Gradually, users are updating to Windows 11, the company’s new operating system. And it is that this brings with it a series of attractions for users. For example, a radical change in the appearance of the system, performance improvements and new features, as well as the possibility of upgrading, completely free of charge, from Windows 10. However, this system has come with significant limitations and problems for users. . And, although many of them are going to be resolved in the face of 22H2 update, there is one of them that will remain like this forever. And the reason doesn’t make any sense.
Most of the issues present in the Windows 11 release are related to the taskbar. This is the bar that we find at the bottom of the screen, where we have the Start button, open applications, the system tray, the date and time. Always, this taskbar has been anchored by default at the bottom, this being one of the characteristic aspects of Windows. But there’s never been a problem moving the taskbar to the side, or to the top of the screen.
However, with the advent of Windows 11, users have found it impossible to move the taskbar to the side of the screen. Why has Microsoft made the decision to remove this essential feature? Now, 6 months after launch, we know why. Although it would have been better not to know.
A lot of work to please “almost no one”
as explained Tali Roth, Head of Product at Microsoft, Windows 11 has redesigned, almost from scratch, many of the elements of the system. And the entire interface is designed with the typical Windows workflow in mind. The taskbar has been one of the elements that has been redesigned from scratch, taking inspiration from the design of the now defunct Windows 10X.
This taskbar has been designed with all kinds of devices in mind at the same time. But, as Roth assures, there has been more priority to new devices where this operating system is going to run, i.e. dual screen, touch and convertible devices. For this reason, some unnecessary functions, such as being able to move the taskbar, have been left in the pipeline.
Since the arrival of the first beta, complaints about this limitation have filled the network. However, Microsoft says that while analytics data reveals that there are people who do work with the taskbar to the side of the screen, or at the top, the set of users working like this is really small. And adapting this new taskbar to be able to move it is too much work to satisfy only that small number of users.
In short, Microsoft believes that adapting the taskbar so that it can be moved to one side of the screen is too much work to please too few. A reason, from our point of view, absurd and lacking in weight.
Third-party apps to improve Windows 11
Luckily, Microsoft has decided to allow if there are independent developers who want to do this, they can. And, indeed, there are already some programs, such as Start11which allow you to move this Windows taskbar, at least to the top of the screen.
Little by little we will find other programs (both free and paid) that allow us to make up for this lack of Windows 11. Unfortunately, it means going back to the era of Windows 8, when we had to use third-party programs to have a proper start menu.
