Forum Discussion
Edge design on Android
tomscharbach I would also like more options for customizing the user interface. They need to balance this though because allowing users to change how the UI looks and feels can lead to inconsistencies and confusion.
For example, I use Windows at home and Mac OS at work. It would be nice to move the window control buttons to the left for consistency, but if a non-technical user did that accidentally, they'd be very confused. Additionally, many apps (especially win32 and Electron apps) customize the title bar and have their own window controls. Given the diversity of the Windows app ecosystem, Microsoft would need to strike a careful balance if they're to provide these kinds of advanced customization options.
vincentofearth I agree with your cautions, Vincent. User-defined UI changes have limits. What I'm suggesting, though, is limited. I am not talking about unrestricted user-defined changes.
I am suggesting that Microsoft should:
(1) stick to an internally and externally consistent design motif within each platform (that is, Microsoft-developed Windows components/apps should follow common Windows design conventions internally, Microsoft-developed MacOS apps (e.g. Edge) should follow MacOS design conventions when running on MacOS, and Microsoft-developed Android apps should follow Android design conventions when running on Android; and
(2) give users as much choice as is prudent when it comes to customizing the "look and feel" of the desktop environment, perhaps going so far as to offer a half-dozen pre-defined design packages, as many Linux distros do, and let the user choose, say, between Fluent design, Material design, flat design, and so on; and
(3) move UI controls (whatever those turn out to be, given the need for prudence and balance) to a common, easily accessible location within Settings, instead of forcing users to dig deep into Control Panel (an obsolete, deprecated system being replaced by Settings little by slowly). There is absolutely no reason why a user should be forced into Dante's circles of hell to rid resource-hogging Bling (transparencies, shadows and the like) from the system if that is what a user chooses to do.
tomscharbach i thought I'm the only one who wanted to use edge on Android as well but the UI keeps me pushing to Chrome. Yes I agree on all the points you guys were discussing. It's been 5 years this thread kicked off and the inconsistency is still consistent with Microsoft edge.
