Finally someone is doing Ubuntu Linux usability testing with a girlfriend. The new user was given a couple of common tasks over a default installation of Ubuntu. I hope, the Linux distributions can learn a lot from this article and improve Linux user experience on a desktop computer. From the post:
Erin's knowledge of computers is limited to word processors, spreadsheets, Photoshop and a reasonable amount of browsing on the Web. Fairly standard stuff for a university philosophy student. All I did to the system (before leaving Erin at the log-in screen) was to install it and create a user account for her. She had no problems logging in, and loved the stylised heron background. Then I gave her one by one the tasks I'd set her. I didn’t give her any help at all.
=> The Great Ubuntu-Girlfriend Experiment (via slashdot)
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Yawn.
I did the Desktop usability test on my blog almost 3 years ago.
http://tinyurl.com/4vehxe
Girlfriend Smirlfriend…the wrath of a wife holds much over that of a GF.
Linux is getting better, no argument there. I actually love it to become a usable OS option.
However there are the following things I miss as a poweruser and a dev:
1) Full DirectX support, so my kids can play their games.
2) Photoshop (don’t give me the gimp link).
3) Normal IDE for C/C++, so I can work on it. There are plenty of tools that wannabe VS but they are light years behind. I write code for embedded Linux too and always end up using VIM+ctags (100 years behind VS+VAssist).
Until then I run linux in a virtual machine for the purpose of software testing.
I love Linux, works great.
@ grass:
1) I agree completely. Gaming is growing in Linux, but for the time being Windows dominates.
2) I personally prefer Gimp (mainly because I prefer open source), and Adobe, not Linux distro’s would be responsible for making a PS port for Linux. For the time being you can make it work using Wine.