Re: [Usability] Usability study for GNOME on netbooks?

[Calum Benson <Calum Benson Sun COM>]

On 22 Apr 2009, at 22:53, Stormy Peters wrote:

> As many of you know, I'm interested in putting together a usability  
> study
> for GNOME on netbooks.
>
> I've gotten a few quotes from usability companies/contractors and I've
> gotten some interest from advisory board member companies.
>
> However, I could use some help shaping up the study. I'm not a  
> usability
> expert, nor really a GNOME on netbook expert (just a user), so I  
> could use
> some help.
>
> Things left to do:
> - Figure out exactly what we want feedback on,

Well, it sounds like you're wanting to focus on the things that  
differentiate a netbook from a laptop or a desktop machine, and think  
about what elements of the GNOME user experience those might affect.   
Completely off the top of my head (and as somebody who's probably used  
a netbook for all of about two hours), that might be things like:

* Smaller screen : smaller fonts, smaller targets to hit.  Is the  
GNOME desktop legible at those sizes?  Are our default fonts and anti- 
aliasing good enough, and if not, are they easy enough to adjust?  Are  
things like window manager buttons big enough, and if not, are they  
easy enough to adjust them?  Is the trackpad too sensitive/not  
sensitive enough for manoeuvring around a smaller, more densely- 
populated space, and if not, is it easy enough to... well, you get the  
idea :)

* Increased mobility : suspend/resume more often, connect to different  
networks more often.  Is suspend/resume fast and reliable enough?  Is  
it easy enough to join wireless networks, with appropriate levels of  
interaction for secure v. insecure, and for ones you've never joined  
before v. ones you join often?

* Connection to other devices: netbooks tend to have smaller HDs, no  
optical drive etc., so potentially more need to connect to other  
devices.  How easy is it to connect to external or networked DVD  
drives, hard drives etc.?

* Data sync: netbooks often used as secondary devices, so more need to  
sync data with a desktop or laptop computer, or data from different  
cloud services.  How easy is it to do that?

Cheeri,
Calum.

--
CALUM BENSON, Usability Engineer       Sun Microsystems Ireland
mailto:calum benson sun com            OpenSolaris Desktop Team
http://blogs.sun.com/calum             +353 1 819 9771

Any opinions are personal and not necessarily those of Sun Microsystems