Worse than that tt's actually an option since windows 2000 and every windows version since then, so it's nothing new he just didn't know about it. Most of the other "power user" things like "open command prompt here" have been available through power toys or such.

It's already in Windows 7: Shift + Right-click in a folder. Then it's in the context menu.

How do you do that in Windows 7? It would actually be useful for me on occassion, but it never even crossed my mind that I could have a new window open up in a new explorer process.

Tools -> Folder options -> View tab -> Launch folder windows in a separate process

Thanks. Not very easy to use, since I'd typically like to just use it on occassion. But at least I know it's there now.

The large percentage of users that don't know what a process is probably won't click on the right-arrow that takes you to that submenu. And if they accidentally do, they'll either hit escape, or maybe they'll google "open new window in new process" and teach themselves something.

User testing shows that non power users nearly always work in a single window anyway. They're unlikely to be confronted with the option at all.

One possible way of managing complexity is putting the complex parts where typical users won't need to go in the first place. The goal of the heat map work they do is to take the options that basic users know they need and set them right out front and center, so that they never need to dig into the rest of the interface and get lost in the rest of the options.