Why can’t the Windows Team make Aero Basic look less cheap?

I have been running the Windows 7 Pre-BETA for sometime now and I have been using Windows Vista since the first BETA. One thing that has bothered me and it looks like it will be carried over into Windows 7 is the appearance of the Windows Aero Basic theme. The Windows Team created it for less graphically powerful systems that could not handle Aero Glass which features a semi-transparent UI with cool animation effects. Right now I have been restricted to Aero Basic on 2 systems running the Windows 7 Pre-BETA because the video card driver is either not WDDM 1.1 compatible or its buggy. What I find strange is how certain applications support elements found in the Aero Glass theme on in Vista Aero Basic, but don’t make it full application across all user interface in the OS. Take for instance, Windows Live Messenger:

Here you will see the normal Aero Glass integrated Minimize, Maximize and Close buttons. But When you change to an explorer window or another application on Windows, its those ugly buttons, see below:

Personally, just don’t like the look of the buttons, they just stand out and look like a sore thumb. Aero Basic itself could do with some well needed improvements, like the ability to change the color of the garish bluish scheme that is not compelling. But, I just don’t see what was so hard or wrong to add the same Min, Max, Close buttons to Aero Basic that I see available to Windows Live Messenger. The only drawback with the Aero Glass style buttons in Basic is the lack of the glowing effect which I don’t miss.

Now doesn’t that look better?

It actually gives the theme a bit of self respect and personality. Now, if I could at least get an option to tone down the garish blue, I think a lot users wouldn’t feel so let down when they get a laptop that can’t handle all the rich graphical goodness of Aero Glass. Its one of the things I liked about Windows XP, no matter the system, everybody had the same full experience with theming not matter the type of GPU options available to them.

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Written by Teching It Easy: Windows Vista & 7. Read more great feeds at is source WEBSITE
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