From: Paul Louden <paulthenerd_at_gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 29 May 2007 08:12:04 -0500

I think a very, very minor inconvenience (as I think this is) is not a
high cost for actual consistency of the interface. I find it much,
much easier to operate the device with just my thumb now relative to
how it was before, and I think a right-handed person will find it only
very very slightly less convenient. Meanwhile, with the old layout my
thumb had to bend at a somewhat uncomfortable angle. So, by your own
argument, my way is better, at least for "convenience" for all users
(rather than to one group). So it increases user friendliness overall
by making it usable to a group that had a hard time before, at a
minimal cost to the other group.

But even moreso, as I said, it offers consistency of interface. Learn
once and you're done. If we only had one menu, rather than two, I find
it likely the main menu would go on the bottom button rather than
leaving that button empty, but because we have two, the main menu has
gone to the power button, and a secondary menu goes on the larger,
more central button.
Received on 2007-05-29