Usability From Redmond

I've just installed Microsoft Vista (fouling my holy CV) to make sure Java Swing GUI looks nearly as close as possible to this taste-less Mac OS X cloning failure. OK, one thing makes me happy: it is a virtual machine (easier to delete it all).

One moment that gave me good laugh how these M$ folks are trying to think about usability. OK, I do not need those ritzy widgets, maybe I even do not need anymore that quite big ribbon at the right side that serves them. So what I did: tried to close by clicking either "->" button or just dragging it away. Right?..

Wrong! Vista "knows better". They probably spent one more million dollars on a research how to handle what user wants to do and then suggest "right way". In my case, Vista asked: "Do you want to close side-bar?" — and offered me a "right way" how to do that. Of course, it is Microsoft way: you need to right-click on it, select an item from menu "Close side-bar" that is messed up with other items barely readable small font and then get a confirmation bubble that side-bar is closed.

Brain dead. Just brain dead. You've got it, Redmond, as you deserve the most: brain dead.