Jakob Nielsen savages Windows 8
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http://www.useit.com/alertbox/windows-8.html[^] Some high (or low) points:
- Surface start screen [is] an incessantly blinking, unruly environment that feels like dozens of carnival barkers yelling at you simultaneously
- the main UI restricts users to a single window, so the product ought to be renamed "Microsoft Window."
- On a regular PC, Windows 8 is Mr. Hyde: a monster that terrorizes poor office workers and strangles their productivity.
I just wish he'd just come out and say what he really meant...
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
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http://www.useit.com/alertbox/windows-8.html[^] Some high (or low) points:
- Surface start screen [is] an incessantly blinking, unruly environment that feels like dozens of carnival barkers yelling at you simultaneously
- the main UI restricts users to a single window, so the product ought to be renamed "Microsoft Window."
- On a regular PC, Windows 8 is Mr. Hyde: a monster that terrorizes poor office workers and strangles their productivity.
I just wish he'd just come out and say what he really meant...
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
I especially like the part about "Low Information Density". :-\ But I remember how Mr. Nielsens own homepage have looked over the years, so it's a bit hard to take him to seriously. Especially since he disallows archiving of his site.
People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.
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I especially like the part about "Low Information Density". :-\ But I remember how Mr. Nielsens own homepage have looked over the years, so it's a bit hard to take him to seriously. Especially since he disallows archiving of his site.
People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.
You can photograph it with your phone! :laugh:
Wout
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http://www.useit.com/alertbox/windows-8.html[^] Some high (or low) points:
- Surface start screen [is] an incessantly blinking, unruly environment that feels like dozens of carnival barkers yelling at you simultaneously
- the main UI restricts users to a single window, so the product ought to be renamed "Microsoft Window."
- On a regular PC, Windows 8 is Mr. Hyde: a monster that terrorizes poor office workers and strangles their productivity.
I just wish he'd just come out and say what he really meant...
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
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Tomz_KV wrote:
"Lack of multiple windows" certainly discourages desktop users.
Who'll just end up using the desktop for multiple apps.
*pre-emptive celebratory nipple tassle jiggle* - Sean Ewington
"Mind bleach! Send me mind bleach!" - Nagy Vilmos
CodeStash - Online Snippet Management | My blog | MoXAML PowerToys | Mole 2010 - debugging made easier
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I especially like the part about "Low Information Density". :-\ But I remember how Mr. Nielsens own homepage have looked over the years, so it's a bit hard to take him to seriously. Especially since he disallows archiving of his site.
People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.
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http://www.useit.com/alertbox/windows-8.html[^] Some high (or low) points:
- Surface start screen [is] an incessantly blinking, unruly environment that feels like dozens of carnival barkers yelling at you simultaneously
- the main UI restricts users to a single window, so the product ought to be renamed "Microsoft Window."
- On a regular PC, Windows 8 is Mr. Hyde: a monster that terrorizes poor office workers and strangles their productivity.
I just wish he'd just come out and say what he really meant...
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
Curiously, i was reading a review that praised Windows 8 before reading this. An althought sometimes he have a point, mainly when he refers to the discoverability of features, i believe he over reacts, specially when he calls Windows 8 on the PC Mr. Hyde. I believe that as a new product it have a learning curve, but it's not as steep as he make it sounds. For a user that gives a damn about the Modern UI and only uses the Desktop, the only new thing he needs to learn is to click in the Start popup in the lower left corner (which can be done also by clicking the Windows key on the keyboard).
CEO at: - Rafaga Systems - Para Facturas - Modern Components for the moment...
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I especially like the part about "Low Information Density". :-\ But I remember how Mr. Nielsens own homepage have looked over the years, so it's a bit hard to take him to seriously. Especially since he disallows archiving of his site.
People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.
Personally I admire Jakob for the boldness in the choice of colours on his site. There's usable. And then there's taste.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
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Personally I admire Jakob for the boldness in the choice of colours on his site. There's usable. And then there's taste.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
True, but while I agree with most that he writes the result on his own homepage isn't that usable. The colours I'm actually not having a problem with. They're odd, not bad. Like orange. :-\
People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.
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True, but while I agree with most that he writes the result on his own homepage isn't that usable. The colours I'm actually not having a problem with. They're odd, not bad. Like orange. :-\
People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.
Hey. That hurts. That hurts bad. ;)
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
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http://www.useit.com/alertbox/windows-8.html[^] Some high (or low) points:
- Surface start screen [is] an incessantly blinking, unruly environment that feels like dozens of carnival barkers yelling at you simultaneously
- the main UI restricts users to a single window, so the product ought to be renamed "Microsoft Window."
- On a regular PC, Windows 8 is Mr. Hyde: a monster that terrorizes poor office workers and strangles their productivity.
I just wish he'd just come out and say what he really meant...
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
I find that web site archaic and ugly - not sure we should listen to what he has to say about usability and design as a result. I've had Windows 8 on my 3+ year old laptop for about three weeks since the old SSD died. I have to say I hate it less than I though I would. The jumping between UI's is only a slight PITA. Most of my day is spent running Windows apps on the desktop, and I hardly see the start screen. It all therefore looks very much like Windows 7 with a flatter theme. I can even run a 'Metro' app side by side on a single monitor with the desktop - i find docking the messaging Metro app like this is quite efficient. Some things are harder to get to, and that's annoying, but I remember feeling much the same by some of the changes in XP as opposed to 2000. In general, though, I now have a laptop that: 1. Runs desktop apps faster than under Win 7 2. Runs cooler 3. Has longer battery life 4. Has faster shutdown/startup/sleep/wake times I can't imagine I will ever sit and stare at the start screen as it's tiles scroll through three lines of info, so think it's a bit pointless. However as an occasional app starter, it's quite efficient with a little customisation. I've added no third party utilities to 'improve' the interface, wanted to live with it out of the box for a while. I found adding a toolbar pointed to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs (the old Start Menu location) and a few apps pinned to the taskbar provides a pretty good way to start most things without context switching. Rod