Linked by Thom Holwerda on Wed 7th Nov 2007 13:39 UTC
Graphics, User Interfaces This is the fourth article in a series on common usability and graphical user interface related terms [part I | part II | part III]. On the internet, and especially in forum discussions like we all have here on OSNews, it is almost certain that in any given discussion, someone will most likely bring up usability and GUI related terms - things like spatial memory, widgets, consistency, Fitts' Law, and more. The aim of this series is to explain these terms, learn something about their origins, and finally rate their importance in the field of usability and (graphical) user interface design. In part IV today, we focus on a dead horse Fitts' Law.
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WinXP vs. OSX?
by TemporalBeing on Wed 7th Nov 2007 18:11 UTC
TemporalBeing
Member since:
2007-08-22

Personally, I experience this little fact every day when trying to do window management in Windows XP; since Windows lacks decent window management keyboard shortcuts (for me, that is) compared to, say, OS X, I am more or less forced to use the buttons in the window titlebar.

Hmm...I'll be the first to admit that I am not familiar with the keyboard shortcuts in OSX, but Window's keyboard shortcuts are one of the few things it has going for it. Per the direct quote above, the three buttons are accessible as follows:

Close = ALT+F4
Maximize = ALT+SPACE, M
Restore = ALT+SPACE, R
Minimize = ALT+SPACE, N

Now, if the author had mentioned configurability of keyboard shortcuts - I'm sure OSX, as would any X Windows systems, would certainly win out - as Windows is 100% not configurable for its keyboard shortcuts. (Yes, some applications allow it, but not Windows itself - at least for those using Windows Explorer, which is what most people use. [Apparently, some of the replacement window managers do provide such functionality, but they are not as entrenched.])

RE: WinXP vs. OSX?
by Thom_Holwerda on Wed 7th Nov 2007 19:40 in reply to "WinXP vs. OSX?"
Thom_Holwerda Member since:
2005-06-29

Close = ALT+F4


Alt+f4 is evil. Look at where your alt key is, and look at where your f4 key is. The f4 key is east of the alt key, and as far north as it gets, making the finger position completely unintuitive (nigh-on impossible).

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RE[2]: WinXP vs. OSX?
by hobgoblin on Thu 8th Nov 2007 16:25 in reply to "RE: WinXP vs. OSX?"
hobgoblin Member since:
2005-07-06

heh, thumb and long finger, thats how i do it ;)

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RE: WinXP vs. OSX?
by Pfeifer on Fri 9th Nov 2007 08:30 in reply to "WinXP vs. OSX?"
Pfeifer Member since:
2006-02-20

OS X does not use the X Windows system. It uses it's own drawing layer, Quartz.

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