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List:       kde-look
Subject:    RE: Linux for the Masses and the Experts  (was: Worth reading...)
From:       "Markus Holzem" <markus () holzem ! de>
Date:       1999-07-16 8:14:21
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> > But three-year-olds and people with equivalent computing skills should not
> > be the target users for KDE.  You cannot make power computing "safe" for
> > newcomers... 
>                                 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> Who says you can't? That's exactly the point! Windows is not easy to use
> for newcomers. Nor is KDE. That's why companies spend millions every
> year on training. If we can save them huge slices of money from their
> training budget they'll use KDE. That is, for most companies, a bigger
> financial incentive than saying there's no licence fee.

Here you have to be very, very careful...

The financial impact for usability cannot be reduced to the learning
time of applications. Say a person earns $25 per hour works 8 hours
a day and 200 day per year. Reducing the training time by one day
saves the company $200. Increasing the productivity by 5% will earn
the company $2000 (assuming that the user works with the system his
entire worktime). Even if the employee works only 10% of his worktime
with the application it will be $200 per year instead of $200 once.

Only to show that efficiency might be more important the easy learning ;-)

> > Given the fact that Linux allows multiple desktops there is no reason
> > whatsoever that anyone should suggest that that any one desktop should
> > "win" and become dominant.
> 
> Yes there is. Consistancy. If you switch a Windows box on, you know
> exactly what you get. You know where the start bar is. You know to go to
> the Programs menu to get to MS Word. You know where the logout button
> is. Any box, anywhere in the world. That's why people use them.
> Usability is a much better selling point than stability. Sad but true.

Yes and no. Make Linux

<advertising on>
  "THE GAMING PLATFORM"
<advertising off>

and at least 50% of the home users will switch to Linux (assuming that 
Linux is preinstalled as MS Windows nowadays is). Everything comes down
to the old rule: "there have to be a lot of applications" - applications
the user wants to run.

[snip]

> > Hmm... Perhaps there should be a stripped down
> > file manager/desktop similar to NewManager for the truly computer
> > illiterate, which can be set as the default "face" of KDE as a user
> > option... "training wheels" for new or casual users.  Underneath, though,
> > all the power and features of KDE would be there.
> 
> Exactly. Start simple, don't overwhelm the user. When they are getting
> the hang of it, introduce more powerful options. Suits everyone, reduces
> training, still provides the power for those who want it.

Curiousity is a mean thing... Some years ago there we user interfaces
you could switch from beginner over advanced to expert. These user
interfaces have died out. If you hide functionality from the user you
have to make it very easily accessible otherwise he will run in expert
mode and you haven't acchieved what you wanted.

The best thing is to provide a VERY OBVIOUS WAY to do a thing the user
wants to do and allow a lot of shortcuts the user might learn over the
time he uses a system.

1) File/Open opens a file.
2) Learn: CTRL-O is a shortcut for the dialog
3) Learn: You can open the file from the filemanager AND start the application
4) Learn: You can drag a file from the filemanger TO the application
5) ...

This mechanisms allow the beginner an easy approach to a system and
allow the expert to get a fast approach to his tasks.

Markus

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