Cubic,
I believe your observation is correct in all areas of
technology! Burt sticking to computer application interfaces, take a
look at the latest release of Diskeeper, which in my estimation is an
absolute necessity due to how fast and badly Vista files get fragmented.
It provides one with any and all info you might ever need about your HD,
but it's so busy, and so visually convoluted that even some of the
people I know who are technically adept have complained to me that they
couldn't figure out how to use it! And even I would much prefer a
singular menu that provides a simple list of its services to choose
from!
from Robert Meek dba "Tangentals Design"
e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Freelance Windows Programming for XP and Vista
Also proud to be a Moderator of the "Delphi-List" at elists.org
"Reality cannot be explained...only enjoyed or endured as your current
perspective allows!"
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of CubicDesign
Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2007 6:57 AM
To: Delphi-Talk Discussion List
Subject: Re: Good morning Delphi question
I observed (but maybe I am wrong) that there is a direct relation
between the request for a cool (fancy, 3D, colorful...) interface and
the user's skills in computer.
A beginner will always ask for a '1 button 3D interface'. They decide to
use a program based not on the size on disk of that program or on memory
requirements, but on how good the program looks.
On the opposite direction, advanced users requests for complex
interfaces that ARE ABLE to do multiple and complex functions.
If the interface is colorful or not, it doesn't matter to them.
Even more, they use often Shell or Dos boxes where the coolness of the
interface is zero.
_______
I must tell you about my new digital camera's software (which fall in
the first category) that can download my pictures from camera.
The size of the program (installed) on disk is way over 100MB.
The interface (and the manual) goes like this: press the 'Download'
button to download your pictures. Press the 'View' button to view the
pictures.
Irfan View can do the same stuff (and much more) in 2MB. But a beginner
won't use it because its buttons are not rounded and semi-transparent
and 3D.
_______
My conclusion is that a 3D interface program is good as long as it stays
under 2-3MB.
If I have to wait more than 4 seconds to load it, then I happily open
Google to look for a different one.
_______
Of topic: there is a program called Foxit that can load a PDF in less
than a second. The program has no installer and can run from a
floppy/flash stick. Finally a good Acrobat replacer.
Eugene Nosko wrote:
> Good point you got there, in my opinion, the best user interface is
one
> button which occupies whole visible area on the screen. The caption on
the
> button is - "Do everything I need right now" and when user pushes it,
it
> actually does it. Of course this is far away from reality, maybe AI
will
> make it possible but the point is, the good user interface should not
be
> fancy if it doesn't need to. If program performs simple repetitive
tasks and
> 4 functions that keep it under control (like on/off/load/save) no need
to
> design 3D interfaces.
>
> On 6/18/07, orca skynet <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
>> Never had a customer that required a high-tech interface. My apps are
>> quite
>> old-fashioned in the inferface part, and when i look around in the
>> accouting
>> departments whereever i come, i still encounter text-based interfaces
...
>> Winapps will be around for some time, there are still a lot of
people,
>> even
>> in younger generations that aren't computer geeks, and never will be.
>> Simple
>> straighforward interfaces is by the way one of the stronger
>> characteristics
>> of my applications. Easy to use, an orderly overview and stupid
'plain'
>> buttons. Believe it or not, in an administrational environment,
nobody
>> ever
>> asked me for a drap and drop interface. You know the one, the kind
where
>> you
>> dropped or dragged something by accident ... and that's just not
something
>> you want to encouter when working with critical data.
>> I admit, 3D interfaces, they are cool, look flashy, but in the end
your
>> still doing the same thing you've been doing for ten years,
>> I'd rather see investment in stability and security on the miscrosoft
>> side,
>> instead of cool interfaces and gadgets.
>> Of course it has it's value, in certain environments like DTP or CAD
or
>> whatever, but in your standard administration it's not a requirement,
>> it just clutters the essence of the matter. And let's face it, isn't
>> standard administration the greater part of what we're al doing ?
>> The strength of software has always been what it can do for you
>> automatically, following certain rules. It's meant to save time,
prevent
>> errors, and help you where it can. If it looks nice along the way,
that's
>> a
>> good thing, but functionality still dominates on my part.
>> Applications where interfaces are the essence of the matter are
rather
>> rare,
>> and mostly in specialized markets that development their own
interface
>> standards.I've never been one of the guys to jump on every new train
that
>> came by, and uptill now never had to regret it.
>> Innovation is a nice thing, but let's not get crazy. I'd spent more
on a
>> laptop-battery that would hold for ten hours than on a 3D interface.
>> Sure, at some point we'll have to following the trends that are
evolving,
>> but don't we have on great influence on that ourselves ????????
>> Furthermore, making a living out of software or not depends on far
more
>> factors than just software alone, I sell and can sell simple
>> administrative
>> packages for EUR500 to everyday small businesses. Packages that one
could by
>> of the shelf for EUR100 with far more options. And i even confront
these
>> people with that option, and still they are more interested in what
i
>> have
>> to offer. An easy to use 'conservative' winapp with solid support
behind
>> it,
>> and help whenever needed. Instead of diving off the cliff, trying
every
>> EUR100
>> package, one after another, getting stuck along the way and lost in
the
>> maze
>> ... And this symptom is spread over all the customer ages ... When
they're
>> doing business, they'd like to concentrate on their business instead
of
>> getting lost into something that is 'but' a tool ....
>>
>> Seems i'm in my writing days ..
>> Orca
>> Gent - Belgium
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "David Lyon" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>> To: "Delphi-Talk Discussion List" <delphi-talk@elists.org>
>> Sent: Friday, June 15, 2007 2:30 AM
>> Subject: Re: Good morning Delphi question
>>
>>
>>
>>> Hi Robert,
>>>
>>> I appreciate entirely your point of view, but I don't think it is
fair
>>> to blame miclonoft or whoever it is for the whoes of the world.
>>>
>>> Simply because even they are under pressure... because time moves
on....
>>> software is competitive...
>>>
>>> Recently I did a presentation at the Australian Delphi Users Group
on
>>> OpenGL. I make the claim that all WinApps are going to be as
obsolete as
>>> character interfaces over the next few years. User Interfaces are
going
>>> 3d... like it or not...
>>>
>>> So you're accounting system will come up with a 3D cube with the
>>> customer face on it, the invoices will get stacked in 3d, you'll
move
>>> things around in the 3d workspace.
>>>
>>> MS isn't to blame for that, but probably Apple with their really
really
>>> sexy 3D apps.
>>>
>>> So when one door closes, another opens.
>>>
>>> My suggestion is to learn GLScene for Delphi and start learning 3d
>>> interfaces.
>>>
>>> I think that is where the 'cool' in programming is going these
days....
>>>
>>> Regards
>>>
>>> David
>>>
>>>
>>> Robert Meek wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi all,
>>>> Sorry I haven't been able to participate on the lists so
>>>> infrequently as of late. And thanx for the many personal
well-wishes I
>>>> have received from so many members over the last couple months. I
am
>>>> amazed my friends here have shown their support and care so much
more
>>>> than those I've known locally since grade school! But I guess it's
>>>>
>> more
>>
>>>> due to the fact that they are still living their lives nightly
sopping
>>>> up beer at the firehouse trying to keep up Schuylkill County's
>>>> reputation as drinking more per capita than any other county in the
>>>> entire State of Pa., while I only show up for meetings anymore!
>>>> Although it's been tough getting back into my work I HAVE been
>>>> trying to create a different interface for XP and/or Vista unlike
those
>>>> commonly available because most of the few small business clients I
>>>> still have loyal to me are constantly complaining that they want
more
>>>> integration into the OS of the various solutions I offer them.
>>>> Especially for those that have upgraded to Vista, where Microsoft
is
>>>> doing it's best to make it impossible for the lone programmer to
get
>>>>
>> any
>>
>>>> work because of their offering everything I used to provide with
>>>>
>> desktop
>>
>>>> solutions for free! Basically, the only two programs I've sold in
the
>>>> last year have no real visual UI of their own but simply get called
and
>>>> work from the OS's menu systems. I wouldn't mind so much but even
>>>> business clients who should know better don't like paying for
something
>>>> they can't see no matter how well it works or what problems it
solves
>>>> for them!
>>>> There was a well written but depressing article/editorial in a
>>>> freebie NET mag I read last month, ( the name escapes me at the
moment
>>>> ), in which the writer compared guys like me to canaries in the old
>>>>
>> coal
>>
>>>> mines, and how unless you can re-educate yourself to work using NET
as
>>>> part of a team, but specializing yourself in one particular area of
the
>>>> target solution, it is impossible to make a living anymore.
>>>> I never made a living or really tried to as programming has
>>>> always been more of a sideline for me having started so late, but I
>>>>
>> used
>>
>>>> to at least make it pay for itself and used it as an additional
asset
>>>>
>> to
>>
>>>> the services I provided my clients!
>>>> How are some of you that might work alone as I do been dealing
>>>> with such problems...or aren't you?
>>>> I've dallied about with VS and NET over the last two years, but
>>>> I must admit that I find Delphi much easier to work with and
>>>>
>> understand!
>>
>>>> NET programming feels to me like cooking by recipe in place of
>>>> experimenting with your own creativity and finding how to make a
dish
>>>> that tastes good. And its taking programming where the
availability of
>>>> computing power has taken the game of chess...making it a worthless
>>>> endeavor unless your idea of fun is in crunching data!
>>>> Any comments?
>>>>
>>>> from Robert Meek dba "Tangentals Design"
>>>> e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>>> Freelance Windows Programming for XP and Vista
>>>> Also proud to be a Moderator of the "Delphi-List" at elists.org
>>>>
>>>> "Reality cannot be explained...only enjoyed or endured as your
current
>>>> perspective allows!"
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> __________________________________________________
>>>> Delphi-Talk mailing list -> Delphi-Talk@elists.org
>>>> http://www.elists.org/mailman/listinfo/delphi-talk
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>
>
>
>
>
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