| Novell aims usability research at "better" Linux desktop |
Oct. 10, 2005
Novell Inc. Monday introduced its Better Desktop initiative, a new component of the OpenSUSE project that provides open source developers with usability testing data and resources aimed at making Linux desktop applications a more comfortable fit for users.
The material includes more than 200 video clips of Linux users bumbling their way through unfamiliar computer interfaces, Greg Mancusi-Ungaro, Novell's director of marketing for Linux and open source products told Ziff Davis Internet. This primary research, focused on desktop usage, should prove valuable to Linux application developers, he added.
The videos, downloadable in Mpeg or Theora formats, range anywhere from four minutes to two hours in length and show men and woman ages 18 to 70 using Mozilla Firefox, Evolution, Open Office, Banshee, F-Spot and other applications.
Users are shown trying to do such simple tasks as creating an account on a computer for a friend, sending a birthday reminder to the calendar, changing the fonts on a document, or changing the wallpaper.
Developers 'know too much'
"Application developers know too much about what they're doing when they design software," Mancusi-Ungaro explained. "There's no way they can look at what they've built through the eyes of someone who's never seen it before."
Mancusi-Ungaro said the user's PC experience is made up of hundreds of small decisions, and that often they get sidetracked making those decisions. The Better Desktop program is aimed at helping developers "get the small chores right," he said.
"We have a ton of really valuable material -- a treasure trove, really -- that will help GUI designers save a lot of time and effort," Mancusi-Ungaro said. "These are eye-opening, a lot of them. You can see people really getting lost when they're trying to figure something out, but can't. They get up and walk around, look around and get frustrated -- like we all do once in a while."
Up until now, there was really no way for designers to get hold of videos like these without spending a lot of money having the research done, Mancusi-Ungaro said.
"As a programmer, it's sometimes difficult to know how ordinary people with no technical experience are reacting to your software," said Nat Friedman, vice president of collaboration and desktop engineering for Novell. "Linux people tend to know other Linux people. In these usability tests, we selected test subjects who were experienced with Windows, but who had never heard of Linux, and asked them to perform basic tasks using the Linux desktop.
"We expect that developers from a variety of projects will come to Better Desktop.org and review these results to see firsthand how they can improve the design of different applications, desktops and distributions. Ultimately, improved usability will help Linux succeed on the desktop."
No registration necessary
The videos are freely downloadable here. Developers do not have to register at OpenSUSE.org or BetterDesktop.org in order to download and view the videos, Mancusi-Ungaro told Ziff Davis Internet.
"This isn't designed just for OpenSUSE projects," he said. "This information can be used for developing for any platform. We just want this to help make Linux in general more intuitive on the desktop."
"This is a valuable contribution to the Linux community that will help open source developers benefit from Novell's research to create a better, more user-friendly desktop," said Gary Barnett, research director at technology consultants Ovum. "Usability is a key requirement in order to drive the Linux desktop into the mainstream. This ... will help break down some of the barriers to mainstream Linux adoption on the desktop."
"Novell's Linux desktop usability test results represent a significant addition to the resources available to open source developers who are working to enhance the Linux desktop," said Jan Muehlig, founder of OpenUsability.org, an open source designers' community site.
Mancusi-Ungaro told Ziff Davis Internet that since OpenSUSE.org was announced at LinuxWorld in August, more than 7,500 developers have registered and over 30,000 installs of the open source operating system have been recorded.
If you found this eWEEK.com article by Chris Preimesberger informative, be sure to check out eWEEK.com's Linux & Open Source Center for the latest open-source news, reviews, and analysis.
Related Stories:
(Click here for further information)
|
|
|
Approaching the Linux Desktop
The purpose of this paper is to help organizations evaluate the Linux desktop against their own enterprise needs and discover what benefits the Linux desktop might bring to their organizations.
Migrating To Linux: Application Challenges and Solutions
Several solutions exist to help organizations migrate in an orderly fashion from Windows to Linux desktops. This paper establishes the characteristics of an ideal cross-platform solution and reviews these alternatives in light of this ideal standard. The paper takes a closer look at the pros and cons of various solutions and outlines the business benefits that can be achieved.
Linux Advantages: Publicly Available Information on Linux Software
This paper offers a brief summary of readily-available Linux information to help businesses sort out this widely misunderstood operating system.
Top 5 Strategies for Managing Linux
Despite continuous evolution in the manageability of Linux, a 2006 survey cited manageability concerns as a top reason why organizations are hesitating to adopt Linux. Levanta believes Linux can be as manageable, if not more so, than other operating systems by following key strategies. These strategic recommendations were developed from experiences in numerous customer environments, both large and small.
Why Choose Novell for Linux?
This paper outlines the benefits of switching to the Linux platform and choosing Novell as a high-performance, enterprise solution.
Enterprise Linux Selection Guide
Considering moving your enterprise to the Linux operating system? Since there are so many similar versions, choosing the right one can be tough. This paper offers a clear process to help you make an informed decision and get the features, support, and cost that are right for your business and technical needs.
Overcoming Challenges in Managing Linux
Levanta has created a new administration model with innovative technology that breaks down the barriers to making the most of Linux systems. This paper will provide an in-depth look at the workings of Levanta’s product, the first Linux appliance of its kind.
SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 for Retail Businesses
Discover why major retailers have switched to SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop in the back office. SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 is a low-cost desktop that offers a complete set of productivity applications and interoperates seamlessly with the other Windows, Macintosh and UNIX desktops in your store.
Moving to a Linux Desktop
Migrating from Windows to Linux on the desktop can be a substantial undertaking because it has the potential for touching -- and perhaps disrupting -- every user in your organization. Unlike a data center (server and infrastructure) migration that is largely transparent to users, the cultural and administrative transitions and environment readiness required to support a Linux desktop migration are extensive.
Seven Good Reasons to Exchange Exchange
This paper describes seven compelling reasons why you should switch from Exchange to Scalix.
|
|
|
|
|
news feed
