Sunday, March 17, 2013

Graphical User Interface Survey

by Dietrich Schmitz

Alright.  It seems to me that most everyone understands the importance of a good graphical user interface (GUI).

You fall into one of several camps in terms of preference, depending on which operating system you use.  However, what you prefer to use verses what you use most often (i.e., at work) may be two different answers.  So, I am trying to find out what you 'prefer', not necessarily what you use most often.  (Image Credit: Wikipedia)

And, it would be most instructive to see how responses are across all operating systems, Apple OSX, Microsoft Windows, BSD and Linux (edit and Chrome OS)[1].

So with that, please give your feedback in the survey below.

View ongoing results using this link

The survey will close on Friday March 22, at midnight.  I will post the final results during the day Friday.

Thank you in advance for your participation!

-- Dietrich

[1] Edit: I've tacked on one more answer option: Aura Window Manager (Chrome OS)


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9 comments:

  1. K Desktop Environment doesn't exist anymore, for a couple of years now. You should change this to KDE Plasma Desktop. More info about the meaning of KDE can be found here: http://dot.kde.org/2009/11/24/repositioning-kde-brand

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  2. Thanks for the heads-up. Changed.
    --Dietrich

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  3. I am not sure I agree with your opening statement that most people understand the importance of a good GUI. I talk to a lot of people who assume that if it follows the basic WIMP model then it is a good GUI - they do not really speak in terms of what research and experts say makes a GUI truly powerful and usable. If you read the KDE or Gnome guidelines I would say that the people who make those get the concepts... but many users really do not understand what makes a GUI for a system a good one or understand how a system with a poorly done GUI affects their productivity, efficiency, and error rates.


    With that said, I think enough people do get the concept where the open source community has been pushed to make things better and better. It is startling to compare PCLOS or Kubuntu of today to how they were even just a few years ago; not only have individual programs improved their UIs, but the systems as a whole work more as full systems which is very important in having a good GUI.

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  4. Well, we can 'split hairs' on this--I chose the word 'most' and wrote 'understand'. But that isn't really meant to be construed at the level to which you or I may go to analyze what constitutes a good UI. It was my hedge on whether or not the 'general public' appreciate a GUI's importance--not if they comprehend and fathom the depths of arcane detail involved that glaze over most people's eyes when discussed. ;) Thanks.

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  5. Fair enough. I agree that most understand a GUI is important... heck, a lot of people have no clue there is an alternative. :)

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  6. Hi Dietrich,


    I'm writing this using Firefox 19, nearly 5 times better than Firefox 4.
    Thanks for the advice!


    Mark

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  7. I see a reset button but no "Submit" although it's in the HTML.


    Using Chrome here.

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  8. Voted Openbox - quite a lot of users these days.

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  9. Answered "other" since there don't seem to be any (by-default) tiling window managers in there (I use XMonad, but dwm, wmii, etc. are all preferable to the stacked WMs this list).

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