Lead Developer of Popular Windows Application Classic Shell Is Quitting

WheezyJoe writes: Classic Shell is a free Windows application that for years has replaced Microsoft's Start Screen or Start Menu with a highly configurable, more familiar non-tile Start menu. Yesterday, the lead developer released what he said would be the last version of Classic Shell. Citing other interests and the frequency at which Microsoft releases updates to Windows 10, as well as lagging support for the Win32 programming model, the developer says that he won't work on the program anymore. The application's source code is available on SourceForge, so there is a chance others may come and fork the code to continue development. There are several alternatives available, some pay and some free (like Start10 and Start Is Back++), but Classic Shell has an exceptionally broad range of tweaks and customizability.

Comments

Hope someone picks it up

[p51d007]

Only way I'll have Win10, is for classic shell putting it back to look like Windows 7

Re: Hope someone picks it up

[Anonymous Coward]

Of all the issues with Windows 10 like the telemetry and forced updates, your primary issue is with the shell? Holy shit, get some perspective. There are other shells and it's a matter of convenience more than anything else. The bigger issues I named actually affect important issues that go beyond what you find convenient.

Re: Hope someone picks it up

[Monster_user]

Windows 8.1? That has been there since Vista. Windows 8 just made it confusing, and hid it away.

Re:Hope someone picks it up

[Anonymous Coward]

I hit the win key and start typing the name of the application I'm looking for.

This is the retarded fuckery of Windows 8 & 10.

The whole point of a GUI operating system (e.g. Windows) is NOT having to type the name of every program you want to run, like you did back in the days of MS-DOS.

Nothing like going backward 25 years.

Re: Hope someone picks it up

[JohnFen]

The bigger issues I named actually affect important issues that go beyond what you find convenient.

All of those issues are important, including the start menu replacement. The Win 10 start menu, while less abysmal than the Win 8 one, is still awful enough that replacing it is, if not "critical", at least "extremely important".

Re:Hope someone picks it up

[tlhIngan]

This is the retarded fuckery of Windows 8 & 10.

The whole point of a GUI operating system (e.g. Windows) is NOT having to type the name of every program you want to run, like you did back in the days of MS-DOS.

Nothing like going backward 25 years.

No, it's good UI design.

If you don't want to type the name of the program, you never have to. The start menu/whatever it is lets you find the application visually like you always could.

But the search bar method lets you accelerate getting to the commonly used programs you use. For example, it's far quicker for me to hit Windows and type "calc" then Enter, than try to find Calculator by going to Start, All Programs, Accessories, Calculator. It's not much different in time - maybe one second by typing versus 2-3 using the menu, and maybe I only save a minute total every day, but it feels quicker that way.

UI fuckery is forcing a person to use one way over all else. For example, the first Mac back in 1984 had a keyboard that lacked cursor keys. You were expected to use the mouse instead. That's awful. It's also bad if keyboard accelerators didn't exist - why do we use Ctrl/Command-Z/C/X/V for undo/copy/cut/paste? Why shouldn't we just use the Edit menu? Why not go File..Save instead of Ctrl/Command-S?

Now, I don't do this with all programs - only the few that I use often enough that I learn their names. I wouldn't do it to start Word since I don't launch Word dozens of times a day.

Re: Hope someone picks it up

[Monster_user]

Once you've typed in the full name into the run dialog box, you never have to type the whole thing again. Effectively it works very similarly, but there are a few differences.

One difference is since it isn't a search, it never hits the file system after it loads. Which makes a big difference in performance if you're still using a mechanical drive, or simply have a lot of files to search through. I've considered indexing the entire drive simply to avoid the slowdowns and unresponsiveness once the search finishes sith the indexed locations.

Another difference is that since it doesn't search, there is usually a lower amount of risk of hitting enter on the wrong App or file, while Windows shuffles them around as you type. This is the biggest reason I avoid search.

The old school search history is pretty good at learning, which means the items you call upon most frequently are there waiting.

The final difference is you can add batch scripts to your $PATH to be more precise, and to automate various tasks. (I have a game mode script, which kills everything but Steam. I've also got an iTunes script which fires all the related executables and services, and kills them when I'm done. Best one is for the corporate VPN. Emergency purposes only, no reason to have it running all the time.)

Re:Closed source since Windows 8.1 or 10.

[Anonymous Coward]

The source has been updated to the latest version which supports Windows 10 Creator's Update.

It's still not a good reason to use a pile of shit like Windows 10.

Is the author finally switching to OS/2 ??

[martiniturbide]

You are welcome, very welcome at OS2World. We need open source OS/2 developers !!! :)

Re:Diminished need

[vux984]

Do not get me wrong, Windows10's start button/menu/shell leave a lot to be desired, but are functional enough to do the job.

This is a fair statement.

And the flipside of it is that Windows 7's start menu is itself a dogs breakfast of poor usability and poor design choices.

Given a choice between windows 7 and windows 10, I'll take 10. Neither is perfect, but 10 is better than 7. I've removed all the tiles on mine so its basically just a menu. Hit windows and start typing works well, and there is lots of useful stuff on the right click menu.

Win8 was an abortion with its hot corners, and full screen nonsense... and well like you said, Windows 10 is passable. But windows 7 was not the pinnacle of all that was good. It was clunky and awkward and about the only reason people want it is 'familiarity'. Familiarity is valuable, but it should get in the way of progress. Win10's menu is flawed, but it is progress.

This may hurt many users who hate Windows 8-10

[evolutionary]

Need a more solid base of developing community. windows 8-10 still has trojan "telemetry" data collectors (header data from files accessed will certainly identify you folks sooner or later), but for those who have trouble getting Windows 7 (available from http://nerdsforless.com/softwa... ) for some reason, this was a god send for many. I recommended it to many people who hated the "tile" theme (which most people I know do, not a fun interface). Developers out there, let's take up the mantle. This was a quality tool. Sorry to hear that he's leaving us, but he certainly did his bit. Now it's time for the rest of us to do ours.

Well, that sucks ...

[thomst]

I fully understand the guy's frustration.

Every time M$ releases a new iteration of Win 10 - even a relatively minor one - it breaks Classic Shell. That has forced him to play a continuous game of whack-a-bug, to the detriment of adding and refining features.

And practically no one (including me) has donated even small amounts of money to him for his effort.

If I wasn't dependent on so many Line6 and Digitech patch editors - none of which run properly under Wine - I'd kick Redmond to the curb without a second thought ...

Re:Well, that sucks ...

[DidgetMaster]

Something tells me that if even a modest amount of money had come his way for his efforts, he would have put up with the hassle of keeping the software current. Money has a way of motivating lots of people to do things that they don't necessarily like (because it tends to let us buy things that we do like). It amazes me how many people want all their software for free and then complain when someone like this guy doesn't want to work for free anymore.

Re:Diminished need

[coastwalker]

Anyone with a lot of software and hardware benefited from the ability to organise program shortcuts into folders. I have dozens of camera software links associated with different cameras for example. It helps being able to keep the Cannon raw file converter separate from the Sony one and to group both sets of software in their own folders. Of course modern users only need facebook and a full frontal lobotomy so won't be needing customiseable start menus. I expect I will have to create folders of shortcuts to replace this functionality once the cretins at Microsoft break Classic Shell. It was great having a full featured graphical user interface in Windows whilst it lasted but times change and the era of the general purpose computer for the public is drawing to a close. You can fcuk off if you think I am going to use an App on a smartphone to edit video. Cretins.

Re: Diminished need

[Monster_user]

And the flipside of it is that Windows 7's start menu is itself a dogs breakfast of poor usability and poor design choices.

How exactly would you improve on a compact, low mouse travel distance UI, with user customizable organization methods, and a built-in search feature which will return applications in the organization system, as well as those which are not?

Windows 7's Start Menu is clearly an evolved design centered around practical application.

Hold your fire, there.

[Picodon]

...the classic shell...

...after I upgrade to Windows XP.

It’s not what you think. They got rid of Program Manager and File Manager. Now, what they call “classic shell” is something with some kind of Start button.

Ivo, we appreciate your work

[frist]

This program has been the reason Win 8 and 10 are tolerable. Underneath they're decent OSs but that Metro monstrosity and the horrible "modern UI" is just garbage. I install classic shell on every PC I touch since Win 8 came out and I'm up and running. It's been a godsend.

Thank you Ivo Beltchev for your work these many years.

I just went and donated. I wonder how many Slashdot users also use Classic Shell. Maybe we could change Ivo's mind.

Re:Diminished need

[Anonymous Coward]

All the start menus beyond Windows 7 are garbage, and Windows 10 seems FAR worse than Windows 8.x ever was.

Windows 10 kept the tile garbage, but now added Bing results that have a negative value to the default search results. I remember searching for the control panel once... The first result (which was helpfully titled "Control Panel") opened Edge (yuck), which opened the first hit from Bing (no...) which was a page that said to search for it in the menu by typing. Yeah, so fucking helpful! It seems like everything they do just removes further value with every new build...

Metro/Modern/UWP/name-of-the-week appy apps remain crippled junk made for cretins that have no use for a computer.

I just want to say Thank You

[Snotnose]

From the bottom of my heart. I "upgraded" to Win10 when some other program wanted an OK, and the Win10 update msg appeared and stole my "Yes". Classic shell was the only reason I stuck with Win10. I've been using it for some 2 years now and, outside of the fucking "we've installed an update, aren't we cool?" reboots my laptop makes while I'm eating dinner, I find Win10 to be OK. Granted, get my games to run on Linux and I'm fucking out of here on a hot rocket, but, hey. Who are we kidding. If my games ran under Linux I'd be out of here so fast I'd be auditioning the the Flash TV show.

Seriously. Close my laptop, go to bed/dinner/ vacation. Open my laptop and it's rebooted? That is serious bad mojo. Fuck you Microsoft of ever thinking rebooting my machine, without me ever clicking an "OK" button, is OK. Cuz it's not. Just fuck you and the billions of bux your executives stole due to the stock going up.

what he should do is

[FudRucker]

start working on IceWM window manager,

Re: Diminished need

[vux984]

"How exactly would you improve on a compact, low mouse travel distance UI, with user customizable organization methods"

Let's see:

I wouldn't make it a popup window that has tendency to disappear on its under a variety of situations that don't involve the user wanting it to disappear.

I certainly wouldn't make it fixed size and crammed into a corner.

I wouldn't do a hierarchical tree navigation with a single vertical panel showing just one level of one branch. We have far better tree navigation GUI.

And I definitely wouldn't mix the system administration elements with the user configured application elements.

Nor would I make it so cumbersome to manage. The 'stuff I need' vs 'everything installed on the PC' all mashed together, plus control panels and turning it off.

"Windows 7's Start Menu is clearly an evolved design centered around practical application."

It evolved by throwing everything into it, like a kitchen sink, with no real plan.

Windows 10's system admin stuff on the right click is a big improvement -- I love that. Windows 10's settings and control panel situation is just miserable. The search has improved over 7 a lot. The menu is vertically resizable which is a step in the right direction. The tree navigation is still pretty weak. Manuging custom start menu folders by moving it to toolbars is actually an improvement... but on that still needs more improvement.

cortana is fine for desktop search, but its annoying that you have to tell it not to suggest shit from the web, news headlines, the stupid app store.

I quite like spotlight on OSX, and launchpad isn't bad either -- far better than windows 8, but still kind of clunky. The problem hasn't been fully solved yet. ClassicShell however wasn't a step forward, its just stuck holding onto a mediocre past.

Hm...

[xlsior]

Classic shell doesn't just restore the old style menus, in the process it also gets rid of all the dynamic built-in advertising and links to bundled junk like candy crush, xbox live, headline news, the windows store, etc. -- cheaply and quickly gets rid of a ton of clutter in a corporate environment.

I'm sure that's the main reason that Microsoft will never restore the old style start menu on their own.