[German]The new head of the Windows product group at Microsoft, Mikhail Parakhin, wanted to know from Windows 11 users at the end of the year what could be changed or improved in the user interface of the operating system. One of the suggestions was that users should be able to scroll through the list of apps under Start. Parakhin has now signaled that they want to work on this "feature". Could come with the feature dropout (Moments 5) update expected in February 2024. Oh yes, new Windows PCs are to get a "Copilot" button on the keyboard.
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Changes since Panays' departure
A brief look back at what has changed in terms of managment heads in the Windows product group at Microsoft. Panos Panay, former Chief Product Officer at Microsoft and responsible for the development of Windows and the Surface product line, announced his departure from Microsoft back in September 2023. Panos Panay is now responsible for Alexa & Co. at Amazon.
Since then, Mikhail Parakhin has been responsible for the Windows and Web Experiences team. Yusuf Mehdi was given responsibility for managing the Windows and Surface business for OEM and retail partners. This puts Mikhail Parakhin's appointment in context.
Survey on the Windows UX framework
On December 31, 2023, Mikhail Parakhin then launched a survey on X for improvements to the Windows user interface. He wanted to know which UX framework for Windows Microsoft should invest more in. I hadn't addressed this in the blog, but saw the whole thing on neowin.net. Below is the entire conversation on x.
The majority of responses revealed that users would like to see more investment in the WinUI 3 framework, which provides the new user interface. However, the individual answers of some users and the answers of the Microsoft man are also interesting.
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Windows 11 Start scrollable
A user by the name of Marc Szili wrote that Microsoft should finally fix the "Start menu" or what opens when you click on Start. Currently, the user has to click on the small dots on the right side of the Start menu (see screenshot below) if he wants to scroll through the apps pinned there.
Windows 11 desktop, start menu and taskbar, source: Microsoft
The user calls for the Start menu to be made scrollable so that people can scroll through the app lists pinned there. The quote reads:
Please fix the Start menu so I can scroll through all the apps without having to click "All apps" separately.
Mikhail Parakhin confirms to the user that this behavior also annoys him. He urged the team to make the start menu great again. Whatever that means, there are simply too many ways in which Microsoft can make a product worse. Our colleagues at neowin.net noticed this discussion here.
Another user would like to see a one-click "switch to last active window" in the taskbar again for applications with multiple instances and combined buttons. Here too, the Microsoft man confirms that he is thinking about it, but does not yet have a solution.
A few days ago, Windows Central speculated in this article that there could be a "Moments 5" update (feature drop update) for Windows 11 in February 2024, which should bring some improvements.
Microsoft will screw it up
With regard to the "Microsoft will screw it up", here are two more news that I don't want to withhold from the readership.
Microsoft in an AI frenzy
It has recently been announced that Microsoft is making its Copilot solution available as an app for Android and iOS and has then started to rename its products. The Edge browser on Android and iOS is now called "Microsoft Edge: AI Browser" – which is fitting, as every user can intuitively remember it. German blogger Martin Geuß summed it up wonderfully in the article Microsoft im KI-Rausch: Der Angler mit dem Schokoriegel – they're crazy at Microsoft.
Windows PCs get co-pilot button
There's even more to it – I spontaneously checked the calendar to make sure it wasn't April 1st. In today's article Bei Knopfdruck KI: Alle neuen Windows-PCs kommen mit Copilot-Taste on Dr. Windows, the news comes thick and fast (Martin Geuß had heard this from Microsoft in advance). Microsoft wants future Windows PCs to be equipped with a "Copilot" button. So instead of a Windows key, there will be a Copilot key (see the following illustration, to the right of the Alt key) – what the fuck.
Copilot key
Microsoft has just set up this Copilot page – and a banner there links to the article Introducing a new Copilot key to kick off the year of AI-powered Windows PCs, where Microsoft Manager Yusuf Mehdi, Executive Vice President, Consumer Chief Marketing Officer, presents the plans for Copilot and the Copilot key. 2024 is set to be the year of AI at Microsoft.
Almost 30 years ago, the Windows key was introduced on the PC keyboard to access certain functions more quickly. Shortly before CES and at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) itself, new Windows 11 PCs will be on display, in which the Windows key logo has been replaced by a Copilot key. These devices (including upcoming Surface models) will then be launched on the market from spring 2024.
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