Linux Questions Desktop Environment of the Year - interesting result

[Kevin Kofler]

I'm going to reply to both in one go here:


drago01 wrote:

>> Why must a desktop resemble the windows 95 UI paradigm?

Because that is what all current computer users are used to! And an 
"inconvenient" fact often ignored in usability studies is that the vast 
majority of your users will NOT be new to computers, but current computer 
users. It's a common pitfall (especially in the GNOME world) to 
underestimate the power of habit.

>> You call that unconventional I call that progress.

Change is not always for the better. This is not useful progress, but a 
useless change which breaks the habits of millions of existing users, just 
for the sake of being different. Your use of the word "progress" implies 
that there is some improvement in the change, but here I only see something 
different, not something better.


… to which Michael Cronenworth replied:

> Not even Microsoft is staying with the 95 UI.
> 
> @Kevin, Windows 8 will look more like Gnome Shell than KDE. What then?
> Will we see millions of Windows users flock to Mac? I think not.

Maybe. Maybe even to Plasma or Xfce. :-) Or maybe they'll just stick with 
the old version. Many people are still running old versions of Office due to 
the infamous "ribbon" crap. Some have even switched to OO.o/LibreOffice due 
to it, and those will become more once the old versions stop being viable.

Users can be very used to even small UI details. Power users have memorized 
them as part of their routine and will get annoyed if you force them to get 
used to a different workflow; non-technical users lack the kind of 
abstraction computer interfaces expect of them and instead remember the 
exact items to click on to do a specific task, and thus will feel totally 
lost in front of an unfamiliar interface. Don't underestimate the power of 
habit!

M$ is actually WAY TOO KEEN on breaking their UI paradigms these days (see 
the "ribbon" fiasco) and we should use that to our advantage (by offering 
users the UI they expect, and loudly advertising that), not stupidly copy 
everything M$ is doing.

        Kevin Kofler