On Tue, 2006-03-28 at 10:24 -0800, Jeremy Uejio wrote: > What kind of user model are we following anyway? I'd like to make a > personal comment. I use JDS, Mac OS X, and XP. But, I use each one > differently when I need to bring up an application.
It's a valid question. I think it's fair to say we're still basically following a "users who are mostly familiar with Windows" model, although with this latest version we're not following that quite as slavishly as we have done with earlier versions. > On Mac OS X, I most frequently use the dock. If the application is not > on the dock, then it's in the applications folder so I bring up the > finder and then click thru to the applications folder and on the > application I want. You ought to investigate Quicksilver for OSX... it's a killer application launcher (hit Ctrl-Space, then the first few letters of the app you want to run-- or indeed any letters, in order), and it does a hell of a lot else besides. *Way* easier than hunting through the Applications and Utilites folders. (The built-in Spotlight search bar will do this too if you're running 10.4, but Quicksilver does it better and faster in my experience.) > On Windows XP, I use the Start->programs menu. If the program I want is > not there, then I use explorer to go to the Programs Folder or (whatever > it's called. Can't remember since I'm not running on Windows right now). > > On JDS (and CDE), I almost exclusively will bring up a terminal window > and type in the name of the command. If you're bringing up a terminal solely to run a GUI app, you might think about training yourself to use the Run Program dialog (shortcut Windows- or Super-R, depending on your keyboard... it does name completion on known applications and that sort of thing. A bit neater than opening a terminal if you don't otherwise need one. Plus you can then use exactly the same trick on Windows XP :) > Am I just weird, or do I represent a typical developer who will use > whatever model is best on the OS that they are using? Not weird at all... such insights are always useful to us usability folks :) It's interesting, for example, that you use the "hunt through folders for the right application" approach on both XP and OSX, when on both you could just fire up a window designed for that purpose (Run Program, Spotlight or Quicksilver) and type its name, as you do on JDS with the terminal. > (I also do other strange things such as set up my mouse left handed at > work and right handed at home... I do that too :) > and place my gaim window in the lower > lefthand corner of the screen on JDS but place xchat in the lower > righthand corner of the screen on my Mac...) And that, sort of... I put my gaim window top-right on JDS, but my Adium window bottom-right on OSX... Cheeri, Calum. -- CALUM BENSON, Usability Engineer Sun Microsystems Ireland mailto:calum.benson at sun.com Java Desktop System Group http://ie.sun.com +353 1 819 9771 Any opinions are personal and not necessarily those of Sun Microsystems
