For a GUI that is easier to use

[Robert Pang <rpang yahoo com>]

Hi folks,

I consider myself an expert computer users but I
increasing find computers, even those with a
GUI/windowing interface, difficult to use.

One thing I find it particular difficult to do is to
think about what programs to start. Every time when I
want to do something with my computer, for example, to
check e-mails, to look for information in the Web, to
balance my check-book, etc., I need to think about
what programs to use. Sometimes it takes a few seconds
for me to recognize that I need to start Netscape to
surf the Web, or to start Quicken to balance my
check-book. Imagine this from a computer novice's (or
illiterate) point of view, not from a computer
expert's point of view.

Maybe you will think this is stupid. But I think the
way we present what a computer is capable of doing in
an object-oriented (or program-oriented) manner is
counter-intuitive to a computer user, especially to a
novice user. Why should someone go through "Programs
-> Internet -> Netscape" menu sequence to check
stock-quotes? Why can't I use the sequence "Check ->
Stock-quote" to check stock-quotes? Let the computer
figure out that it needs to start a browser (whatever
browser is installed in the computer) and go to a
financial Web page. Of course, this can be done by
just installing a URL link in the "Start" menu, naming
the link as something like "Check stock-quote",
letting the "OS" invoke the system's default browser
and pass the URL link to it. Indeed, this is really
what I want to do on my computer before the windowing
system will organize programs for me in this way.

To put it in simpler terms, I wish the GUI of a
computer to be "task-oriented" instead of
"program-oriented". A user-interface should presents
to the users the "what's" (what the computer is
capable of doing) instead of the "how's" (how to do
such things). I envision that such a system will have
the system menus (namely the "Start" menu in Windows,
or the main menu in "Gnome") to be full of verbs
instead of nouns. We can have a "Check" menu with
"E-mail" and "Stock-quote" sub-menus, "Write" menu
with "E-mail" and "Check" sub-menus, "Buy" menu with
sub-menus with all the things you can buy. Also,
imagine that installing software on a computer is
really installing new capabilities of a computer
(teaching the computer new tricks). I care more for
what a computer can do and less for what software a
computer has.

Just my 2 cents. What's your opinion on it?

Rob


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Shopping - Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products.
http://shopping.yahoo.com/