Improving the aesthetics and usability of Squeak
Jimmie Houchin
jhouchin at texoma.net
Wed Jul 10 16:32:16 UTC 2002
I too agree that having the ability to do what we can and normally do in
Squeak windows in other/additional OSNative windows would be a great
feature. I also agree that that feature would be compelling on its own
and not requiring any interfacing to native UI widgets per se.
I know many/most users like and desire OSNative UI elements they have
grown accustomed to. I have 4 Macs and 1 Linux machine (mine). My wife
and children have only used Macs, minus minimal uses/forays onto my
machine or Windows machines at the libraries. My wife always notices
when she is using an app which does not use the native Mac menu bar.
My personal opinion is that UI issues/opinions like such can be overcome
by having a quality UI which frienldy to the user even if it is
different from the OS UI. What we need is compelling applications which
draw the user to want to use our tool regardless/despite a non-native
UI. Compelling apps with quality (compelling) UI would be enough. For
those who it isn't good enough for... Oh well they can be stuck in the
world they choose. :)
I believe the living environment Squeak provides could provide for
compelling differences in normal everyday apps. I haven't gotten into
using Celeste yet. But I do long for the day when I have a "usable by
me" email client in Squeak. Malleable and Customizable. :)
I believe when those apps come and I believe they will. Then we will
begin to see users of normal apps using Squeak. :)
Jimmie Houchin
Jarvis, Robert P. (Contingent) wrote:
>>From: Jim Benson [mailto:jb at speed.net]
>>
>><lots of good stuff on native windows implementation snipped>
>>
>>However, another sticky point comes up soon after. That is,
>>you've provided native windows, the use expects to be able
>>to
>>
>>A) have standard OS menus
>>B) have standard OS keystrokes work
>
>
> "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds..." - Ralph Waldo
> Emerson
>
> In my mind it does not necessarily follow that native windows imply or
> require native widgets, menus, etc. I'd be happy if I could create multiple
> OS-native windows and play with Morphic inside of them.
> Appearance-and-usability-wise it's really no different than the web, where
> *every* web page has its own style of interface. Of course, I'm quite happy
> with Squeak as it is, and in some respects I think that the recurring
> discussions about native windows-n-widgets are just a distraction. Squeak
> is a research project, not a Windows-or-Mac-or-X-native application
> generator. This is a place for trying out new stuff, not rehashing the old
> stuff. I don't think that Microsoft, Apple, the X Consortium, or anyone
> else (including Squeak) has yet produced the "perfect interface". Just my
> ramblings FWIW.
>
> Bob Jarvis
> Compuware @ Timken
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