Although Windows Vista is not regarded as one of the better past Windows versions, this is mostly down to the (at the time) insane and costly modern hardware requirements it needed in order to run one of its main features, Aero Glass. However, it is that feature, which in subsequent versions of Windows has no longer seen the same level of attention to detail and consistency; its development ran for more than two years, drawing off the efforts of Longhorn which was confirmed by Bill Gates in 2001.
Microsoft has shifted focus on the Windows UI a few times since then, but it always manages to leave traces of past versions. No amount of feedback from users seems to motivate one of the most valuable companies in the world enough to fix the UI inconsistencies, despite having enough revenue to pay for the development resources other companies can only dream of.
This leaves enthusiasts to create concepts of what they wished Microsoft would offer its customers. And although concepts like these won't float everyone's boat, you have to wonder why a single person with time on their hands can do a better job - or at least have a more consistent vision - than a mighty global brand like Microsoft, despite all its resources and consumers reporting feedback voluntarily on those inconsistencies.
Anyway, this is not an editorial or article about all the inconsistencies that have frustrated users since Windows 95 left in the Windows 3.x styled program manager and called it a day. It is about a merging of the beautiful Aero Glass, with the principle of Windows 11's "Fluent" design by Abdi4789 on DeviantArt, and uploaded to their YouTube channel.
It incorporates some great ideas that made past Windows versions great, such as desktop widgets —not something you have to click on to view, which is now required 15 years after Vista came out. And what about proper and useful action fly outs? Furthermore, it improves on things like File Explorer with a ribbon and a useful new tab page. Also, let's not forget about Media Center, which was dropped without a meaningful alternative. It takes things that Microsoft introduced and then for whatever reason dropped and never really replaced properly, like the current Windows 11 taskbar, which is now seeing features getting added back to it that Windows users could count on for decades.
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Concepts like this can only exist because shortcomings in the finished product bugged someone enough to give an example of how it can be better. If only Microsoft could show us that it values attention to detail as much as its own documentation leads us to believe, or some random person on the internet with some time on their hands wishing the next version of Windows might do a better job than what's been foisted on consumers.
What do you think of this concept? Does Windows 11 still miss something not covered here, and you want included in "Windows 12"? Let us know by contributing a comment below.
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