Why is there a 'New File' option in the folder context menu in Windows? After all, everyone will just open Word to create a Word file anyway...

The article on the 'Old New Thing' blog by Mark A. Russinovich explores a simple yet intriguing question: why did Windows 95 fail to incorporate a proper context menu in the 'Open' dialog box? The author delves into the technical aspects related to user interface design and emphasizes how design decisions significantly affect the usability of an operating system. Windows 95 was a leap forward in user interface design, and its success was largely due to thoughtful decisions but also certain shortcomings. Concrete scenarios and solutions implemented during the interface creation are presented in the article. Despite the passage of time and the advent of modern systems, many of these concepts remain relevant and can still be seen in today’s applications.