The Windows 11 taskbar is one of the big changes at the user interface level of the latest Microsoft system. And also a controversial component since its launch. At first glance, the general public will see it more elegant if we add the centered dock and the new start menu, but it has lost usability, flexibility and customization compared to Windows 10.
It must be said that the bar was designed from scratch for Windows 10X. A version originally intended for dual screen mobile devices where Microsoft needed to simplify it. It was ported to Windows 11 which meant loss of features. Simply, it was not designed for computer desktops and that is where some of its shortcomings may come from, in its inability to move to the sides (or to the top) or the inability to drag and drop files on it.
Windows 11 taskbar changes?
Microsoft’s product manager, Tali Roth, has come out against the voices calling for a redesign/improvement of this component, essential in the interface of any operating system. And we do not have good news since Microsoft has no plans for it. The executive’s arguments are not convincing.
Roth says that “When it comes to something like being able to move the taskbar to different locations on the screen, there are a number of challenges. When you think about having the taskbar on the right or on the left, suddenly the workflow that all applications have to do in order to understand the environment is enormous”.
That complexity may be true, but why Windows 10 can do it without any problem and not Windows 11? It’s not understood. Microsoft also cites “engineering difficulties” for changing it now, but the argument also falls apart considering that a third company, Stardock, with far fewer means, you have managed with your Start11 application to move the bar to the top.
The executive also says that changes to the Windows 11 taskbar it is not a massive request: “When we look at the data, while we know there is a set of people who would like the changes, it really is small compared to the set of users who are asking about other features. So for the time being we continue to focus on them.”.
Another debatable argument considering that the taskbar (and its shortcomings) is number one in the Feedback Hub, the official Feedback Hub where users request changes to the system. Microsoft may have other data based on its internal metrics and priorities, but then you might want to ask yourself why we go out of our way to engage in feedback.
We will see what happens in future updates like Windows 11 22H2. It is incomprehensible that the drag and drop function files in the taskbar applications considering that it is present in Windows 10 and earlier and is very useful to increase productivity. It is also not understood why can’t pin apps or files directly bypassing the start menu.
The same can be said of the inability to move the bar to the top or sides considering that Windows 10 works perfectly. We believe that it is for the reasons indicated. The Windows 11 taskbar was carried over from the Windows 10X taskbar and was not designed for the computer desktop.
