The TechNet Plus subscriber download area is revamped !!!

Not too long ago the TechNet Plus subscriber download area was revamped.  I wasn’t terribly fond of the navigation methods used on that revamp so of course I sent some email on various occasions asking for a change.  Apparently a lot of you did the same thing.

imageTada!  Ask and we shall receive!

The revamped download area has been revamped again and it’s a much flatter navigational view of the files that are available to you, the TechNet Plus subscriber.

The following list summarizes the features and improvements in the new UI in this release:

  • The “twitchy” fly-out menu with the strange mouse behavior is gone.  RIP.
  • The product list is categorized. This was the most commonly requested organization structure. 
  • The table of contents has been flattened from three levels to two so finding products will be easier. 
  • The list of products can be narrowed easily by using the search filter. 
  • You can find products by using the filtered search or by browsing the table of contents. 
  • You can now search on part of a product name, e.g. “2007,” or on the name of an edition, e.g. “Ultimate” (as in Windows Vista Ultimate or Microsoft Office Ultimate).
  • If a file contains more than one product edition, the names of the editions are listed in plain view. 
  • File downloading, key related tasks, and product information are provided on the same page so you will no longer have to navigate from one page where you search for a product to another where you download files and claim keys. And if you encounter an error on the site, you’ll no longer be taken to a separate error page.
  • File downloading, key related tasks, and relevant information can be seen in a single row so you’ll no longer have to scroll to the bottom of the page to find product keys.
  • Download sizes are displayed prominently so you can see how big the file is before you initiate the download.
  • You can now sort product files by the date they were updated, or by their availability based on your subscription level. 
  • The site will “remember” your last settings for media type, e.g. “DVD,” and architecture, e.g. “x86.”  If no files match your settings, the site will automatically suggest less-restrictive settings.