Re: [Usability] Using Control-Esc and Windows keys to access the start menu

[Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie>]

On Sun, 20 Aug 2006, Kirk Bridger wrote:

> What you're talking about seems to be a fairly easy thing to create
> using keyboard shortcuts.  It does not, however, sound like a general
> computer user's shortcut.  I use Meta(Win)-E all the time in Windows to
> launch an Explorer shell, and I don't know how people open explorer
> otherwise.

On both Gnome and Windows you can right click and choose Browse but things
in the context menu are not particularly easy to discover.

> They must use desktop icons or some Start menu thing.  But
> to me it seems so much easier to use the keyboard shortcut.  However
> when I try to teach novice computer users about the shortcut it simply
> does not stick.  They have no background to understand that E is for
> explorer.  They don't know the different between CRTL, ALT, and Meta
> (Windows).  There are so many assumptions on my part getting to using
> Win-E that it really isn't a basic thing to do.

In my experience users tend to be more impressed by Super M, which
minimizes all (or Shows the desktop if you prefer) since it is visibly
dramatic and a sometimes awkward feature to reach.

-- 
Alan