Re: [Usability] Re: Control-center styles

[Gregory Merchan <merchan phys lsu edu>]

On Sun, Dec 30, 2001 at 08:38:44PM -0800, Maciej Stachowiak wrote:
> I'm going to skip over most of your mail because I'm on a horrible
> connection right now, but I have one part I need to comment on.
> 
> On 28Dec2001 01:07AM (-0600), Gregory Merchan wrote:
> > 
> > And how many were not Mac designers or trained by the same? My choice is
> > not peculiar. The concepts I'm presenting are consistent with those in
> > the CUA, but I do not use the odd language that they use. (Maybe I should.)
> > The CUA is the basis, to varying degrees, of Windows, CDE, and OS/2.
> > Windows has legacy bits from the age of fullscreen console apps.
> > CDE, at least recent versions, is almost right on.
> > OS/2, coming from the same source, follows most closely.
> 
> It's hard to take you seriously when you present OS/2 and CDE as
> paragons of proper UI design. ...

I also described Windows in the quoted paragraph. It's hard to take you
seriously when you don't exclude it from the paragons of proper UI design.


> ... Both systems are clunky, awkward, ...

Last I spoke to you, you were quite unfamiliar with OS/2 so you've either
managed to get hold of it in recent weeks or you're making things up.


> ... and facing imminent exctinction. ...

Even if this is so (CDE is still the standard Unix desktop, IBM still sells
OS/2, and software is still developed for both), it has little to do with the
design of the interface. If it were such a factor, then the UI of Mac would
have to be quite poor given its low market share.


> ... If there is anyone out there to copy, it's Mac OS X and Windows XP ...

There is no one out there to copy. Every environment has it's share of
problems. (And copying piecemeal without understanding of how the pieces
fit into the whole, assuming there is such a thing, is not prudent.)


> ... (yes, I've tried it, and it's a significant step forward for Windows).

That's not difficult to imagine.


> I don't think most people care what system is the most perfect
> embodiment of CUA, . . .

As I've said before, it's not about the users knowing or caring. If there is
no guiding design of the system then what we'll have will most likely be no
better than a glitzy application launcher.


>              . . . which is an archaic . . .

And the Mac and Windows interfaces aren't?


> . . . and not all that successful model of UI design.

By what standard? The GUI based on the old CUA model runs on most of the
desktop computers in the world by all accounts.


>  - Maciej,
>
>    who hopes he is administering a reality check and not just being
>    needlessly cruel.

Needlessly amusing perhaps.


Still laughing,
Greg Merchan