Longhorn Drops 'My' Prefixes

ryanjm writes "Microsoft has decided to drop the "my" prefixes for Longhorn. Instead of "My Computer," it will be just just plain simple "Computer". "

Comments

My My...

[nweaver]

My My, what a shocking change....

I guess it means that with the new DRM technology, it really IS no longer your computer.

Re:My My...

[darkjedi521]

The thought of having your operating system "expire" on you if you don't pay a renewal fee (the ultimate DRM concept) is rather frightening, to say the least. I think that would actually be something disturbing enough to your average person to get them to consider alternative operating systems.

DEC/Compaq/HP have been doing that for years. If you let your VMS OS and application licenses lapse, the system locks you out. You can only login on the system console, the network stack won't load (due to expired license), and any licensed apps won't run. Its been done before, is being done, and will continue to be done for quite some time.

Who wanna bet...

[SharpFang]

every user will end up with "My Documents" directory right beside the "Documents" one?
I already have "Moje Dokumenty" (original name by Windows with polish localization) and "My Documents" right next to it, created by some dumb program.
Windows resides on D:, but of course there's "Program Files" with something in it on 510MB FreeDOS C: partition. I cleaned up the Start Menu so there's just "Aplikacje" and whatever created "Applications" went there. Sure there are system variables that default to proper directories. Just not every application uses them.

Re:Who cares?

[oc255]

Fine, you know what you're doing, I rename them too (My Computer -> .box and My Network Places -> .net or something clever and non-default) see: One True Way. Not a big deal to you but a big deal to a teacher/instructor.

What about in a classroom where all the lab/learning computers are set up like this by default? It's confusing as hell.

"Class, double click on My Computer."
"What do you mean Your Computer?"
"No, I mean your My Computer."
"What?!"
"Click on the icon My Computer on Your Computer. *sigh*"
"Computers are stupid."
"Yes. Now do it or your resume will suck."

etc, etc. I always hated that My Computer organization, I never go to network shares via My Computer. Really, the only thing I use My Computer for is getting to the Properties screen so I can fiddle with Device Manager or some other crap. Windows-break is much faster of course. If I'm trying to get to the C: drive I just hit Windows+R and type "C:". it's 4 key strokes (if you count the windows key).

I like Gnome's Home Directory on the Desktop or "Macintosh HD" on the Desktop. It's much more logical in my mind.

Not bashing Windows. I'm still trying to learn to keyboard navigate under OSX as fast as I can in Windows. Someone should organize a GUI race between OS keyboard navigating experts.

Did you know that in Windows detail view in explorer you can auto-fit the columns with ctrl-shift-numpad +? I haven't gotten those kinds of shortcuts down under Gnome and OSX.

Re:or path issues...UGH!

[Tim Browse]

All the spaces in default folders are (were) Microsoft's way of forcing app developers to cope with spaces in filenames.

Quite an elegant way of doing it, imho.

Re:lemme get this straight...

[dotgain]

It was pretty slow even on cable but pretty cool.

Ah, yeah. I had to grab some files off my PC at work, I opened a VPN connection there, went Start->Run , typed (for example) \\10.10.10.20\myfiles.

More than a meg of traffic went over that VPN before the windows was populated with (ten) icons.

SMB SUCKS. It's terribly ineffient. You might as well convert the binary to ASCII, ie 1010110110101 and then XML it, ie <BinaryDigit Value="1"/><BinaryDigit Value="0"/>... and then FTP it. You'd still be more efficient than SMB.

Computers for Adults

[exp(pi*sqrt(163))]

That god for that! How was I ever supposed to take my job seriously when the PC I worked on not only felt like a toy, but a toy for particularly young kids. If you're an engineer, say, you might start out with Lego Duplo, but eventually you move on to tools that feel like they're made for adults. But for software engineers using Windows PCs was almost embarassing - the only thing stopping it being embarassing was that everyone else had the same stupid patronizing shit on their desktops too. And they had the cheek to call the OS Windows XP Professional.

I've always said that since W2K MS have produced a very capable operating system held back by an interface designed with nothing but contempt for users.