Where is your taskbar?

99% of the users I see have their taskbar on the bottom of the screen. I recently experimented with putting it on the right side, and I'm really surprised that more people don't do this.

First, on a laptop with a numpad, the taskbar hovers above the numpad, making the rest of the screen center properly with the letter keys. You don't feel like you're touch-typing on a keyboard that's two inches to the left of the center of the screen. Your hands are centered underneath a word document you're working on.

Second, it opens up a LOT more space for tabs. Instead of having about six windows in the taskbar before they start to compress, you can have about twenty.

Third, it gives you more vertical space. With the industry reaching a consensus of 16:9 screen ratios, every row of pixels should be preserved for workable area. This opens up room for another couple lines of text.

Does anyone else do this? Or does everyone work with their taskbar on the bottom? And why?

 

I have it in right too since changing to a 16:9 screen.

 

Bottom, and set to auto-hide.

 

right or left. ATM it's on the left side, not auto hide. I usually change it to the right depending on what my screen saver is.

 

When I used XP I had one on the bottom and one on the right, both autohide. Apparently that is no longer built in in Win 7.

 

bottom, not set to autohide

Cheers
3Fees

 

Left and skinny.

See my sig for how to make taskbars on the side almost half as wide.

 

Left with autohide, since I started to use it on this side, I found it so useful for me.

 

Bottom no autohide since Win7 doesn't make the taskbar items squish together since they're just pinned icons. And 1600x900 is more than enough for tabs for Chrome and anything else for me.

 

Bottom, at 1080p, the screen estate it takes up is kinda minimal so i don't see a reason to change it's location since i'm used to that. Besides, i'm used to having it on the bottom. What i wish i could move to the side is the ribbon menu in MS Office. Didn't look for third party options for that yet. If i ever move it to the side, i'll use anseio's method to make it thinner since i find the default size on the side to be way too big and fugly.

The amount of icons i can have opened in windows 7 before they start to compress is, well i don't really know, never got to that point . I'd estimate somewhere between 15-20 though.

 

Left.

I usually have it on top or left and have had it like that for maybe 8 years.
The biggest reason is that it gets closer to menus in most programs I use, no need to go across the screen just for a click.

 

I had it on bottom, but i just switched, and wow youre right it does feel better. I especially like the more room on the bottom, considering i have a crappy resolution 16:9 720p.

 

I think left makes more sense for this reason, but right makes more sense because it centers the usable window over the letter keys on a laptop that has a number pad (which just "feels right" to me). Both I think are a LOT more useful than the traditional bottom location.

 

Top skinny, on both my X120e and T500. For some reason, I just can't really get used to having the taskbar on either side. Having the taskbar on the top keeps all the windows and browser/program tab bars and other things that take frequent clicks all in the same region, and also keeps it at eye level when the laptop is sitting at the desk. Also, I use side-by-side page views in Word very frequently, so having the taskbar at the top maximizes horizontal viewing space, which I fully make use of.

 

Bottom, no autohide, just can't get used to it being on the side. I'm a traditionalist lol!!

 

Bottom here. I feel no need to have the bar on the side or set to autohide, especially now that I use W7.

My brother on the other hand, swears by it. He is involved quite heavily in IT, might just be a hangover from his XP days though.

 

right side on autohide. since having two monitors, the larger being the main, plenty of side to side room, so i stuck it there.

 

Bottom no auto-hide. Been doing it that way since Windows 95, see no reason to change with something that's worked for me over 15 years!

Although with 16:9 ratio, it almost lends itself to running on the side. But I just can't do that. My desktop monitor is a 16:10 1920x1200 anyhow so no biggie.

 

Bottom but sometimes use it on the left.

16:9 screen

 

I voted bottom but just considered right when you mentioned the wide screen and working space. Since I have a 1366 x 768 screen it only makes sense.

 

I put mine on top of the main monitor, along with making it skinny and auto-hide. I like how in Win7 there is a little sliver showing for each opened app when it is collapsed.

 

I'm a traditionalist.

 

Bottom. It works for me the best and I'm used to it.

 

Bottom is the most logical place for me.

My mouse is usually near the bottom so placing the taskbar there gives me the quickest access.

 

Mine is at the bottom as I have been using for so many years. It would be taboo for me if the location was moved to a different position!

 

Left, no autohide.

 

Bottom, thin, no hiding.

1920x2160 doesn't work too well when your taskbar is sitting right in the middle of 2 monitors

I've also noticed that some programs just act weird when the taskbar is on the top of the screen; my friend has his on the top of the screen and some programs like opening with the titlebar under the taskbar... with no way to move it

 

Bottom with small icons

 

Bottom..set to hide

 

After seeing this thread. I decided to try top. I don't ever put things on the desktop. Its either pinned to the taskbar or easy to access in the start menu. Plus my recycling bin is accessable via the computer section (thanks to a registry mod) and by right clicking on the pinned libraries. I figure, I close windows and minimize at the time, why not open new ones and switch from the top. This way, no more cycling between top and bottom. I assume it should be more productive for me. If not or if I can't stand it, I'll go back.

 

Ooooh, report back!

I don't like using the top, because that's where I go to when I look at the display. I'd feel as if the ceiling were pushing down on me if I had the taskbar up top.

 

by having it on the top you lose two quick to reachable places: bottom left and bottom right.

the result: less usability. try to quickly close a window on the top right button.

 

That is true. I have my taskbar on top and have noticed that clicking the close/min/max buttons is slightly trickier. My workaround is to use keyboard shortcuts: Alt+F4.

 

well, taskbar.. not caring about that anymore since today.. hello win8

i'm still thinking of the name of those edge things. there's a name for those more-easy to reach regions. but i forgot..

 

Left. Found it a bit more natural to keep on the side when using 16:9.

 

something like 'hot corner' ?

 

Windows 7, Widescreen: Taskbar on the left, while the top is reserved for Dell dock.

Windows XP, Not widescreen: Taskbar on the bottom, no dock.

 

no, there's a technical name for it, based on the creator of it. it's the same like "stuff close to a mouse can be small to target, stuff rather far away should be bigger".

ahh, fitts law! exactly. fitts law tasks about the 4 screen edges to be the most simple and quick to target regions on a screen. all you have to do is move roughly into a direction. you can overshoot the target, you'll always hit the corner, and you can just click. fitts law is the reason to have the taskbar at the bottom, and the windows controls at the top.

 

Actually, I like it at the top. I use the touchpad more than a mouse and I keep the scroll settings really low on the touchpad. I have no issues closing and since I don't use the desktop, I minimize by clicking on the taskbar. I also used a registry mod that allows aero peek to occur faster (depending on what I set it to). This way, I switch between open programs, tabs, minimize, and even close items by hovering over the item on my taskbar and managing it from there. Commonly, I even right click on the pinned item and close that way or use Alt+F4. So, I've found it to be a lot more convenient for me to have it at the top since my mouse is usually toward the top anyway. The only thing that is weird is when I click and hold on the top of a program so I can either snap up, left, or right, the top is the edge of the taskbar not the screen now. Otherwise, I really like it.

 

Since you're over your keyboard a lot, you can use the Win key for snap functions:
Win + Left = snap left
Win + Right = snap right
Win + Up = Maximize
Win + Down = Minimize from max, or minimize to taskbar if not maximized.

You might also like Win + T to scroll your your taskbar.

 

I love you, Win + T is going to be a new favorite of mine. I have more than 10 items in my taskbar so the Win + (#) trick was one I never caught on to.

This is my desktop:


I've got all 8 main topics of the Control Panel pinned, I've got Explorer pinned (specifically: computer, user folder, homegroup, network, recylcing, and libraries), obviously IE & FF (for backup), hotmail, Zune (I use WMP for ripping though), the main suites I use of Office 2010 Pro+, Microsoft Math 4 (just in case I forget my TI-84 ), Adobe Acrobat Pro, Autodesk Inventor, and of course Skype & Gaming. I'd put more items like the CPUID software & fraps and even the snipping tool into the taskbar but there is only so much space and I don't use them too often. A quick press of the Windows key, arrow keys, and enter will get me what I need from the start menu though . Putting it simply, once I got Windows 7 I fell in love with the taskbar. Modding my registry to allow faster aero peek response and recylce bin access in the computer section really revolutionized how I use the UI of Windows. And to be honest. I feel it is a lot more productive and simpler to use (which is kind of why I'm not too sold on Windows 8 just from the developer preview so far).


If anyone is interested in the registry changes I use, here they are. They are very simple to do and harmless, I got these from a website, just don't remember anymore but it was linked to me from a frellow NBR member a while back:



To add the Recycling Bin to Computer as "Other" category:

Locate:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MyComputer\NameSpace

Add Key:
{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}


To adjust the speed of the Aero Peek Taskbar Thumbnail delay:

Locate:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

Add DWORD Value:
ExtendedUIHoverTime

Modify (in Decimal):
Any value of choice (1000 = 1 second)

Restart


To adjust the speed of the Aero Peek Desktop delay:

Locate:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

Add DWORD Value:
DesktopLivePreviewHoverTime

Modify (in Decimal):
Any value of choice (1000 = 1 second)

Restart

 

obviously, those who don't interact fast with a mouse, don't gain from the corners that much. and for those, the "i am different" factor might be more important than usability (there's zero gain from having it on top, but there are possible losses).

i like to swipe-with-the-mouse into a corner without having to have any accuracy, and open the startmenu in a tenth of a second, close an app in another tenth, go to desktop, etc, very quickly. others prefer to be cool and different, or want to copy osx, and thus have it on top.

to each it's own.

oh, and, i often work on foreign systems, so any change on my system means a usability decrease when working on other systems.

at least, those who adjust the taskbar are in the magic elite group of nearnoone who does that, as it got measured (by microsoft) you really are different. enjoy

 

Oh really? Well, wait until you read this!

Win + # (# being the location of the item pinned to your taskbar) = launches programs that are pinned to taskbar.

For example, I have:
1 - IE9
2 - Explorer
3 - Creative Studio
4 - Nokia Communication Center
5 - VlC
...

Win + whatever number above will launch that program. I find it very handy that I can just press those keys on my way to getting to the mouse/trackpad. Then, the program launches and I have time to get to the mouse and begin using it rather than mouse-wait for launch-mouse.

 

There are just some of us who are keyboard efficient. Sadly, most users are not.

I remember working for the phone company. We were migrating customers from one billing system to another whenever they upgraded their phones. It was a 30-minute process for someone fast and was entirely moused by everyone... but me. I took a few minutes and memorized the tabs and quick keys. There was ONE click that could not be avoided. So, I'd remove the trackball and rest the cursor over that location. I could whip through a migration at break-neck speeds. Back when it was conceivable for me to actually work for someone else, I used to have new employees listening to my calls and watching me work. I was often asked by bosses to slow down so they could actually see what I was doing. I was a blur. Efficient use of keyboard and window placement, with heavy focus on an organized taskbar.

Sadly, they replaced the billing system with and utter POS that caused the loss of 4% of our customer base when local number portability became active. Anyway, that system was well over 95% mouse based. I was dragged down to the speed of the average user, as you can only mouse so fast with so much accuracy. And... I'm not the person who usually has to jiggle the mouse to find out where it is on the screen.

If hellhog is truly keyboard first, then taskbar-up-top could be just fine. I'd recommend using smaller icons though. Such a waste of visual space.

Actually, this is one of the things I didn't care for in the dev preview of Win8. Pressing Win switches to Metro UI and I was forced to mouse for whatever I wanted. (the Metro UI being a visually glorified Start Menu). When everyone is guided to use the mouse, of course, mousing looks like the major trend.

 

i'm efficient at all. keyboard with two hands, keyboard with one hand, and one mouse (i can write fast with 5 fingers), and fast with just the mouse. as well as touchpad, touchnipplethingy, touchscreens, etc. i try to stay flexible.

metro ui works just fine with the keyboard btw. i prefer it with keyboard or touchscreen over mouse, actually.

but yeah, there are some terrible mouse-only interfaces existing, mostly in the intranet web space (those that force people to still use ie6 and such crap). terrible ui, very inefficient to use.

 

Bottom for me since forever(windows 95). I had a few attempts on trying it on the sides or top but i can't lose the habbit of looking for it on the bottom so it stays there, no auto hide and no button combination(i actually hate that)

 

I am trying out using autohide because I love extra screenspace.

I run it on the bottom because applications are still designed to have it on the bottom. The top right corner is reserved to close programs, the right edge is for vertical scroll bars, and the left edge is for toolboxes in programs and on many websites. The top edge is left for the programs to use generally. Since horizontal scrolling is rare, the bottom is generally the best place for it.