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Comment by ugh | Hacker News Reader

Switching Windows 7 to the classic theme is not fleeing condescension, it’s nostalgia and has little to do with the topic at hand.

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No. I haven’t used Windows 7, but I always switched XP/Vista to the classic theme because it takes up less space (fits a lot more minimized windows in the task bar, etc.), is less distracting, and makes it easier to judge colors in images or graphics (the big areas of blue really messes with fine color judgement). I also reverted to the “classic” start menu, switched the control panel wizard off, cut out all the auto helper doodads in MS Office, etc.

Speaking as someone who has always hated everything Windows stands for, I assure you there was no nostalgia involved

Well, then you should actually use Windows 7 and report back. It’s awesome.

I use Windows 7, and I configure the task bar to XP-style non-stacked oblong buttons, I use Classic Start Menu to get an XP style menu - I absolutely loathe the Vista and 7 start menus - and I've just about completely given up on Windows Explorer, and mostly moved my file management to Cygwin bash in the terminal.

My strategy for dealing with MS changing Windows is to use non-MS software and isolate myself from them.

Does the classic Start menu have a search box? I don't think I'd willingly give up the ability to just type what I want and not ha e to navigate those ridiculously long menus.

Yeah it does. It is a relief that the search actually finally works in win7 so no one has to care about the uselessly horrible menus and dialogs fixing the control panel.

On space constrained displays like laptops, I prefer the space maximizing Windows Classic theme, regardless of Windows version. I also like the thought that I'm not wasting any processing cycles on visual candy, even if it probably doesn't make much of a difference.

Processing cycles? Really?! I think I last heard that argument in 2000.

Wow, backwards luddites still going strong, eh?

Hah, kids these days. Come curl up next to my easychair and I'll tell you about having to change vacuum tubes in my PC...

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