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Windows XP Edges Out KDE in Usability Test
AstroDrabb writes "Linux, once viewed as an operating system that only computer geeks could appreciate, is today a much more user-friendly software that companies, public administrations and consumers can master almost as easily as Microsoft Corp.'s Windows XP."
For those of us that work with Linux and UNIX on a daily basis, especially in the work place, and have been at it for years, it's even easier than Windows. (That's not sarcasm, BTW).
Be excellent to each other. And... PARTY ON, DUDES!
And rather short on details (such as what is the nature of the assigned tasks used in the test? Copying a file? Formatting a drive? Partitioning a drive?) Also, they had 60 users "aged 25 to 55 with computer skills but no prior experience with Linux or Windows XP" work on KDS, and "20 users with the same qualifications who performed the exact same tasks on Windows XP."
Eh? Why not have them all do it on each? Or even out the groups a bit more?
Anyway, a short, vaguely interesting pro-Linux article. So I'll just be happy, but this could have been much cooler with bigger samples, better planning, and more detailed reporting of the results.
everything in moderation
I can't live without virtual desktops... The poor man's multi-monitor setup. Barring extensions like litestep, Windows has never done this. This is a big useability feature puts linux desktops ahead of Windows. How can you multitask when you can only have one desktop. KDE could include spikes that stick out of the computer and pierce my skull every five minutes, and I would still prefer it over the single desktop windows interface.
I really don't see KDE or any other linux desktop software beating Windows or MacOS in usabilities tests anytime soon. KDE and GNOME keep playing catchup to windows instead of leading the way.
Then you obviously don't know the trick to winning this kind of game. The trick is to stop implementing new features at the exact moment that the "leader" commits to becoming an unusably bloated, worthless feature ladden pile of... Oh my gosh! Stop! Stop!
-- MarkusQ
KDE could include spikes that stick out of the computer and pierce my skull every five minutes,
You could probably rig something up by hacking xscreensaver to run a usb link to one of those battle-bot kits off e-bay.
Just a thought.
-- MarkusQ
To tell you the truth I had a harder time going from windows 200 to xp then going from gnome to kde.
Well duh... going from stone tablets to a modern operating system is quite the jump.
Seriously though, you had problems going from 2000 to XP? It takes like three clicks to set it all back to looking exactly like Windows 2000, and even if you leave it on default there's nothing much changed... just the new themes, an extra panel in Explorer, and a slightly rearranged Start menu...
It says -as- competent though. Which could range anywhere from "I could rig this box tight" to "I think I know how to double-click the email icon".. To "What's a double-click?"..
On the other hand, it stated only that the users had no prior experience with XP or Linux. They made no mention of whether they had prior experience with 95/98/ME or NT/2K, all of which would give a fairly large boost to the XP side of things since most non-administrative tasks are accomplished in the same way, with XP only adding a few colors and curves to the mix.
Argh. I'm tired of hearing people say that the multidesk features are too complicated. They're NOT. They're only confusing when people click em before they know what they do. If you included that in a little "tour of KDE" like windows does then I really don't think it would be a problem. Everyone I've ever showed that to has understood it, and they weren't all computer geeks.
Everyone says we need more unique features, but then when we do have a good feature they say it's just confusing and we shouldn't use it. Every new feature needs to be learned. That will always be the case. You don't throw out good ideas because people haven't seen them yet. You show people the new ideas so they can make their lives easier too.
if(!cool) exit(-1);
I really don't see KDE or any other linux desktop software beating Windows or MacOS in usabilities tests anytime soon.
Did you read the article? Of course not, this is slashdot!
Let me quote: "Linux, once viewed as an operating system that only computer geeks could appreciate, is today a much more user-friendly software that companies, public administrations and consumers can master almost as easily as Microsoft Corp.'s Windows XP."
SuSE/KDE came damned close to meeting or beating Windows XP. I suspect that "anytime soon" they WILL meet or beat WinXP.
Why did WinXP win by a narrow margin in this test? The answer is simple. Look at the test subjects. Although none had previously used WinXP, they were familiar with computers, which means a very high probability that they were familiar with Win9x/NT/2K. WinXP isn't that much different from the older Windows desktop. It has some nice new features, and a huge facelift, but its foundation is still the familiar Windows desktop. WinXP beat out SuSE/KDE simply because the test subjects were already familiar with the basics of the WinXP desktop.
The hurdle facing the new UNIX desktops is not usability, but a public completely unfamiliar with UNIX.
A Government Is a Body of People, Usually Notably Ungoverned
Done this. Although they do offer multiple desktops, it's poorly implemented. When I tried using it on XP, the items in the taskbar reorder themselves in what seemed like a random fashion. Sometimes I would have trouble switching to apps and getting focus. Sometimes I would "lose" applications entirely - they were there but I couldn't get focus or see them in the taskbar. There were quite a few annoying aspects. Enough to make the feature useless. I think this is one feature that could be made more useful, but I'm afraid it is only for power users. I know too many people that use windows and can't grok the fact that you can have more than one application open at a time.
And a god-awful network browser and control panel (or are they in Win2K also?)
Everytime I try to browse a LAN from XP I am like, where the fuck is Entire network, it pissess of and humiliates me.
Wow, sent an e-mail as suggested when clicking on "use classic" banner, and got a fast response that addressed my msg
Yeah, KDE is pretty usable. But it's lacking real smarts. I consider usability to mean "the interface is efficient, and acts as I expect it to". Here are a few (what I consider fairly obvious) features that would really improve KDE for me.
1. Drag-and-drop menus. In Windows, the Start menu is really just a directory structure, and a special case of the Explorer view. You can drag and drop new items into the Start menu / Taskbar and they appear there instantly. You can "Explore" the Start menu and arrange / delete / add items as you please. Compare and contrast with the latest version of KDE that I've tried, where you essentially need a "menu edit" application to set up new shortcuts. Painfully old-fashioned.
2. Faster file access and directory listing in Konquerer. Comparison:
Windows - to view C:\mp3 takes 3 seconds.
Mandrake - to view \mnt\Windows\mp3 takes 9 seconds.
What's more, in KDE the files display one-by-one as they are "found". My "Jazz" folder might appear first, but by the time I go to click on it, more folders have appeared and it has moved. Ugly.
3. Please, give us the option of a double-click interface.
-"I still believe in revolution; I just don't capitalize it anymore." - srini!
GNOME2/KDE3 makes for a very usable desktop, I'd say it's along the caliber of WinXP/Mac OS. Linux starts to fall down when you try to install 3rd party applications (what if you can't get RPMs? what if you're running an older GLIBC?) or hardware.
A scientific comparison of Apples and Oranges
I'll bite...stupid me (;
It sounds like you are mentioning the listing of shares collected by the auto-browse thingie in XP. For a small home network, seeing "MP3's on (insert machine name here)" is nice, IMO. Especially when there are multiple shares with the same names on different machines (I love the home user...no really!). You actually only see the comments field if you use the "Details" view, and even then, those comments come after the share and machine name...Although I haven't used XP Home, so if its different in that version, well...you shoulda mentioned which version (;
When browsing the "Entire Network", machines are listed by machine name only, and if you find yourself browsing the Entire Network alot (or a specific domain) then you should just make a shortcut to that item and save the hassle of the multiple clickthroughs. But thats the same hassle that is in Win2k, not something new to XP.
Next show at 10...
Yuma, AZ...You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious.
This may be off-topic, but ...
...)
As "Joe User" with moderate technical acumen, I recently made the jump and set up dual-boot SUSE. The install went very well, and I was very pleased with the KDE GUI.
But very quickly I had to spend a couple of hours doing things like learning how to set up header files in order to re-compile my kernal to support NVIDIA drivers.
I figured it out. But it took a while.
And still -- after a lot of careful study and research on linuxquestions.org -- I can't get my sound card to work. The best I have gotten for folks with the exact same configuration is "buy a new soundcard and save yourself the trouble".
My point is not to complain, but to indicate that there is still "geek time" and knowledge that must be "paid" to support free software. For many people it becomes like changing the oil on the car -- it's something that *can* be accomplished with enough time and patience. But how much do you want to fritz around with it, when all you want to do is play an MP3 ?
God forbid I want to hook up my digital camera.
Pay the dude $30 for an oil change.
For Linux, the last piece of non-geek usability may be the hardest to attain.
(It's not like I WANT to use MS XP
Let's see some pictures, shall we?
Windows 2000 Professional
Here's my network in Win2K SP4. Mapped drives are marked neatly as "share at machine." Machine names show in My Network Places, with the comment showing to the right in details view.
Windows XP Professional
This is my network in WinXP SP1. Microsoft got rid of the nice mapped drive names of Win2K, so now it uses the longer and less useful "share at comment (machine)." That's one thing they shouldn't have changed IMHO. The Entire Network part of My Network Places hasn't changed at all; however, the root of My Network Places shows all the shares on the network in alphabetical order, which I think is stupid and disorganized. Worse, it still uses "share at comment (machine)" for the listing so it's even harder to follow, especially on a large network.
It's an operating system, not a religion.
where they get test subjects that used neither XP nor linux/KDE...
;)
mac users? i can't believe that! they'd never be pleased with the appearance of XP