Comments on: Why Microsoft Removed Toolbar Button Icons in New Windows Live Mail Version?

By: Karl

Karl — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:45:07 +0000

Icons are always easier to identify at a glance. Once you get used to them. I want my MS Live buttons back!!! Besides, we are the ones using the program and try to get work done, they just design the software!

By: Calvin Foo

Calvin Foo — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 08:38:53 +0000

MS Office: First they shuffled all icons from simple to complicated. and small to big icons in MS Office 2007; I don't know about you, but the whole interface I am still not comfortable until now. even though I have been using it for quite some time.

Windows Live: Now they removed all icons and put text instead. They are planning to move back to Windows 3.1 or Dos-based interface?

WTF are they thinking?!

By: Nikolaj

Nikolaj — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 06:59:20 +0000

i cold be cool to be able to switch between vista and 7 toolbar

By: Kari

Kari — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 07:36:12 +0000

This is nothing new, if I remember correct most of the icons were missing on Wave2 Live tools also.

By: Ramanathan

Ramanathan — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 13:33:50 +0000

The best way to create a choice to select between the Icons in toolbar.

By: VG

VG — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 14:43:10 +0000

The best way would be to give users a choice to select between "show only icons", "show only text" or "show both text and icons" in toolbar. And toolbar customization is highly needed unlike Vista.

By: Andrea

Andrea — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 14:37:23 +0000

Me too.

. More space used by buttons' captions, therefore results in less space to show more buttons or customize the tool bar.
. Text, sometimes, is less immediate to remember or understand than an image
. Is an involution of UI standards: sometimes this could be a bonus, but not this time
. Because "Windows and Windows Live is moving to a much more typographical driven UI over all" is not a good reason, for my point o view, to replace the small, nice and promptly icons.

By: VG

VG — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 14:29:18 +0000

^^ Completely agree with you.

By: Alsiladka

Alsiladka — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 12:06:10 +0000

A Microsoft guy gave the reason for this move as this on the connect website.
"The long answer is that Windows and Windows Live is moving to a much more typographical driven UI over all (not saying it will all look like WLM!). The reason is that all the whitespace puts the spotlight on your content instead of the app frame.
"

Well, they seem to be moving in two different directions. With Messenger, they are trying to add more Visual cues to pass on the information to the user.
And with the other apps, they are trying to make them bland.

In a age when people are moving towards more visual representation of data, textual representation does not make much sense for me.

By: Andrea

Andrea — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 12:04:39 +0000

Ok, I suppose you're right, after all
But let me keep hoping that the toolbar UI will be changed in something nicer