Windows Vista Features : Windows Vista Explorers

Starting with an interim version of Windows 95, the Windows Explorer shell has been based on IE, and since then we’ve suffered through a decade of security vulnerabilities and the resulting patches. In Windows Vista, that integration is a thing of the past. Windows Explorer has been completely overhauled, and although it’s arguably better than the Explorer shell in Windows XP, it’s also quite a bit different. Microsoft has also introduced some new terminology into the mix, just to keep us on our toes.

No discussion of the Windows Vista user experience would be complete without a look at the ways in which Microsoft has evolved Windows Explorer in this release. Windows Explorer first appeared in Windows 95, replacing the many horrible manager programs (File Manager, Program Manager, and so on) that plagued previous versions. It was a grand idea, but then Microsoft made the mistake of combining Internet Explorer with the Windows shell.

The main toolbar is also gone, replaced by Back and Forward buttons, the new enhanced Address Bar, and the new integrated search box. So as My Documents is renamed to Documents in Windows Vista, Microsoft now refers to that window as the Documents Explorer.

Likewise with all the other special folders: There are now explorers for Pictures, Music, applications, devices, and other objects. From a usability perspective, much has changed since XP. Let’s examine a typical Explorer window, as seen in image below. The menu bar is gone, replaced by a hidden Classic Menu, which can be dynamically triggered by tapping the Alt key.