Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!portal!cup.portal.com!doug-merritt
From: doug-merritt@cup.portal.com
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Video displays.
Message-ID: <4856@cup.portal.com>
Date: 27 Apr 88 18:59:49 GMT
References: <549@zehntel.UUCP> <3467@gryphon.CTS.COM> <6210@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu> <6247@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu> <904@sandino.quintus.UUCP> <451@ritcv.UUCP>
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Lines: 19
XPortal-User-Id: 1.1001.4407


Michael S. Leibow suggests avoiding religious discussion about colors
and resolution (a good idea), and instead taking a survey/vote. But
that wouldn't prove anything; people's actual reactions to user interfaces
are often different than how they *think* they would react.

More to the point, there have been ZILLIONS of studies on such issues
(see SIGCHI for instance), and they are at least moderately well understood.
I'm sufficiently out of touch with that literature that I'm not going
to argue the points, but if you go check it out, you'll find that
judicious use of colors has highly desirable effects, depending on the
particular application. Same goes for resolution. Poor use of colors
is actively deleterious, but when used in a smart way, there simply is
no longer any question but that you're better off with more colors and
more resolution. Expense is a whole different question, but disregarding
that, the opposition hasn't got a leg to stand on.

      Doug Merritt        ucbvax!sun.com!cup.portal.com!doug-merritt
                      or  ucbvax!eris!doug (doug@eris.berkeley.edu)
                      or  ucbvax!unisoft!certes!doug