From: c s <rb_dev_at_yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2003 16:17:12 -0700 (PDT)

--- Linus Nielsen Feltzing <linus_at_haxx.se> wrote:
> c s wrote:
> > One big thing that isn't explicitly stated in the
> document is
> > consistancy of button operations in ALL menus and
> at ALL menu levels.
>
> I'd say that we have been pretty clear about that.
> What is unclear?

Since it's not stated under the list of goals and
nothing else in the NEWKEYS v2 document talks about
consistancy, I would say that it is not clear at all.

>
> > It is extremely poor user interface design for
> > example to have the
> > same key that is used to back out of a menu level
> > also be used as the
> > cancel setting key while in the menu at the
> > setting change level, as
> > is currently implemented on the player.
>
> Which key would you want it to be then? There aren't
> many keys to choose
> from on the player.

I don't care. I think that the cancel function is of
limited use and dispensable. Currently it looks like
the ON button is the only unused button in the menu
screens, but if the ON button gets taken for some
better use, I say that cancel should be eliminated
rather than overloaded onto the same key used for
backing up one menu level. With the way it is
overloaded now, I would be willing to bet that there
is at least a 10-1 ratio of the number of times a user
has mistakenly canceled a setting that he didn’t
really want to cancel, as opposed to the number of
times a user has changed a setting and used the cancel
function to revert back to what it was.

The current method is inconsistent and
counter-intuitive. After changing a setting, that
change must be confirmed by pressing the play button,
but there is no indication to the user that this must
be done, so when the user intuitively uses the key
that is used everywhere else to back up one level, the
setting change is unintentionally cancelled. In other
words you have a hidden cancel function overloaded
onto a button that is intuitively used for some other
common function... not very desirable for a good user
interface design.

=====
Craig

rb_dev_at_yahoo.com

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Received on 2003-08-25