supposed to be, but currently it feels bloated and clunky. This could be me conflating the point of the start menu with the point of the search, I recognize as well, but I feel there could be something done better here as well.

General Application Cohesiveness

Microsoft 365 Suite

Windows has had a hard time with native apps since the Wintel suits, so I recognize that there's some historical reasoning here, but the general application ecosystem feels out of wack. This most generally presents itself in the Microsoft 365 suite, which has varying support for features throughout it.

OneNote has a lot of features that Loop doesn't, Loop has features that OneNote doesn't (notably markdown input which I would really like in OneNote please. Outlook Classic and the current iteration of Outlook have different implementations of To Do, which is also different from the implementation in the actual To Do app. The ToDo app support natural language input, but the embedded app in Outlook does not, for example.

There are configurations like tagging that I can do in Outlook Classic that I can't do in a similar manner in new Outlook and can't do at all in the To Do app. I can't send OneNote pages as emails in new outlook, sending loop components is hit or miss.

The OS

Moving to something more OS-level: the separation between the Start Menu and the Search Bar almost feel like this same level of disjointed behavior. They feel like they can *almost* do the same things to the point where seeing them as different is either confusing or at best unhelpful.

The reason that apps like Raycast and Flow Launcher are so beloved is that they are one place that opens quick, doesn't distract you with a ton of UI, and you know what it can do. The Windows-native experience doesn't even need to have the level of extensibility that these options have.

Overall Thoughts

Should devs try and use winUI more or should they be building on the web? Should I be using the bespoke To Do app or should I be using the embedded application? The feature sets aren't the same and there are features that I would like to use in one that aren't in the other. Windows should feel like the best place to use Microsoft apps (not the only place to use Microsoft apps). They should take more advantage of what the platform has to offer because they're in the best position to do so.

Right now it feels like the two groups don't even talk to each other. Why doesn't the Microsoft 365 team use winUI? If they have problems with it is the framework team following up with them? If you can't even pay people to use it, what's the issue?

This isn't even just with the productivity apps. Even OS utilities from Settings to the Search Bar and Start Menu to the Run window to File Explorer and Terminal all feel disjointed. If the productivity suite isn't going to be the north star on Windows platform development, then these apps should be doing that. Right now it doesn't even feel like anyone is talking with the framework teams.

Last Little Note, Though

One huge QoL improvement though was the terminal, that was greatly appreciated :).