Common Usability Terms: pt. VI: the Dock
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Sun 18th Nov 2007 15:46 UTC
Graphics, User Interfaces This is the sixth article in a series on common usability and graphical user interface related terms [part I | part II | part III | part IV | part V]. 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 VI, we focus on the dock.
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RE: @google_ninja
by Flatland_Spider on Mon 19th Nov 2007 06:07 UTC in reply to "@google_ninja "
Flatland_Spider
Member since:
2006-09-01

And, if one wants an app full screen, there are numerous ways to make it happen in Windows and Linux, but it is not as intuitive nor as easy to get a "true" full screen on a Mac.


As someone who owns a 12" Powerbook, not being able to fullscreen an app is annoying at times. On larger displays it's not a problem, who wants to look at OSnews fullscreen at 1600x1200, but on screens with limited real estate, 1024x768, it's a hassle.

Anyway, it is a minor point that the Windows task-bar has an additional feature of switching "modes" -- the feature is there if one wants to use it (but I don't really see how it differs much from clicking on an icon in the OSX dock).


I'm not really sold on Mac OS X having a more modeless GUI then any other GUI out there. As far as I can tell, there aren't a lot of apps that follow the vi mentality of a command mode and an edit mode. We maybe comparing apples to oranges, but it's all fruit. There aren't any vegetables thrown in.

Reply Parent Score: 1

RE[2]: @google_ninja
by tupp on Mon 19th Nov 2007 06:41 in reply to "RE: @google_ninja "
tupp Member since:
2006-11-12

... who wants to look at OSnews fullscreen at 1600x1200...

:)


...there aren't a lot of apps that follow the vi mentality of a command mode and an edit mode

I would like to have a version of OSX that runs alternately in command mode and edit mode.


We maybe comparing apples to oranges, but it's all fruit. There aren't any vegetables thrown in.

Agreed. Clementime is a tangerine: http://clementine.sourceforge.net/

Reply Parent Score: 1