We don't really buy software, we rent it. And like lessees, we don't call all the shots when it comes to how--and how long--we use the programs we "buy."
Exhibit A: Microsoft cut off free support for Windows XP and Office 2003 last April. I don't recall the programs coming with expiration dates.
We don't even control when Windows and some of our applications update. More than a decade ago, IBM researcher Clare-Marie Karat published a Computer User's Bill of Rights. (Read more about it in a 1998 BusinessWeek article and on researcher Theo Mandel's site.)
1. The user is always right. If there is a problem with the use of the system, the system is the problem, not the user.
2. The user has the right to easily install software and hardware systems.
3. The user has the right to a system that performs exactly as promised.
4. The user has the right to easy-to-use instructions for understanding and utilizing a system to achieve desired goals.
5. The user has the right to be in control of the system and to be able to get the system to respond to a request for attention.
6. The user has the right to a system that provides clear, understandable, and accurate information regarding the task it is performing and the progress toward completion.
7. The user has the right to be clearly informed about all system requirements for successfully using software or hardware.
8. The user has the right to know the limits of the system's capabilities.
9. The user has the right to communicate with the technology provider and receive a thoughtful and helpful response when raising concerns.
10. The user should be the master of software and hardware technology, not vice-versa. Products should be natural and intuitive to use.
Clare-Marie Karat, Ph.D., Psychologist
IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center
Hawthorne, N.Y.
I wonder what life is like on that planet? Here on Earth, computers don't work anything like that. So with apologies to Dr. Karat, here's my real-world software user's bill of rights.
1. The user has the right to a computer that's actually ready to use within 10 seconds of turning it on.
2. The user has the right to use the computer without unnecessary interruptions from the system or its software and components to install updates. With the exception of critical security or reliability updates, all patch notifications should appear only after a long period of inactivity or when shutting down.
3. The user has the right to software that has been thoroughly tested outside the lab and that is verified not to conflict with popular third-party utilities, particularly antivirus and firewall programs.
4. The user has the right to free, complete, and up-to-date documentation for every commercial program. All freeware must include documentation that describes how to use all of the program's features, although freeware users may be expected to pay for individual support.
5. The user has the right to stop any stalled process immediately and resume normal use of the computer.
6. (I will simply reiterate Dr. Karat: "The user has the right to a system that provides clear, understandable, and accurate information regarding the task it is performing and the progress toward completion.")
7. The user has the right to timely alerts about any security holes discovered in software or hardware and to timely patches for those holes--but only within the guidelines stipulated in Amendment 2.
8. The user has the right to transfer any personal data--such as e-mail archives--from a discontinued product--such as an e-mail program--to an alternative product that's still supported and updated, and to do so without losing access to the data.
9. The user has the right to a trial period for all commercial products and to a full refund before the expiration of that trial period for any reason and without question.
10. The user has the right to know that any information a vendor or developer collects about them is never shared with any entity--even in an "anonymized" aggregate form--without the user's express consent. The user has the right to revoke all personal information and to be assured that all such information is securely erased.
I don't live on that planet either, and I probably never will. Maybe this is the year I make wishes instead of resolutions.
Do you need Windows 7? If you're happy with your current PC—whether it runs Vista, XP, or some other operating system—probably not. But if you're in the market for a new system, there's a lot to like about Windows 7, particularly in the look-and-feel department.
You can read all about Win7's new features on Microsoft's official Windows 7 site. But some of my favorites are the subtle interface tweaks that can be easy to miss.
Starting with the basics
I like to keep the Windows desktop free of icons, so the first change I make to any new Windows setup is to right-click the desktop, choose View, and uncheck Show Desktop Icons. Windows 7 gives me a reason to keep those icons in view. Move your mouse to the far right end of Windows 7's taskbar to "Peek" through all open windows to the desktop.
Windows 7 also lets you "Shake" a window to hide all other open windows and shake it again to get them back. Or "Snap" a window to the top, bottom, left, or right side of the screen to fill that portion of the screen, which is great for comparing files or folders.
The Notification area gets a facelift in Windows 7. To open the new-look Notification Area Icon Control Panel applet, right-click the Start button, choose Properties > Notification Area > Customize. The options to hide icons, always show them, or show only notifications are the same as in Vista, but the interface is slicked up a bit.
The Notification Area Icons options have a new look in Windows 7.
(Credit: Microsoft)A new icon in Windows 7's Notification area is the Action Center, which centralizes all pending system alerts. Hovering over the Action Center's flag icon displays the number of messages in the queue. The How-To Geek explains how to customize Action Center messages and also provides instructions for disabling the feature.
Jump to a recent file or open window
Previous versions of Windows have offered ways to return to files, folders, and applications that were opened recently. Two new methods in Windows 7 are Jump Lists, which appear when you right-click a taskbar icon, and Aero Peek, which previews files when you over their taskbar thumbnails.
A new look for some old favorites
I've been using Paint and WordPad for so long the programs—both of which have been baked into Windows for years—feel like old friends. I was delighted to see that the versions of these apps in Windows 7 sport ribbons similar to those in Office 2007 programs. Of course, not everyone likes the ribbon interface, but I think it's easier to access the items I use most.
Frankly, I'm just glad Microsoft hasn't remove these Windows stalwarts the way it jettisoned Windows Mail, Photo Gallery, Movie Maker, and other formerly-built-in components to create the separate Windows Live Essentials.
Getting a feel for the Windows 7 interface
Perhaps the most impressive interface tweak in Windows 7 is apparent only to touchscreen users. Any iPhone user will appreciate the ability to control screen elements by using your fingertips to drag and tap elements on the display. CNET Senior Associate Editor Seth Rosenblatt gives a video demo of Win7's touch features.
But touch will be a novelty until significant numbers of PCs with touchscreens arrive. As Ina Fried explains in her Beyond Binary blog, consumers have balked at the added price of touch-enabled systems. However, as the price of touchscreens drops and software arrives that takes advantage of the feature, you may find yourself spending less time clutching your mouse.
Vista won't win any popularity contests, but even with its faults, I'll take the most recent version of Windows over any of the predecessors. My biggest beef with Vista is that it's slow. At least the OS makes it easy to optimize your system for peak performance. Here's a quick recap of my three favorite Vista speedup tips.
Put indexing on permanent hold
I've been using Vista for a good 18 months now, and you can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I've used Windows' built-in search feature. I described how to tweak Vista's indexing settings in a previous post, but there's a simpler way to disable all indexing.
Press the Windows key, type Performance Information, and press Enter to open the Performance Information and Tools applet. Click "Adjust indexing settings" in the left pane, choose the Modify button, select Show All Locations, uncheck everything, and click OK > Done.
You'll still be able to use Windows' search feature, though it will take longer to find the files you're looking for. For me, it's fastest to remember where I put the files I need myself rather than counting on Windows to find them for me.
Send Aero packing
One of the biggest knocks against Vista is that if you do away with the transparencies, sliding menus, and other features of the Aero interface, the operating system looks just like earlier versions of Windows. I like the Aero effects as much as the next guy--if the next guy's blind.
No, I don't really mean that. Aero's definitely has more eye-appeal than anything XP's interface has to offer, but ultimately I had to ask myself: Do I want to spend my time admiring the shiny surfaces and faux-3D buttons as Vista spins it wheels, or would I rather get my work done?
It took all of about two minutes for me to get used to working in Vista without Aero. To make the change, return to the Performance Information and Tools applet as described above and click "Adjust visual effects" in the left pane. Under the Visual Effects tab, select "Adjust for best performance" and click OK.
Winnow your roster of autostart apps
In a post last spring, I described how to use Vista's Software Explorer to disable the autostart programs that you don't need to open automatically when Windows loads. Dang if I didn't revisit Software Explorer the other day only to find new entries for more programs I don't need running all the time. I don't know how exactly they got there, but I know they're off the list now, and my boot time is the better for it.
It just goes to show you that the job of squeezing every available CPU cycle out of your PC is never done.
Microsoft claims that Office 2007's ribbon interface saves time by putting the features people use most often closer at hand. For those of us who spent years learning where those functions were in previous versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, the changes aren't the productivity boosters Microsoft envisioned.
I've done more than my share of rummaging around the ribbon in Office 2007 trying to find a particular command, and I've even used Microsoft's user-interface guides to hunt down the feature I needed. Now Microsoft Office Labs has developed the free Search Commands add-on for Office 2007 that lets you type in a command and access it in an instant.
After you download and install the add-on, the Search Commands tab is added to the ribbon. Click it (or press the Windows key and Y) and type the name of the command you need.
For example, the other day I was looking for the Reveal Formatting option in Word 2007. I eventually found it under the Display tab in Word Options (off the Office button menu). It would've been much faster for me to simply open Search Commands, type "reveal formatting," and enter the number that appears next to that option ("5" in this case).
The free Search Commands add-on for Office 2007 makes finding options almost instantaneous.
(Credit: Microsoft)Office Labs' only other offering to date is the Community Clips add-on designed to facilitate finding and sharing how-to videos relating to Office 2007. The site describes three other projects: one that creates a wiki on a SharePoint server, one that is intended to improve the Tablet PC pen interface, and one designed to serve as a marketplace for freelancers.
Note that all of the projects are prototypes, and Microsoft collects "usage metrics" in an attempt to enhance them, though you can opt out of sending any data to the company. I don't know about the other Office Labs projects, but Search Commands is an add-on I expect will save me quite a bit of time by slicing the ribbon to ribbons.
I was thinking about upgrading to a wide-screen display, but then I realized that the programs I use most often are up-and-down, not side-to-side.
So instead of shelling out a couple hundred dollars for a new monitor, I maximized my available screen space by tweaking the full-screen views in Word, Excel, and other Office apps.
Access menu options in full-screen view
To get the big-picture view of your documents, worksheets, and other Office files, there's no substitute for the full screen. You may think Office's full-screen option is an all-or-nothing affair: Either you see no menus or toolbars, or you see all of them.
In fact you can access just the standard menus (File, Edit, View, etc.) in Office 2003's full-screen mode by pressing F10 or Alt, and then pressing the underlined letters to access that menu's options or simply moving the mouse pointer to the top of the screen. The menu disappears once you've selected an option, or you can remove it manually by pressing F10 or Alt again, or Esc.
You can access other toolbars from full-screen view in Office 2003 apps by right-clicking the Close Full Screen button and choosing the one you want from the pop-up menu. Then press the Alt key to toggle between the toolbar you selected and the standard menu. Close the toolbar by right-clicking the Close Full Screen button again and unchecking it. Press Esc to exit full-screen view.
Open any toolbar in Office 2003's full-screen mode by right-clicking the Close Full Screen button and choosing it from the pop-up menu.
(Credit: Microsoft)There's no reason to leave the toolbar you need at the top of the screen. Move it to either side of the screen, the bottom of the window, or float it anywhere by dragging the "handle" on the left edge to your desired location.
If no single toolbar has the options you use most often, create your own by right-clicking any toolbar and choosing Customize > Toolbars > New. Give the toolbar a name, select a template (choosing Normal.dot makes it available to all documents), and click OK. Fill your new toolbar by clicking the Commands tab, selecting an entry in the Categories window, and dragging the desired command to the toolbar. When all your options are in place, click Close.
Add items to your custom toolbar by dragging them out of the Commands list and placing them onto the toolbar.
(Credit: Microsoft)Bonus tip: Access items on Windows' Start menu from full-screen view by pressing the Windows key, or Ctrl-Esc if your keyboard lacks such a key.
Keyboard shortcuts for moving around big Excel worksheets
Most of the worksheets you create in Excel will be deeper and wider than you can view in full-screen mode. The fastest way to navigate a monster worksheet is to use keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl-right arrow moves you to the last cell containing data in the selected row; Ctrl-left arrow to the first such cell in the row; Ctrl-down arrow to the last cell with data in the selected column; Ctrl-up arrow to the first such cell in the column; Ctrl-Home to the top-left cell of the worksheet; Ctrl-End to the bottom-right cell; Ctrl-Page Up moves you to the next worksheet; Ctrl-Page Down to the previous one; Alt-Page Up moves you one screen to the left; and Alt-Page Down one screen to the right. Microsoft provides a complete list of Excel keyboard shortcuts.
What about Office 2007?
While Word 2007 and Excel 2007 retain the Full Screen views of their predecessors (press Alt-V, U), you can't access the main menus (File, Edit, etc.) the way you can in Office 2003 apps, nor is the mini-Full Screen toolbar visible for accessing other toolbars, though you can view standard formatting options by right-clicking anywhere in the document or worksheet. Word 2007 adds the Full Screen Reading view, which preserves your Quick Access toolbar and View Options at the top of the screen, while also showing two pages of the document side by side. You can scroll to other pages two at a time by clicking the hand icon that appears in the bottom-right corner of the window, and the bottom-left and -right corners of subsequent pages of the document. You also get a jump menu at the top of the window for moving to specific sections or pages of the file.
Unfortunately, while you can add comments to the document in this mode, you can't make changes to the file itself. That's why I'm glad you can still work in full-screen mode, though you lose easy access to toolbars. Perhaps there's a way to return toolbar access in this mode in Office 2007's ribbon apps that I don't know about. Or maybe somebody has written an add-on that returns this functionality. I'll keep looking and let you know what I find.
Tomorrow: take a look under Windows' hood with Process Explorer and Event Viewer/Windows Event Log.
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