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I've seen a few Windows 7 applications popping up around the web that take advantage of the new task bar functionality. However, some of these applications are treating the task bar like the notification area. There is no foreground window. All interaction is done through the task bar button (with overlays, progress bars, jump lists, etc).

Personally, I like the new task bar more than the notification area because I have the ability to use larger icons and give the user a very familiar user interface with a rich experience. But I also feel like applications like those described above should be kept in the notification area.

What do you think about applications that use the Windows 7 task bar as the "new notification area"? Should it be avoided?

Nosredna
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David Brown
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  • belongs to SuperUser.com. nothing to do with programming – Michal M Oct 28 '09 at 01:10
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    It has everything to do with programming if you're writing an app and want to include functionality you would previously have put in the 'system tray' – Jherico Oct 28 '09 at 01:12
  • I agree with Michal. Also, there is no such thing as a system tray... http://blogs.msdn.com/oldnewthing/archive/2003/09/10/54831.aspx – Lucero Oct 28 '09 at 01:13
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    No, the system tray was never meant for applications like that. It was meant as a way to alert the user to special situations, warnings and such. The fact that people started *abusing* it with permanent icons that actually *lived* in the system tray is the entire reason why the Win7 team found it necessary to add tools to let the user filter out and hide system tray icons. They were never supposed to be there, and they were annoying as hell, but Windows is, and has always been, a magnet for bad UI designers. Apps go in the taskbar. That's what it's for. – jalf Oct 28 '09 at 01:13
  • Lucero, You'll note my actual answer refers to it by the proper name of 'notification area'. – Jherico Oct 28 '09 at 01:16
  • Also, check what your tag is before adding it, even if I can see the argument for superuser, it definitely does NOT belong on serverfault – Jherico Oct 28 '09 at 01:17

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Microsoft is doing its best to discourage use of the 'notification area', frequently referred to as the 'System Tray'. Instead they encourage more detailed and interactive application icons. For example, the progress bar that's visible on the explorer icon when you're performing file operations in the explorer.

Read the windows user experience interaction guidelines for more details on the new recommended functionality.

Jherico
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    That document specifically states that applications without a desktop presence (like those I described in my question) should be placed in the notification area. What I'm asking is if an application should take advantage of the new task bar as its sole point of interaction when there is no desktop presence. Microsoft seems to say "no" but I'd like to get the opinions of others first. – David Brown Oct 28 '09 at 01:33