> I didn´t observed directly the XO in use, but I´m very skeptical about > expert reviewers from outside of the target community. If the > interface is different maybe that´s because the situation is > different.
I haven't used it *extensively*, but since getting my hands on an XO last week, I've had a few chances to spend an hour or so with it and check things out. I agree it would be foolish to judge the social aspects of the OS without being surrounded by other people using them so the social components could be examined, but I disagree that the difference in situation should be given as much leeway as you're giving it. Good design principles can be applied regardless, and the XO is lacking in this area. For example, the #1 thing I've noticed with Sugar is the same #1 thing I've noticed in most web apps: an incredible lack of instructive design elements. I think the people working on this OS and on the multitude of applications that can be used to extend it are doing fantastic things - don't get me wrong - but they're in desperate need of a skilled interface designer, at the very least. >From the very first moment, it's difficult to tell even how to *open* the laptop. Once you turn it on and start trying to make sense of the environment, most clicks are guesses. Few are educated guesses. There's simply nothing - *anywhere* - that communicates how to make things work, what they do, what they mean, etc. There's nothing instructive about the UI, nothing self-evident. And the Getting Started guide at www.laptopgiving.org/start is more of a marketing piece than a how-to. It would convince you to buy the product, but does a poor job of telling you how to use it. You don't have to be an ethnographic design researcher to know that getting users up to speed is essential for a good experience. One can only hope that those who deliver these machines are also sticking around to train their recipients. It's clearly stated on the OLPC site that they do not offer tech support because they hope users will become savvy enough with the XO to fix issues on their own. I think this is ... well, insane. Including an app for writing basic Python does not, by any means, ensure that the kids on the other end of the OLPC initiative will ever understand it. So far, a huge number of design decisions have clearly been made by the proverbial developer. And he's not just *any* developer, he's a *UNIX* developer. He is - let's face it - in his own league of geekiness. On another note, can I ask why you're exploring this, Dan? Are you collecting info for a paper or some other purpose, or are you just curious? -r- ________________________________________________________________ *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
