Voice User Interfaces (VUIs) are a new concept to many who now have the task of doing everything it takes to develop a VoiceXML application. This (old but interesting) article describes the difference between the VUI and the long-familiar GUI.
Design Differences: VUIs Versus GUIs
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Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
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Mmmm.. one step closer to TNG !(?) My dream-OS (LCARS). The TNG technical manuals describe touch-screen terminals which emit sounds from the glass itself where pushed, I read on /. way back that NEC (I believe) actually made something like this.
Although, I have to disagree. The article implies that Windows will have this technology before other operating system. I think that Linux, with its history of innovation, and open development methods will have the first true, and polished VUI. Windows may improve on it slightly, and make it so you don’t have to edit any config files manually, but I doubt it will be as popular as the original Linux version that I foresee.
Although the article is somewhat interesting, I think the concept of comparing a GUI to a VUI is indicative of a problem. By pointing out the numerous differences, it becomes clear that there aren’t many things in common except that they are both interfaces. By comparing a new interface to a well established and totally different interface, I get the feeling that some people may try to sledgehammer concepts from GUIs into VUIs. VUI is radically different from GUI and as such deserves the attention to be designed properly from the ground up. We also need to look at how these things are best used. In some applications, VUI might be the only interface, and in other applications the VUI might just be a part of the total UI.
I work in an office full of cubicles with about 100 people in close proximity .. I can’t imagine the benefits of VUIs wouldn’t outweigh the drawbacks in this case
“The article implies that Windows will have this technology before other operating system. I think that Linux, with its history of innovation, and open development methods will have the first true, and polished VUI.”
*Cough*
That was the worst attempt at trolling I’ve seen in a while. Both Mac OS X and Windows XP Tablet PC Edition have decent voice recognition. Currently Mac OS X’s is only for voice commands, but Windows XP’s can be used for both commands and dictation.
I am a big OSS fan, but what the heck would one have to be smoking before they could seriously say what you just did, much less believe it
That was the worst attempt at trolling I’ve seen in a while. Both Mac OS X and Windows XP Tablet PC Edition have decent voice recognition. Currently Mac OS X’s is only for voice commands, but Windows XP’s can be used for both commands and dictation.
<p>Not to mention OS/2 had it ca. 1996.
The main issue with VUIs is that they will never be used as much as GUIs. The main issue is that people want their privacy and don’t want everybody around them knowing what they are doing. Obviously it would be bad for an office environment. They could be good for the visually impaired, and for people in the privacy of their own homes.
If VUI are widely used, one thing I can imagine is that: NOISY WORLD!!!. Seriously, I think GUI is a far better solution than VUI. I myself are having difficulties in remembering command “phrase/word”, that is why CLI is not my favourite.