Linux: improving the interface

2007-05-02T07:55:00-04:00

Every time I use Linux I marvel at how far it has come in recent years. I am slowly migrating across much of my development environment, due in large part to how easy it is to automate most tasks in Linux and how much can be done from the shell. I also marvel at how effecient a system it is in its design (by contrast with Microsoft Windows).

Despite that, there are several shortcomings that concern me. For example, an easy way to configure a central security provider (similar to a Windows Active Directory or Domain) would be very good for corporate desktops rather than having local users and groups.

The other thing that bothers me are the toolbars. They are well drawn and technically proficient, it’s just that they look very ‘childish’, for want of a [much] better word.

Take a look at OpenOffice.org’s Writer toolbar, with Left Align selected and the mouse (cursor not visible) hovering over Right Align:

OpenOffice.org toolbar – click to enlarge

I appreciate that someone has put a lot of effort in to that particular interface, but I think that they have completely missed the current trend for minimal borders and contrast. Current interface design tries to create as few borders as possible between elements, and uses shade and colour to convey status and provide feedback on contact. Recent interfaces (from both Apple and Microsoft) do group related functions inside strong borders, but these are very organic in feel – they represent a natural grouping, and the buttons themselves do not have borders between each other.

OpenOffice, I would go so far as saying (A little unfairly), feels a bit like an old programme called Wordworth on the long defunct Commodore Amiga. Wordworth was very good in its day and could be considered a GUI pioneer of wysiwyg editing (unfortunately, I can’t find a screenshot right now). It too featured a selection of ‘chunky’ icons. Partly, that was to overcome the serious limitations in resolution of displays at the time.

Since the early 90s, Microsoft and others have refined the interface quite considerably, and certainly for the better (caveat: I do not believe that Office 2007, in spite of its prettyness, is actually very usable).

It is my opinion that the interface would work much better if it took a more minimal approach to the toolbar.

In fact, if that principle could be applied to Ubuntu as a whole, I think it would create that instant ‘yes, it is ready’ impression, much more so than it does now. It needs to be made very uniform and very beautiful, and it needs to lose those big borders and 5 pixel margins from the toolbar icons!

Comment on Linux: improving the interface by Adrian

2007-09-21T09:38:13-04:00

Follow up: I have just downloaded OpenOffice 2.3.0 and it seems that some work has been done on the interface! Fingers crossed they keep on going. The sensible thing to do is create a drop-in replacement for Office 2003.

Arctus Blog: Linux: improving the interface

Linux: improving the interface

Comment on Linux: improving the interface by Adrian