User:Alex Ionescu/Alex's 0.3.0 'User Wow Factor' Ideas

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Here are some totally non-technical (or easy to implement) ideas to make 0.3.0 much more user-friendly, even if only on the surface:

Boot

• Ship with Freeldr timeout set to 0.
• NTLDR theme as default. Freeldr is both ugly, overly-confusing for true newbies, and makes booting seem longer. - DONE

Second Stage

• Boot at 800x600 instead of 640x480. Fallback if impossible. Or let user choose from a dropdown list. - done
• Prettify the Wizard a bit ==> Use XP-Style Wizard (all that's needed is the large backdrop app, the dialog can stay on top)
• Disable or hide non-functional buttons on the Wizard. It's confusing/depressing/frowned upon to see buttons to choose the keyboard layout on the wizard and see they do nothing when you click on them.

First Boot and forward

• Boot with a nice desktop wallpaper (mabe of the users choose like in Vista)... something really catchy. - DONE
• Boot with a readme file on the desktop, as well as icons for My Computer, My Network Places, Recycle Bin and IBrowser icon. They should all open the appropriate shell namespace.
• Support adding new shortcuts to the desktop. - DONE
• Use a CONSISTENT ICON SET! Use Tango until mf's icons are ready. Make startmenu 24x24.
• Use a hack to Center taskbar buttons until activation contexts work right.
• Support transparent text labels for desktop icons.

Control Panels

• Have a working network panel!

...more to come...