Thanks Brian,
That's made what you were saying loads clearer to me. :)
As I had suspected, I fundamentally disagree, but at least I'm clear
about what I'm disagreeing with now. Thank you!
Please see comments inline.
Brian Butterworth wrote:
The point about the very specific examples that I gave was that as a
group "Windows users" have a strange and wide-ranging levels of
understanding of the system they are using.
I realise these are very specific examples so I'm not going labour any
points about those specific examples.
If you started with Windows 1.21 or your first times is with Windows 7,
the skills you learn will stay with you.
>
Even if you came to Windows via Mac/OS or GEM or OS/2 PM or X-Windows or
Xerox Star .. you bring along a subset of the whole range of things you
can do with Windows.
Because Linux does not have the attitude of Windows, "a PC on every
desktop and in every home" it has taken shortcuts.
So, everytime there isn't a usability study into the user experience of
a Linux release, there just isn't the attention to detail.
I'm not going to go into the pedantic semantics on what one means by
"Linux release" (kernel.org are sure good at end user UI! ;) ) but I
think it might be worth looking at this project from one of the major
GNU/Linux desktop environments, GNOME:
http://live.gnome.org/UsabilityProject
There once was a time when functionality was the biggie for distro. Now
it's usability and they are making leaps and bounds.
Someone goes, as you did "I can do Alt-F1, arrow, arrow, enter." you
drop some potential new users, because Linux "doesn't understand them".
Given that a modern OS has huge qualities of these components, many
small UI "failings" means the Linux interface fails for more and more
people.
"more and more" -> you don't think there is *any* relative improvement?
I'll assume that's just hyperbole.
Let's think for a moment about "start menus" or menus to launch
programs. The actual name is irrelevant.
Windows 3.1 had some application manager folder thing which you launched
programs from. At the time, the macintoshes had the click and drag style
menus (at least it was on the Performa 400 I had)
With Windows 95, the infamous "start menu" was created, which was a lot
like the Macintosh menus.
In windows XP the classic style start has gone, most of your programs
banished to "all programs". In windows Vista and 7 a search box was
added. KDE4's menu system is remarkably similar.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Start_menu#Evolution_of_the_Start_Menu is
really interesting if you get the chance.
Please forgive the following link. It's obviously quite one sided,
especially towards the end, however it points out the important things.
http://linuxandfriends.com/2009/01/12/windows-7-vs-linux-a-comparison/
I won't reiterate the article but just point out that as anyone on the
latest version of ubuntu will know, notification windows ROCK now.
Someday, someone will stick a few million dollars into sorting this out
and there will be a "perfect release" of Linux that anyone can use BY
BRINING WHAT THEY KNOW OF WINDOWS on a personally deep level.
Well there's at least one notable multimillionaire throwing money at
this at the moment.
http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/223
This does not mean that Linux should simply ape Windows. But it does
mean that as an absolute minimum it should behave as everyone (as
individuals) expect.
Including the requirement of antivirus, application level firewalls and
$latestwindowsworm? I jest, obviously not and you are right that the UI
needs to conform to standards, be interoperable and seamless from
technology to technology.
What would be really amazing would be if Microsoft and Apple
participated in the http://www.freedesktop.org community, however that
will never happen so I might as well forget that and point it out as an
example of how developers are collaborating with each other to ensure
consistent usability across their platforms.
I know I can use any interface that is presented to me. I'm happy with
a VT100 and vi.
That's the problem with Linux, it's designed by people like "us" and not
for "every home, every desk".
hhahhahah, now if *I* was designing a text editor.....
*enter some mashup clone of emacs & vi in a Words 2007 UI with
clarisworks support and textmate bindings*
In all seriousness, I wish I could write something worthy of going in
GNU/Linux distro - the people I know who contribute or have contributed
are a lot more talented than me at least. The quality of code accepted
into debian/centos etc is not for people like me, I can say that.
cheers,
Tim
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