Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!seismo!ukma!psuvax1!rutgers!bpa!tci!kempf
From: kempf@tci.bell-atl.com (Cory Kempf)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.misc
Subject: Re^4: OSF/Motif vs. NeWS vs. SUN/Open Windows vs. ?
Message-ID: <689@tci.bell-atl.com>
Date: 14 Feb 90 16:13:19 GMT
References: <671@tci.bell-atl.com> <1907@cbnewsi.ATT.COM>
Organization: Technology Concepts, Inc.  Sudbury Mass.
Lines: 31

smikes@cbnewsi.ATT.COM (steven.mikes) writes:

>Far be it for me to come to the aid of our competition, however a few words
>of truth must be said on behalf of Motif, and HP in particular.  Relevant to
>another article in which the respondant states market share percentages, I
>don't see at all what bearing that has on selecting a good user interface.

Since I posted that article, I thought I would explain it.  

A good user interface will do several things for a product, almost all
of which come out of making it easier to use and end up saving/making
the producer money.  One of the areas in which a user interface will
save money in is product support, but only if people are familiar with
that UI.  Look at the Mac -- Most applications share the same UI.  The
typical user can pick up a new application, and figure out how to use
it in a very short time, without looking at a manual, usually without
looking at help.  Look at MS DOS.  Every application defines a new UI.
Knowlege gained from one application cannot be transfered to another.

All of this boils down to meaning that to get the most out of a UI,
you need to be using a UI that the users are already familiar with.
(Otherwise you need to teach them how to use it).  

The point of my article was that Motif looks like it is becoming the
defacto standard (i.e. everyone is using it/planning on using it).

-- 
Cory Kempf		Technology Concepts	     phone: (508) 443-7311 x341
uucp:	{anywhere}!uunet!tci!kempf, kempf@tci.bell-atl.com
DISCLAIMER: TCI is not responsible for my opinions, nor I for theirs
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