--- Thomas Hruska <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Totoliciu Denis Dan wrote:
> > We are surrounded by graphics and user interfaces,
> > starting from electronic devices and continuing
> with
> > software.
> > Operating systems have support for interesting
> user
> > interfaces features, but none of them seem to be
> used.
> >
> > We often face applications having static user
> > interfaces. The interesting thing is that
> companies
> > have everything needed to build up dynamic user
> > interactive applications. There may be several
> reasons
> > why they are not doing this, though this is not my
> > concern.
> >
> > As a counter-attack to this, I have done a little
> > demonstration application. It has a dynamic user
> > interface and demonstrates in a simple fashion
> that
> > user interfaces can be more attractive than the
> good
> > old rectangular windows that we see each day.
> >
> > You can view a demonstration at the following link
> >
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woOkqx3KDUM
> >
> > I hope that my work will light ideas in people's
> minds.
>
> Problems with applications like that:
>
> 1) While it looks "cool" for a couple minutes, you
> are moving UI
> controls around. This makes it
> difficult/frustrating to select items
> with the mouse.
>
> 2) Blind or visually impaired users will likely be
> unable to use any
> application that uses such a design.
>
> 3) The motion is incredibly distracting for
> ADD/ADHD users.
>
> 4) Multilingual support would be a nightmare.
>
> 5) It will likely continuously chug CPU.
>
> 6) Many users prefer rectangles. When monitors
> start using round
> resolutions, then people might consider something
> other than rectangles.
>
> 7) Some of us prefer our rectangles to consume
> every available pixel of
> screen space (i.e. maximized windows).
>
> 8) Non-rectangular regions in Windows have
> traditionally had "jaggies"
> along the border edge (i.e. no border
> transparency/blending - the whole
> window can be translucent in some versions of
> Windows but not just the
> border).
>
> 9) The average user would get confused/lost.
> Themes/skins have been
> around for a long time. A non-rectangular
> application is going to be
> out of place since it isn't "the norm". Thus most
> apps. are not custom
> skinned/themed to help provide UI consistency.
>
> --
> Thomas Hruska
> CubicleSoft President
> Ph: 517-803-4197
>
> *NEW* MyTaskFocus 1.1
> Get on task. Stay on task.
>
> http://www.CubicleSoft.com/MyTaskFocus/
>
>
I really do not understand WHY when a big giant like
Microsoft gets on the market with something like
Windows Presentation Foundation ***sooooo late***,
everyone claps their hands and goes: WOOOOW!
It seems to me that we are waiting for the giants to
spin it around. Creativity should not be struggled
because of MARKETING and the
so-said-giant-company-driven-USER-INTERFACE-USABILITY!
This is what happens today.
Now, let me give you a full/partial solution:
1. Who said interfaces should go round and around? You
see, this animation is automated so that I did not use
the scroll wheel all the time. No one said every user
interface must be over-animated to yield dizziness to
the user.
2. There can be a simple setting so that animations
are stopped. Skins can be used to change the shape to
a more simple, rectangular one.
3. Also, for ADHD users all the animated stuff can be
stopped. Now maybe you would say the shape of the
application gets the user confused. But what about
user interface research? Why do you feel that this
rectangular windows will have their end along with the
end of the humanity?
4. Multilingual support is almost always a nightmare.
I personally prefer English, although I am Romanian. I
think everyone should conclude that English is the
best human language for stuff related to computers.
5. Microsoft finally found out that it would be VERY
INTERESTING in reconstructing the graphical subsystem
of Windows along with the so-waited-breath-taking year
2007. I thought my nephews will catch up with this.
Look at the GUI on Macs. :)
6. I really prefer more geometrical shapes. It seems
to me that there will always be two sides in software
development that will never merge: *GUI Design* and
*Core programming". I like how Borland ECO suggests
that both sides are very important. :)
7. When you watch a nice splash screen or a
presentation, do you feel the need for it to occupy
all the screen area?
8. I really do not get it: why people should not use
the last drop of Windows? I bet that this will be the
same attitude with Vista, too.
9. I think GUI designers have brilliant ideas about
user interfaces. Marketing is the one limiting them. I
bet most designers feel that a rectangle is not the
perfect shape for the windows of every application in
the world.
I agree with you that there are some garbage user
interfaces out there, but creativity should not be
limited. I think this is also the way of human
evolution. Am I wrong?
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