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

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 ]