Microsoft promotes itself as the productiveness firm, however the brand new Windows 11 taskbar removes key performance and makes me much less productive because of this. Missing options embody energy person parts like displaying the time and date on a number of displays, or easy issues like having small icons and having the ability to transfer the taskbar round. There’s a lot lacking right here that I’m shocked Microsoft is transport a brand new OS that takes the Windows taskbar again many years.

While this lacking performance initially appeared like bugs or unfinished code, it’s clear Microsoft now intends to ship the taskbar like this on October fifth. I personally use three displays on my PC, and if I’m utilizing a fullscreen app or a sport on my major one, I can’t see the date or time on my different displays. This appears like a small difficulty, nevertheless it’s glanceable data I take a look at a number of instances a day and depend on. I merely don’t perceive why Microsoft would take away this within the identify of simplification.

Another large lacking function is having the ability to drag and drop recordsdata onto taskbar apps. I generally drag pictures from File Explorer onto the Adobe Photoshop icon on my taskbar, the place it would deliver the app into focus and open the file. This now not works, and also you’re introduced with a large crimson cross as a substitute. This is primary performance that has existed in Windows for years.

Elsewhere, the taskbar has been overhauled to take away a number of the customization Windows customers are used to. You can’t allow small icons anymore or ungroup icons. You can’t even transfer the taskbar to the highest or sides of your display, or regulate its top. Many customers are additionally lacking the Task Manager not being a part of the taskbar context menu, or the various different cascade and windowing choices that had been beforehand there. Instead, the taskbar context menu has been diminished to a single taskbar settings possibility.

The system tray can also be worse in Windows 11 in comparison with Windows 10. You can’t simply conceal system icons, and the entire space feels slightly too simplified for my liking. The modernization of Windows 11 is nice, however the taskbar actually lets the OS down.

I’ve been testing Windows 11 since its preliminary preview launch in June, and I truthfully anticipated the taskbar to enhance in time for launch. After each preview launch, I boot into Windows 11 anticipating to see taskbar enhancements, solely to change again to Windows 10 after a couple of minutes.

Because of this taskbar, Windows 11 would be the first model of Windows I received’t be upgrading to on my primary PC. I’ve lived by way of Windows Vista and Windows 8, however even then, Microsoft no less than allowed individuals to re-enable the interface parts they’d grown used to. In Windows 11 you’ll want to use registry hacks or use third-party packages to get the taskbar you’re used to, and people workarounds might break after any OS replace.

I’m not the one particular person complaining concerning the taskbar, actually there have been numerous suggestions threads in Microsoft’s official Windows Feedback Hub in latest months that spotlight these points. Microsoft tells me it’s listening to person suggestions, nevertheless it clearly hasn’t acted on most of it in time for launch.

“Windows 11 was built on the design principles of making Windows effortless, calmer, and more personal, while still feeling familiar,” says a Microsoft spokesperson in an announcement to The Verge. “Taskbar, like many other parts of Windows 11, was redesigned from the ground up guided by these principles. As with every experience in Windows 11, we’re constantly listening and learning, and welcome customer feedback that helps shape Windows. Windows 11 will continue to evolve over time; if we learn from user experience that there are ways to make improvements, we will do so.”

I nonetheless haven’t heard rationalization for this primary lack of performance, however I think a lot of the options are lacking as a result of Microsoft rebuilt the taskbar for Windows 10X. Windows 10X was initially going to run on dual-screen gadgets, earlier than Microsoft reworked it for laptops after which moved to Windows 11 as a substitute. Microsoft simplified the taskbar in Windows 10X tremendously, and plenty of different components of the OS. That hasn’t translated effectively again to desktop PCs, or for energy customers of Windows that depend on the taskbar day by day.

I’m hopeful that Microsoft will as soon as once more show that it listens to its Windows customers, however till then I’m staying away from Windows 11 for now.