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On 15/02/14 01:13, bad apple wrote:
On 14/02/14 23:12, Julian Hall wrote:
<SNIP>
I think we're working off different definitions of usable there. To me Linux is perfectly usable out of the box, much more so than Windows, any version. Windows doesn't come with a full office suite, a decent graphics package comparable to Photoshop or Paintshop Pro (Windows Paint isn't what I'd call decent), Internet - browser, email and IRC client among others - and Audio/Video tools - VLC, Xine etc - as standard. Granted if you buy a new PC you're likely to have some version of MS Office installed, albeit a time limited trial version. However in Linux even if other functions are superfluous to you, and you just want to get email and browse you can do that in the same way people have used Windows since 95 - with some tweaks to the GUI yes, but the basic functionality of a Start Button in the bottom left corner, an X in the top right to close a program, the Programs Menu, Control Panel etc. All these familiar commonly used functions have remained broadly speaking the same.I did see an in depth review of Windows 8 where the reviewer pointed out all the failures in the GUI, but checking the YouTube url just now it's been pulled. I agree you shouldn't have to download third party software to make it useable, nor should you have to use Google to work out how to do simple tasks. When you get to that point I think you've failed the first principles of HCI.You don't have to download 3rd party software to make it usable. It helps, but isn't essential by any means. For the love of god, I have to download and install a colossal amount of software - some third party - on any Linux system I use as well before it's up to scratch: so is Linux a failure as well?
Also, yes you're right it takes a couple of minutes to search for how to do something on the Internet; that however is entirely my point. If you have to look for help from someone else on how to achieve something that was /intuitive in the old system/, doesn't that say a lot about the failure of the new system to be user-friendly?
Actually yes, referring to my example above of the X in the top right to close programs on Windows 95-7, that's absent in 8 so I had to go looking to find out how to do it. There were other things equally trivial that were equally lacking ease. At that point I discovered that of the searches I did for Windows 8 functions there were so many others wanting to know how to perform the same task they were often top of Google's suggested auto-complete for the search. That in itself suggests that even if, as you say, Windows 8 is usable having tweaked it, there are enough people who are having problems for Microsoft to have got their finger out and addressed the issues.I disagree about your second point as well: google is perfectly suited to finding out how to do things. If you're having to look something up on a search engine in the first place it's presumably not actually that simple after all, is it?
In my old employer they did exactly the same. Had new software written and branded, got a trial group up in Glasgow, trained some of us on support for them. We even had a talk from a Sales Rep from Glasgow on the product. Then they found out - or I think may have even known beforehand - the name was already in use by a Canadian law firm who funnily enough didn't want to sell it to a British ISP. Henceforth mention of the project was banned, so being the contrary sod I am, with the Glasgow trials in mind, I took to referring to it as 'the Scottish Software' :)Julian [1] It ended up not running but I was allowed to keep the laptop.. long story. [2] That was a massive clanger wasn't it, choosing a name someone else had copyright to who wouldn't let them use it.Yes, that is indeed hilarious! Apparently Microsoft's army of lawyers never actually bother to check existing trademarks before naming their products. Please also see SkyDrive, shortly to become OneDrive after Murdoch sued. Regards
Julian -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/listfaq