Windows GUI – Good, Bad and Pretty Ugly (2023)

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Aesthetics and Version Rankings

  • Thread splits sharply over the article’s rankings, especially Windows XP (called both “hideous” and “great”) and Windows 11 (some say “best since 7,” others “unusable”).
  • Many praise Vista/7’s Aero glass look as the most beautiful Windows era; some say Vista looked better than current macOS, though it was heavy for its time.
  • Several argue Windows 95/2000 and even Windows 2 had very deliberate, functional visual design given their constraints.

Windows 2000 / Classic Era as Peak UI

  • Strong theme: Windows 2000 (and 9x/NT “classic” style) is seen as the peak of clarity, consistency, and productivity.
  • Users highlight: clear affordances, consistent controls, rich but understandable Control Panel, and a design backed by serious usability research.
  • Later versions are seen as layering fads on top, diluting luminance contrast, grouping, and consistency.

XP, Themes, and Customizability

  • XP’s default “Luna” theme is widely disliked (especially the blue), though silver/olive are tolerated; many switched to classic style.
  • Others remember XP warmly for being heavily themeable (official and hacked themes, WindowBlinds, patched uxtheme), even if many custom themes “looked like garbage” but were educational.

Windows 8/8.1 and Search

  • Start screen criticized as a “disaster” visually and conceptually, but several praise its instant Win-key typing and deterministic launch behavior.
  • Some note this search behavior actually dates back to Vista/7, but felt faster and cleaner before web results and ranking shifts.

Windows 10/11: Modern Look vs. UX Regressions

  • Windows 11’s styling: some like the icons and overall modernization; others hate flat borders, invisible scrollbars, and reduced customization.
  • Heavily criticized: two-style context menus, laggy right-click and start menu, inconsistent system apps (Win32, XAML, WinUI, web views mixed).
  • Start/search seen as slower and polluted by web/ads; some disable web search or replace the start menu entirely.

React Native and Performance Debate

  • Persistent but contested belief that React/React Native causes bloat; others point out only parts (e.g., “Recommended”) use React Native for Windows and compile to native XAML.
  • Core complaint remains: observable latency in menus and snipping tools on modern hardware, irrespective of exact tech stack.

Ads, Telemetry, and Commercial Model

  • Many view any ads in a paid OS as unacceptable; others argue OEM licensing is effectively “free” and ads/upsells fund development, comparable to other commercial OSes.
  • Telemetry and “spyware” concerns are raised but not deeply explored; Linux and macOS are frequently cited as preferable in UX or ethics.