Microsoft we know best attitude

[Modelworks]

I was writing some automating scripts for windows 7 when I noticed there didn't appear to be a way to control the default playback device via software. It seems since vista MS decided programmers shouldn't be able to access the sound controls directly. It may not sound like a big deal but it has caused a headache for a lot of developers. Some examples of things you could do with XP that cannot be done with Vista + OS.

Change the output for running applications based on user input. If I start windows media center on a 2nd display but forgot to switch the audio output I can issue a remote command to do so.

Set up macro applications that automatically configure audio devices based on task. I could press one key for voip and the mic would be selected for recording, the levels adjusted, the output device selected for headphone. When turning off voip it would reset all sound to the original setup. Play a game or movie and have scripts automate the sound settings for that as well.

So I started checking out the MS site to find some answers hoping there was a work around. what I found really angered me, the attitude from MS was one of omnipotence.

http://social.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/Offtopic/thread/9ebd7ad6-a460-4a28-9de9-2af63fd4a13e/

In reading through the history of this post, I think you've all done a great job in highlighting the challenge of managing a machine with multiple audio devices and multiple applications attempting to use those devices for different purposes. That challenge was one of the driving decisions behind leaving control of the default device to the user and not opening that up for programmatic control. The current paradigm is one in which the application itself is given a rich set of API's to allow it to select the device it wants to send audio to as well as provide the necessary UI to the user so that their feedback into this selection process can be obtained. One of the choices those applications have is to use the default device, and based on current OS design, the choice of the default device is best left to the user.

With that said, we do so see the need for the OS to make better decisions on how to manage machines with multiple audio devices and based on the scenarios I've seen discussed in this thread I think our internal thinking on this subject is on track. I look forward to being able to share with you advancements we are making in this regard. I hope many of you are planning on attending WinHEC, where you will be able to get a first-hand look at the work we’ve been doing in the audio space.

Richard Fricks
Program Manager, Windows Audio

Programmers in the thread even asked about well if it is so important MS not allow changing of devices then how about a simple control panel setting that the user has to set to allow things like scripting

What is missing from the bigger picture, IMO, is an 'audio device chooser' to select the playback and/or recording device to be used for that application, with a common user interface across all programs. MS should have provided this long ago, IMO, and are they (and we!) are now sufferring as a result. What we have now is a mess, and don't get me started on the behaviour of some USB devices.

And the response:

I'm not sure why you'd want to set the default audio device for just the application - most of the rendering APIs in the system allow you to specify which output device you want to use (the big exception to this rule is the WMP OCX).

This is the typical , well if you have old applications not specifically written for our new OS , they are the problem and we are not going to help you .

 

[tommo123]

what do you expect? it's microsoft. companies like that always act like they know best when really it's aiming for the common dude and to block anything that might screw up his system (like your apps for example but installed and messed around with by a noob) and gives em more support calls.

personally, i hate that there's no option in win7 to totally, absolutely, irreversibly remove those retarded video/image/document views. i'm forced to set it folder by folder ro 'general'.

same with documents. i have never and will never save things there but it assumes you will and there's no way i know of to tell the OS to f*** off and stop going to those folders for saving etc etc.

they think libraries will be useful. maybe, but opening a explorer window from the task bar and taking me to 'libraries' just pisses me off. it should go to 'computer' for me since that's what i want and should be able to change an option to do it. i'm not messing around with the registry since i shouldn't have to.

i posted these on technet and got a PR response that basically translated to 'blow me'.

still, would rather use win7 and bitch about it's many shortcomings than use apple <shiver>

 

[Continuity28]

they think libraries will be useful. maybe, but opening a explorer window from the task bar and taking me to 'libraries' just pisses me off. it should go to 'computer' for me since that's what i want and should be able to change an option to do it. i'm not messing around with the registry since i shouldn't have to.

i posted these on technet and got a PR response that basically translated to 'blow me'.

still, would rather use win7 and bitch about it's many shortcomings than use apple <shiver>

Off-topic... but there is a way to do it with the default icon... I forgot how exactly though.

Another alternative is to use quick launch instead, so it's basically back to the old way of doing it. What you do is right click on the task bar and create a new toolbar. The location should be "C:\Users\(user name)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch". Drag that new toolbar to the left, if you want, and uncheck the options "Show text" and "Show title". From now on, that toolbar IS quick launch. Any application you install where you select "make quick launch icon" WILL put an icon there, like previous Windows versions. You can make a link right to Computer, if you want, just like before.

 

[wwswimming]

what do you expect? it's microsoft. companies like that always act like they know best

sounds like - Nancy Pelosi & the current crop of Democrats.

 

[tommo123]

Off-topic... but there is a way to do it with the default icon... I forgot how exactly though.

Another alternative is to use quick launch instead, so it's basically back to the old way of doing it. What you do is right click on the task bar and create a new toolbar. The location should be "C:\Users\(user name)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch". Drag that new toolbar to the left, if you want, and uncheck the options "Show text" and "Show title". From now on, that toolbar IS quick launch. Any application you install where you select "make quick launch icon" WILL put an icon there, like previous Windows versions. You can make a link right to Computer, if you want, just like before.

the only way i know is with a reg hack. did it on 1 pc with the beta / rc and it worked. the other killed explorer whenever i used the shortcut.

as for quick launch, just tried it but don't like it. thanks though

why can't microsoft just give us some damn options!?

 

[Nothinman]

sounds like - Nancy Pelosi & the current crop of Democrats.

Right, because Republicans are nothing like that...

 

[JackMDS]

Giving the level of intellectual flexibility in this thread, I think that the problem is too much outside flexibility that exceed the cognitive capacities of some users.

.

 

[tommo123]

right, and not microsofts innate inability to provide their users with a little thing called 'options'

 

[tommo123]

in regards to "cognitive capacities", how lacking were they @ microsofts dev teams in regards to indexing and search? not to mention other 'features'.

run a search on something that hasn't been indexed yet (download a load of files, connect a drive via usb or something that's not been on that PC before etc) and run a search. results = nada. put a '*' in there. nothing turns up. it doesn't bother to check whether it's been indexed or not, it just does a search. it should go, hmm, not indexed? ahh ok. i'll run an old school search instead.

that, same as the libraries nonsense shows that no one actually tries these ideas before implementing them. add a drive to a library (just tried it). it says it's been added but it's not going to share anything as it can't share the root of a drive. yeah, completely ignore that HCPC peeps have drives with only media on. ignore that a drive of only images could have 100s of folders. MS expect me to add each folder 1 by 1? yeah right!

worse than that, is when they *remove* a feature. a2dp bluetooth support. was there in the betas, same as vista. then remove it for some stupid reason.

move files quickly and easily in the RC (or beta - i forget) of win7. i.e some video files in a folder, along with another folder with more videos in that. search for * and cut/paste the files to the original folder. pre RTM, it just does it. it ignores that some of the files the search picked up are already in the desination folder. RTM gives an annoying popup

how about something as simple as selecting a few files? previously it told you something useful. file sizes, etc etc etc. in win7 it says how many items you selected and to click top 'show more details ...' why not just show details to begin with ffs!

want me to go on? there are a lot of things MS screw up on and don't think through and also things that they show a complete lack of flexibility on. not to mention the OPs point re: MS of "we know best" attitude which is completely wrong.

you know best how you like things. doesn't matter how many other people don't do it that way, if it works for you then that's the end of it. MS should have a look at some old burger king ads - want it your way?

 

[Aluvus]

Set up macro applications that automatically configure audio devices based on task. I could press one key for voip and the mic would be selected for recording, the levels adjusted, the output device selected for headphone. When turning off voip it would reset all sound to the original setup. Play a game or movie and have scripts automate the sound settings for that as well.

As a user, if any application outside the OS itself began making such dramatic global changes to my audio settings, I would uninstall it instantly. If your VoIP app/game/movie needs particular audio settings, then the individual application should make those adjustments for itself only. If you have a complaint with the OS, it's that the ability to set per-application volume does not extend to other audio settings.

So I started checking out the MS site to find some answers hoping there was a work around. what I found really angered me, the attitude from MS was one of omnipotence.

From my reading of the response, applications are free to choose their own output device and settings (as they were in earlier versions of Windows), which is the right answer.

 

[M0RPH]

To the guy complaining about the explorer taskbar icon opening to libraries in Win7. There's no registry hack required to change that. Just shift-right-click to open up the properties for that icon and put this in the Target field:

&#37;windir%\explorer.exe /n,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}

As for the sound thing, just another example of them trying to make the OS more "simple". Seems it's not just about making things more simple for the user, though, it's also about making their work simpler by removing or castrating features so they no longer have to worry about issues that arise.