Future Start Menu

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How would you like the Start Menu design (not counting icons)?

Just like the way it is now
27
24%
Similar to the Windows XP or Vista menu
43
38%
Who needs Windows? - A new ReactOS style Start Menu which blows Windows out of the water! (please post specifics)
42
38%
 
Total votes: 112

andrewweb
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HEY HEY HEY

Post by andrewweb »

Wait a minute. Like xp, we should provide two options for the start menu. Windows Classic Style(like what the start menu is like just now), and Windows XP or vista Style. I meen, if you right-click xp's taskbar, select properties and click start menu, there is a choice between start menu and classic start menu.

Start menu should be the default, but for users who prefer the old look, there will be an option to go back.

Agree?
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betaluva
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Post by betaluva »

i agree,no more grey/silver gui,s! but i like the beige color of windows xp default theme,i never get tired of it, i think the two types of startmenue is a GREAT idea. :D
Nixer
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Post by Nixer »

Do whatever you want, but please do not make the white backgrout for the menu. And plkease for the classical theme make the arrows in the start menu smaller.
TOTMS
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Post by TOTMS »

I really do like that. As with everything though, not everyone will. Its more a coding suggestion that a design one, but if the devs can make the GUI as theme-able / tweakable as possible rather than hardcoding one (like the NT codebase prior to XP) that would be the best way to keep people happy. However in the short term, there are far more important things to worry about...
BPsoftware
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Multiple menu's

Post by BPsoftware »

My opinion is that React OS shoul propose a lot of new StartMenu's:
When selecting Properties>StartMenu we should have this menu's:
Classic StartMenu (windows95 style, pretty easy and nice, I still use it)
XP start menu (the Windows XP menu)
Vista Start Menu
A React Menu (or maybe ReactMenu1)
ReactMenu2
ReactMenu3...
And then other option where users should be able to program their self a menu with a tool or with any programming language they want (just a .exe).

You think this is a good idea?
Haos
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Post by Haos »

There should be a tool, bundled with ROS to customize each aspect of UI, including Start Menu.
Guennie1568
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Post by Guennie1568 »

I don't need any start menu design. And if I need one, i can install Window Blinds or similar software
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BPsoftware
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Post by BPsoftware »

You don't need any start menu design, but some of us do (need it).
Windows blinds is only partially free, better create a new free software.
Guennie1568
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Post by Guennie1568 »

...
or so ;)
Guennie1568
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caesar0n
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Post by caesar0n »

My favorite menu is :
[ external image ]
Phobos
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Post by Phobos »

you don't need windowsblind to change the start menu, you could use ViStart http://lee-soft.com/?page_id=2 and skin it any way you want...

either way, I don't consider the start menu as a priority for reactOS :? .... it could be added later, just like a compositing windows engine, but it's not a priority for an alpha project...
kevintrooper
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Post by kevintrooper »

I know that start menu isnt gonna happen cuz of the devs NO! well why not add it in the theme settings?
cppm
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Post by cppm »

This thread is a classic example of why reactos isn't going to be a beast similar to linux. I mean people are talking about an 'official' start menu for goodness sake! That's not the point of Open Source!

IMO there should be some kinda menu customization API, although that naturally depends on developing an advanced menu class, as Ged has pointed out.

But please, will people stop thinking of ReactOS as just a free drop in for the uncustomizable Redmond monster. When reactos makes good on it's stability (not yet) then the ReactOS project itself probably won't be the princible distributor, since one can take an Open Source project and create Derivative works this means whatever start menu you want in fact any UI you want So it makes no sense to talk to the core ReactOS team about it at this point...

Since as we've seen already, they'll just point out it's not supported yet. I bet they're quite bemused at the idea that they should be dealing with the intrinsics of UI design.

This isn't the MS model, where for all you know the Interface is dictated to you by the same people who write the kernel. It shouldn't be, and once it's supported guess who'll be the artists? That's right, power to the people!... In the hopefully not too distant future at least.
Haos
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Post by Haos »

@cppm

Of course UI modding will have to be possible, this thread, as for me, is about what will be shipped with ROS. This is what "official" means.

As you know, even linux distros, you call beast, do ship their own start menus for god`s sake...
cppm
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Post by cppm »

@ haos

But why would reactos even want to ship a visual theme? I know that some linux distro's have their own themes, but that's because they are at that the end of a line of open source modifications that leads to a desktop OS. Now I don't know about you, but i'd prefer it if the ReactOS team was the beginning of this chain, rather than forcing them to be the beginning, the end and everything inbetween.

I mean when you ship a visual theme with a base, common denominator system, then that's like saying, hands off community, this is our shit, we finished it and there's nothing more that you could possibly contribute! That's not supposed to be the attitude, that's the attitude that we learn from MS.

@ all

I personally think that ReactOS has grown to monolithic, this idea that the kernel, libraries and the GUI and even the applications that come with it are one package is frankly disconnected from the reality of OS design and usage.

But I sat through discussions about design of the Explorer, that's fine, a windows system is pretty well nothing without a basic Explorer, what would be the point otherwise fair doos.

Then the discussions about, the 'official' applications, erm, does no-one else think that's taking the piss just a little? I mean the whole point of derivative enabled licencing is that you don't have to design applications that try to please everyone... But still, I suppose that's part of the way windows is again...

But themes?! There's no excuse, seriously, just please, please keep it downstream. On a simple logistical level, the themes shouldn't come with the base system.

I know this is the design discussion forum, which means that discussing start menu designs is the way to go, personally I think the second one that artguy came up with looks great, in fact I like his whole desktop image. However no 'official' themes please, leave 'official' to the professionals, a.k.a the people who charge extortionate amounts of money for sub-optimal systems that you can't customize easily. :wink:

PS: if people want to come up with a set of decided themes for a downstream desktop distro for futures sake, that's great, but I don't imagine they'll get shipped with the OS from ReactOS.org
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