tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6990886.post109531966065787353..comments2023-10-31T20:40:14.812+05:30Comments on Sachin's Java and Software Blog: UsabilitySachinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17218289326440085577noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6990886.post-1095830021957647612004-09-22T10:43:00.000+05:302004-09-22T10:43:00.000+05:30Hey Ashish,
I agree with your comment about focus...Hey Ashish,<br /><br />I agree with your comment about focussing on the geeks when it comes to certain Operating Systems until recent times. But things are looking up now. Even then, OSes have a long way to go. But for other software targeting more focussed user groups I don't quite agree.<br /><br />I think to quite an extent software usability is actually quite similar to that of automobiles or products of most other industries. We cannot compare all software together with automobiles. All automobiles are for one purpose only while software is domain specific. <br /><br />If we pick domain specific software, the very nature of competition requires us to follow the same metaphors as the more popular competitor so that we can attract their customers with an easier learning curve. So, over time they all begin to acquire similar features. There's evidence of this in software (IDEs, Music players, 3D modelling, etc).<br /><br />With regards to changes in usability, it does change like fashion :-). Even in automobiles things change. e.g. from manual to automatic transmission. This is technology that affects how you drive the car itself. <br /><br />I agree that software tends to change much much more. The level of interaction with the user in software is several magnitudes greater and not physical but intellectual (which is more malleable). Do you think that might be the reason for the lesser resistance to changes? The automobile industry would choke, from a wholly business point of view, at the idea of requiring to re-learn driving an automobile. But they would, happily, re-locate buttons etc, on your dashboard.<br /><br />Thanks for your comments. I hope I understood you correctly.Sachinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17218289326440085577noreply@blogger.com