[OT] linux desktop usability (was Re: [linux-audio-user] Opening up the discussion)

[Lee Revell]

On Tue, 2005-07-26 at 08:38 +1000, Shayne O'Connor wrote:
> there is nothing wrong with this, indeed it is the
> sort of expectation that is currently being pushed in the wider
> community.

And, just as important, it's not incompatible with keeping the system
"power user friendly".  Currently the people who have the most trouble
with the Linux desktop are not the novices, it's the power users coming
from OSX and Windows, the type of people who can browse the web and
answer email for hours on a Windows machine without ever touching the
mouse, because what frustrates these users more than anything is an
inconsistent UI which the Linux desktop has in spades.

Right now we do a very good job catering to both the novice and the UNIX
guru, who can switch between the GUI and command line effortlessly.  But
for many of those in between it's still a usability nightmare, because
it's still not possible for a power user to make full use the Linux
desktop without occasionally resorting to the command line.

For example try to use tab and the arrow keys to move the focus between
widgets in a GTK app.  You will find the behavior is completely baffling
and inconsistent, for example a different series of tab/shift-tab/arrows
to cycle forward 5 widgets vs. going backward.  This type of thing will
cause a Windows user to laugh out loud and tell you to get a real OS.

Lee