Lotus Notes is a close second, followed by practically every Adobe software product I've ever used. Microsoft Word is the top offender in my book. It must also be noted that many commercial products have terrible user interfaces. Firefox springs to mind, and several Computerworld bloggers have sung the praises of the Ubuntu and Kubuntu flavors of Linux. On the other hand, there are open-source software products that have done a great job with the user interface. No pointy headed bosses cracking the whip over developers' heads to deal with "boring" UI issues.Limited experience with UI design, and a tendency to overlook interface glitches because they are so used to working with the system. ![]() Attitude issues among developers: Don't like the interface? Then RTFM or don't use it - it's not my problem!.There is no financial motivation to improve the user experience.Some developers are students and professors, and this group is always thinking of new ways to approach problems - even if the public at large would rather stick with the status quo.What are the reasons? "Jellomizer" points to five factors: One Slashdot reader, responding to the Blender thread, says that open-source programmers are great at what they do, except when it comes to the UI. Audacity is free and it does the job, but there is a steep learning curve involved, and many functions have been poorly integrated into the interface. I see a similar problem in Audacity, an open-source audio editor that I use to record and edit Computerworld podcasts. Naturally, there are more than a few supporters who think that Blender is a super tool for 3D modeling, and can actually be quite quick - that is, once you " get past the need to learn special keys and modes and such."Ĭlearly, knowing keyboard shortcuts, palettes, and expanding right-clickable menus are crucial to operating the tool.īut isn't this what we've come to expect from the open-source community - interesting software, awesome features, a price that can't be beat, and a user experience that's about as pleasant and intuitive as filling out a tax return? Linux is well-known in this regard - the geeky, DIY/CLI experience of many distros is actually seen as an asset by users who are turned off by Microsoft and the dumbed-down Windows GUI. But the interface is a crime against logic, nature and makes me revise my opinion on whether or not true Evil exists. ![]() it took 3 flipping hours.īlender may be a great engine. I even had a "Blender Guru" come on to my system in VNC to walk me through the (allegedly) simple process of opening a file, applying textures, and exporting using the plugin. Because Blender could be a contender, but since the developers live in their own little world with the attitidude that their app is made for a "certain group of people and not everyone", the application is basically a sick joke. It's a freakin eyebleeding headache that leaves one happily shelling out the hundreds or thousands of Dollars for a modelor with a usable GUI. I've always thought Blender to be a solid but completely useless application because for whatever reason, the developers created the most heinous god aweful UI known to man.
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