I do. I use text all the time. In fact, I'm using it right now. I'll bet you can even tell what I am saying just by using these funny squiggly-shaped abstract symbols right here on the screen.
Yeah i just swiched to an iPhone 3gs from my tilt which had winmo 6.5 running on it (thanks to xda) and having text for the main screen was so much better than the tiny icons on the iPhone. It would be better if the icons gave some information such as the actual weather and a working clock. I really cant wait to get to play with an HTC hero and even more excited to see what microsoft brings to the table with winmo 7.
Um, most people would say that an icon based UI is more recodnizable and easier to familiarise themsleves to than some text based UI. It the very reason we have traffic signs with symbols and pictures, and not just text. LOL.
I could understand test on a smaller screen like the iPod clasic, but geez a 3 inch sceen with blown up text?
sounds like you're looking for widgets, which seem to be nice and all. I prefer a cleaner "desktop" for my phone, preferably with nothing much else besides the time and missed calls or whatnot. But I agree, if the icons were a bit more dynamic and just told me what i wanted without having to click them first, that would be grand.
@james (you guys are really creative with names)
I disagree in that when i read a word, I know what it means right away. When I see an icon, it may or may not take me to what i think its going to take me to. That's more or less up to the manufacturer to make sure the icons are easily recognizable. Its just that text appears cleaner and there's no questioning what it does. It does what it says it does.
Dave95- sure, road signs are easy to recognize with their icons... AFTER you take driver's ed and memorize that little sheet telling you what they actually mean. Sorry, but when it comes to a simple menu, I'd rather not have to use a cheat sheet.
Yeah Dave95, and since when do you speak for "most people"? I presume most people using this device can read big words like 'Music' and 'Video' without much problem.
@Dave95: There are other reason's as well. In example, a picture of a crossed out cigarette is recognizable by those that don't speak the native tongue of the location the sign is established.
You can (and need to) to optimise your UI for different scenarios.
Say you know that almost every person who uses your device will be using it for the first time like a kiosk.
Or say that you know that the person will be using your device many times a day, every day, like a mobile phone.
You should come up with pretty different results in what you design: a more "expert" device should have UI that requires learning but allows you to have a higher level of functionality whereas a "novice" device should only have a few, limited options, and should make it clear what each should do, in your own language.
Watch a Linux expert use the command prompt and he will blow you away with his productivity. Sit a beginner down and watch them cry as nothing makes any sense to them.
Watch a child use an iPod and sit in wonder as to how they can instinctively use it. But get frustrated more as time goes by that you can't do all the things that you want to do.
The Zune menu tells you everything you need in massive text. As a first time user, that's brilliant. Icon-based UIs need a little bit of learning, but not much. You very quickly associate that blob with doing something, and you become the equivalent of that Linux user. Suddenly, it's much faster and easier for you to recognise that icon than to read through the text.
Apple have balanced it all on iPhone OS by combining the text to tell you what that will do with the icon to allow you to learn and recognise it easily. It's not innovation but it is understanding people and human factors.
Where they have fallen down is in icon overload - the iPhone OS is in dire need of organisation of the icons because, when you see a screen full of relatively unfamiliar apps, you lose that quick ability. It also still falls down in terms of absolute functionality. Why no file system?
That said, text would be worse. Text overload is much worse than icon overload
Imagine a Zune screen full of the names of 100 games written in massive text? My brain hurts..
"I'm moving to a small studio and for some reason the cable connection is in an awkward place and I need a way to transmit HD quality video and audio no more than 20 feet away. What is the best wireless HDMI transmitter / receiver for this situation? Thanks!"
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Best media UI I have ever seen.
agreed
LOL, if you like text-based menu system, especially for the root menu. Wow, the text based interface is the best EVER.
LULZ AH LAHK PICTURZ YOO CANT LAHK DIFFERNT NOOOOB!
@Sy
"LOL, if you like text-based menu system..."
I do. I use text all the time. In fact, I'm using it right now. I'll bet you can even tell what I am saying just by using these funny squiggly-shaped abstract symbols right here on the screen.
Yeah i just swiched to an iPhone 3gs from my tilt which had winmo 6.5 running on it (thanks to xda) and having text for the main screen was so much better than the tiny icons on the iPhone. It would be better if the icons gave some information such as the actual weather and a working clock. I really cant wait to get to play with an HTC hero and even more excited to see what microsoft brings to the table with winmo 7.
yeah but it is long scientifically proven that icons are better (faster) at being recognised and used than just text..
thus part of the the demise of text based command OS's for example..
MS doing a policy/design 'U' turn eh?
Also the video shows the first look inside of a Microsoft retail store.
Um, most people would say that an icon based UI is more recodnizable and easier to familiarise themsleves to than some text based UI. It the very reason we have traffic signs with symbols and pictures, and not just text. LOL.
I could understand test on a smaller screen like the iPod clasic, but geez a 3 inch sceen with blown up text?
@James
sounds like you're looking for widgets, which seem to be nice and all. I prefer a cleaner "desktop" for my phone, preferably with nothing much else besides the time and missed calls or whatnot. But I agree, if the icons were a bit more dynamic and just told me what i wanted without having to click them first, that would be grand.
@james (you guys are really creative with names)
I disagree in that when i read a word, I know what it means right away. When I see an icon, it may or may not take me to what i think its going to take me to. That's more or less up to the manufacturer to make sure the icons are easily recognizable. Its just that text appears cleaner and there's no questioning what it does. It does what it says it does.
Dave95- sure, road signs are easy to recognize with their icons... AFTER you take driver's ed and memorize that little sheet telling you what they actually mean. Sorry, but when it comes to a simple menu, I'd rather not have to use a cheat sheet.
Yeah Dave95, and since when do you speak for "most people"? I presume most people using this device can read big words like 'Music' and 'Video' without much problem.
I has boner for UI. You has boner for UI?
@Dave95: There are other reason's as well. In example, a picture of a crossed out cigarette is recognizable by those that don't speak the native tongue of the location the sign is established.
You can (and need to) to optimise your UI for different scenarios.
Say you know that almost every person who uses your device will be using it for the first time like a kiosk.
Or say that you know that the person will be using your device many times a day, every day, like a mobile phone.
You should come up with pretty different results in what you design: a more "expert" device should have UI that requires learning but allows you to have a higher level of functionality whereas a "novice" device should only have a few, limited options, and should make it clear what each should do, in your own language.
Watch a Linux expert use the command prompt and he will blow you away with his productivity. Sit a beginner down and watch them cry as nothing makes any sense to them.
Watch a child use an iPod and sit in wonder as to how they can instinctively use it. But get frustrated more as time goes by that you can't do all the things that you want to do.
The Zune menu tells you everything you need in massive text. As a first time user, that's brilliant. Icon-based UIs need a little bit of learning, but not much. You very quickly associate that blob with doing something, and you become the equivalent of that Linux user. Suddenly, it's much faster and easier for you to recognise that icon than to read through the text.
Apple have balanced it all on iPhone OS by combining the text to tell you what that will do with the icon to allow you to learn and recognise it easily. It's not innovation but it is understanding people and human factors.
Where they have fallen down is in icon overload - the iPhone OS is in dire need of organisation of the icons because, when you see a screen full of relatively unfamiliar apps, you lose that quick ability. It also still falls down in terms of absolute functionality. Why no file system?
That said, text would be worse. Text overload is much worse than icon overload
Imagine a Zune screen full of the names of 100 games written in massive text? My brain hurts..