3 ms·
I don't have any opinion on for either side as I didn't use any such UIs much. Is it possible that this is just nostalgia? Both screenshots look fairly similar
by mo_42 3y ago
I don't have any opinion on for either side as I didn't use any such UIs much. Is it possible that this is just nostalgia? Both screenshots look fairly similar to me.
Also, I don't understand why UI developers don't try to replace all those buttons and the menubar with an omni search bar. Something where I can lookup functions that I can perform but also documentation. Still, we should be able to call function also by shortcuts and maybe we also want to show some important ones below so that people could also click them.
I think people are very much used to typing into search bars (browser, Google, ...) so this might be a valid approach in general.
- hkon 3y agoHow would you know what to search for?
- globular-toast 3y agoPerhaps in an accompanying piece of literature. You could call it a manual perhaps.
- hkon 3y agoManuals are really boring, give me a button I can click.
- globular-toast 3y agoIt's a shame that you've never read a good manual. I recommend The TeXbook by Donald Knuth. Being trained in certain things brings so much joy to my life. I would hate it if my life was just a caveman who can only press buttons and see what happens.
- hkon 3y agoPerhaps, but I think both are nice to have. Being trained in certain things?
- IIsi50MHz 3y agoMaxis's manuals weren't boring… Ok, no-fair picking a game manual. FutureBASIC 1/II/^3 manuals weren't boring…for me, but mebbe that's because I was writing compiled apps that made me wonder how I ever tolerated interpreted languages. (( I still have a softspot for featureful IDEs that are actually integrated, instead of collection of parts that seem…cobbled together. ))
- mo_42 3y agoBased on what I want to accomplish in my document. For example, I want to type a math formula. I could search for math or formula (or both) to get an overview of all related functions. Results don't need to be presented as a list necessarily. But I'd try that first.
- hkon 3y agoI see. Yes I think it would work for most things. But for me UI's are places to explore functionality. So both are nice.
- globular-toast 3y agoYes! This is exactly what my Emacs set up is like. I have a principle which is nothing gets screen space unless I need it right now. So I don't have "tabs" for open files. I don't care how many files are open and I only need to see anything at the time when I'm actively switching file. Also instead of a toolbar I have a large array of physical buttons on my desk which I use to interact with the computer. Nobody uses an on-screen keyboard instead of a real one. I simply go all the way.
- Aachen 3y agoOmni search bar is similar to giving people a terminal and expecting them to know what to type And, yes, recent versions of Word have such a search in addition to the buttons for those that have already discovered the features but don't remember where it was