On 10/02/2009 09:36, "Rob Myers" <r...@robmyers.org> wrote:
> On Tue, Feb 10, 2009 at 9:13 AM, Alun Rowe <alun.r...@pentangle.co.uk> wrote: > >> //personal rant coming up... >> >> For any open source software (Linux for example) to really work on the >> network en mass we need to about user experience. Currently I've yet to see >> an attractive/user friendly piece of FOSS. > > Anecdotally, I find that Inkscape is much better usability wise than > Illustrator, and that Firefox is much less awful than IE's menu bar > idiocy. There are obviously exceptions to prove the rule :) > Be careful what you wish for: the current KDE 4 train wreck came from > the developers focussing on "user experience". It's an interface so > godawful that everyone I have seen use it has been personally offended > by it. ;-) The problem with usability is that everyone has their own way of doing things! > The desktop user experience with Free Software is getting much better. > For me personally it's become a non issue over the last two years > (before then I might have agreed with you more). It is getting better but it's still not 'Dad' proof (My dad has an extremely short fuse when it comes to computers having programmed them since he left school (with punch cards!) through to RPG based Advanced 36's). Once my dad is happy using them then the revolution may begin! > But for many people, "usability" equals familiarity; making it work as > badly as Windows. ;-) Firstly, not everything about Windows is bad, but I grant you lots of it is! Secondly I'm not sure that people want it to be just like Windows. Lots of people try Macs and complain for about 30 minutes about it then when you try to take the machine away at the end of the day they threaten you with violence... People WILL move but it has to be BETTER rather than different.
