The Windows XP User Interface
Millions of dollars are
spent developing a new operating system, but when it’s time to bring
it to market the first impression consumers get is when the splash
screen disappears and the user interface pops into view. If you’ve
ever been in a situation where people are seeing a new operating
system for the first time, the comments can range from dead silence
to open praise and just about everything in between. There’s nothing
wrong with change if it brings improvement and increased
functionality to the user experience. It’s getting past the initial
shock and exploring beneath the new colors to see what benefits are
available that reveals whether or not the usability studies were
worthwhile.
Windows XP is certainly
a radical departure from May 1990 when Windows 3.0 made its debut
with the Graphical User Interface (GUI) for Windows. I still
remember trying to cram all those icons into cute little organized
boxes while trying to keep them lined up neatly. Then along came
Windows 95 with the [Taskbar] and this funny button called [Start]
over on the left side of the screen. It was awkward at first and I
paused more than once before things started to become automatic.
Eventually tasks began to flow again and I branched out to see how
the user interface could be tailored to my particular style of work.
We don’t all drive the
same car, wear the same style clothes or eat the same foods. Don’t
look at Windows XP’s interface as trying to force something onto us
as users. Use it as a building block to personalize your individual
workspace until it meets your style and aesthetic demands. Some may
be perfectly content with the “Bliss” background that greets new
users of XP. If you are, that’s great, but for the others Windows XP
offers a wealth of opportunities to make your workspace reflect your
work style and habits whether you’re a walk on the wild side or as
conservative as they come.
While the user
interface can encompass a number of different aspects of XP,
primarily it consists of the desktop, taskbar, and start menu plus
desktop items. This guide will look at each of these items and the
options available to make them perform most efficiently for your
individual situation.
The Windows XP
Desktop
|
This article assumes that Windows XP is a [New Installation
(Advanced)] from a licensed Microsoft consumer version and is
not a modified OEM or VAR version which may have branding
modifications in place at initial startup. The principles
discussed here will still apply although the screen captures may
differ from your installation. |
 |
|
Fig. UI-01 |
Figure UI-01 shows the basic desktop that will be presented to the
user after a [New Installation (Advanced)] of Windows XP. If an
[Upgrade (Recommended)] installation was performed there may be
variations from this desktop. The single difference in the desktop
pictured above is the icon in the tray (located next to the clock)
for the screen capture software used for these images.
The first step in
configuring the desktop or any other aspect of XP is to understand
the methods of accessing the settings which control the desired
modifications. There are a number of different ways to accomplish
tasks, often times more than one way to accomplish the same task.
Which method you choose is more an issue of personal preference and
comfort level rather than one of correctness. Since this section is
devoted to the desktop, let’s look at the methods available to
institute changes.
[ Accessing Desktop and Taskbar Settings ]
[ Configuring the Windows XP Desktop ]
[ Display Properties - The [Desktop] Tab ]
[ Display Properties - The [Screensaver] Tab ]
[ Display Properties - The [Appearance] Tab ]
[ Display Properties - The [Settings] Tab ]
[ The Windows XP Start Menu and Taskbar ]
[ Taskbar Properties ]
[ Back to the Windows Classic Style ]
[ Windows Classic Start Menu and Desktop Reclamation - Part I ]
|
