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I hate this converging of touch interfaces and desktop interfaces. I get that it's easier than ever to share codebases between your desktop and mobile app, but

by hbn 4y ago

I hate this converging of touch interfaces and desktop interfaces. I get that it's easier than ever to share codebases between your desktop and mobile app, but all you get out of this trend is interfaces that are neither good for touch nor for desktop. They're just... passable and occasionally annoying for each. It's why I'm against the idea that so many have put forward of bringing macOS to the iPad. It just means that macOS will be forced into being a touch-first OS (since many people use iPads without keyboards, so every interaction now needs to be doable without one) and it'll just be a worse experience for a keyboard and mouse setup.

deleted 4y ago
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gumby 4y ago
I like, well not convergence exactly, but certainly coherence. TBH the old system preferences with its array of icons is more iOS like and the transition should have gone the other way. OTOH I agree that the Mac should retain and maintain the primacy of kbd-and-mouse interaction and ipad/phone the finger interaction. Jamming one metaphor into the other is terrible and lazy, which I think is what you were getting at. Omni group’s apps are good examples of getting it right. The app icons aren’t the same but they rhyme; the visual metaphors are the same but the interactions are appropriate to the tools (kbd/mouse or finger) and sizes of the various devices. Pity Apple can’t go to the same effort. It’s newly great, or even that great at all.
usrn 4y ago
tbh mobile interfaces aren't even nice on phones. I own a Pinephone and normal X11 apps feel like an improvement even with that form factor.
bromuro 4y ago
> I hate this converging of touch interfaces and desktop interfaces. In 2022 the first experience with a computer is, for most people, a smartphone. It feels natural removing checkboxex for toggle buttons. After all isn’t the web UI all about converging touch and non-touch (aka “desktop”)?

by hbn 4y ago

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

gumby 4y ago

I like, well not convergence exactly, but certainly coherence. TBH the old system preferences with its array of icons is more iOS like and the transition should have gone the other way. OTOH I agree that the Mac should retain and maintain the primacy of kbd-and-mouse interaction and ipad/phone the finger interaction. Jamming one metaphor into the other is terrible and lazy, which I think is what you were getting at. Omni group’s apps are good examples of getting it right. The app icons aren’t the same but they rhyme; the visual metaphors are the same but the interactions are appropriate to the tools (kbd/mouse or finger) and sizes of the various devices. Pity Apple can’t go to the same effort. It’s newly great, or even that great at all.

usrn 4y ago

tbh mobile interfaces aren't even nice on phones. I own a Pinephone and normal X11 apps feel like an improvement even with that form factor.

bromuro 4y ago

> I hate this converging of touch interfaces and desktop interfaces. In 2022 the first experience with a computer is, for most people, a smartphone. It feels natural removing checkboxex for toggle buttons. After all isn’t the web UI all about converging touch and non-touch (aka “desktop”)?