Week 5

to be written up

Week Four

Compiz Manager

This week I finally managed to sort out the graphics driver, in order to enable Compiz visual desktop effects. The problem was actually very easy to solve. I simply had to remove the driver in the hardware driver manger and then add it again (clicking a button twice). However I had previously been reluctant to do this, worrying that it might cause permanent problems to the graphics of the computer, with no obvious way of re-installing the driver. The information provided in the hardware drive manager was unclear. Simple instructions here could have been useful and would make users with similar problems feel more in control.

In terms of the visual effects enabled in the Compiz manager, many of them are entirely pointless, such as raining on the screen, paining fire and wobbly windows. However it can be argued that it is touches like these that make a user feel like they are using a special operating system. In other words they may not increase usability, but they enhance the user experience. One interesting visual effect is the rotating cube, which allows the user to use shortcut keys to spin a 3D cube to different workspaces. Features like this make the user feel like they are using a next generation desktop.

In terms of improving the Compiz manager itself, a little more information on what each of the effects does could be helpful. Also the backspace shortcut cannot be used to navigate back a level (an inconsistency in the navigation controls for the rest of the system). However altogether the visual effects are a particularly positive additional feature of the GNOME desktop.

Screenlets

Another interesting feature discovered this week is Screenlets. They are small widgets that sit on te desktop, such as clocks, sticky notes, RSS feeds, search functions and other useful tools. This feature should be arguably installed from default. Again it is those little touches that will attract users to Ubuntu and separate it from other operating systems.

The downfall is that there are only around 30 widgets to chose from without having to open a browser and finding the source codes for further screenlets, which then require a manual install through the terminal. Also when a screenlet is added to the desktop it is at the front of windows by default. It is unlikely that users want this as it will get in the way of the main task the user attends to.

A number of other usability issues were found this week

Flash and SWF player

Both of these (or similar) should be installed on default. Ubuntu will alienate many average users who cannot access websites such as youtube and are un-sure how to install flash player in linux.

File replacements in folders

When replacing a file into a folder with a file of the same name, information on the size of the two files should be presented to the user at the very least.

Add/Remove Manager

When a search is entered, the system should present the user with the number of hits for that search.

Firefox

When there are too many bookmarks to fit into the bookmark menu down one length of the screen, small arrows appear at the bottom and top of the menu to allow navigation up and down the menu. These arrows are tiny and can be very hard to see the first time. Larger arrows or symbols that attract the users attention would improve visibility.

Week Three

This week I didn't find many usability issues. The system is now set-up

to my preference and I am at least as efficient at doing everyday task

as I am in Windows. I found a configurable keyboard shortcut function

and have been making use of a few shortcuts.

A few minor usability issues were found:

Moving shortcut icons on the panel

The process to excuse the term is “fiddly”. I can't move them where I

want easily and it deletes them when you drag and drop them too near

another shortcut, which is irritating and leads to the user having to

“right click – add to panel – application launcher” and then finding the

shortcut. Accidental deletes like this should not be possible and the

panel should have hidden structure so that placements are easy and the

panel can be kept organized.

X-Chat GNOME IRC client

If you click the close window cross it completely closes the program.

Applications like this should remove themselves from the task bar, but

stay easily accessible to the user by the system leaving a shortcut icon

at the top right hand of the panel (as it does with Pidgeon messenger

and Twitux). Clicking the shortcut icon should then bring the user back

to the application fully loaded with the conversations and channels as

they were. In other words the program should be running in the

background at all times unless the user tells it specifically otherwise.

I am pretty sure almost all IRC users would agree here, as current

inadequacy can be very irritating.

WINE

Linux's answer to running windows application within it. Whilst it can

be very useful and the integration into the system is good,

compatibility is poor. If they make it work as well as it possibly could

they would attract a lot more users and stop Ubuntu users dual booting

alongside Windows.

Add/Remove Manager

This is one of the greatest usability gems for Ubuntu, removing the

need for manual installs using the command line install that is

necessary in other Linux systems, and removing the need to browse the web

with no guidance as is necessary in Windows. However there should be a

sophisticated alternative search function built into the application.

This would help users cope with spelling mistakes and typos, and could

also potentially have a “If you like this, try this” type function.

Drawer Widget

A nice little widget I found that can be placed on the panel and

cleverly borrows a real world metaphor. Files, can be stored away in the

drawer by drag and dropping. Clicking the drawer forces a sliding drop

down allowing access to the files. However, there is no obvious way of

deleting items in the drawer. Right clicking opens up the menu for the

draw itself not the file. Drag and dropping to the recycle bin is not

permitted. Drag and dropping to the desktop just creates another copy on

the desktop. The only option is to delete the drawer. Pretty poor design.

Mac OS: A final note

I took the time this week experimenting with a Mac book with the latest

Mac OS and it has some interesting features. Though Ubuntu would need

specific hardware to do some of the really clever things like gesture

recognition (which they cannot do because hardware is out of their

control); perhaps Ubuntu can learn a thing or two from their competitor.

Week Two

After two weeks of Ubuntu use, I'm feeling pretty comfortable with it. This weeks taught me a few things on Ubuntu use and I have also learnt a few things about Ubuntu users, through IRC, Ubuntu forums and an online survey I am carrying out, which I have been viewing live. Perhaps the biggest discovery is that most Ubuntu users seem to favour adapting the default system to suit their needs. So with that in mind I decided to have a proper go myself, arriving at a set-up that suited my tastes aesthetically and facilitated usable interaction.

I haven't changed the panels, apart from adding application short cuts at the top, because I found the default setup very usable. You can add entirely new customizable panels and modify or remove the defaults entirely, which is far superior to the static set-up of windows. There are also a large number of useful widgets that can be added. You can even completely edit the drop down menus.

Whilst inexperienced computer users might feel out of their depth, the GUI interaction for customizing panels is pretty straightforward for a competent user (right click – new panel - properties/add-to-panel). Shortcuts can also be dragged and dropped onto panels.

In terms of theme I kept the default icons, changed the background and went for a pale blue panel and window colour, replacing the default orange and browns. The window border and scroll bars in focus I configured red, to make the focus immediately obvious when multiple applications are running.

The rest of the diary is dedicated to experiences with usability issues I found this week, in roughly the order they were found.

Installing software through the command line terminal

I discovered the command line terminal. Judging from many of the forum discussions it is crucial to the systems more advanced functions. This is an issue for me, I do not find command lines usable. For a start they violate the recognition over re-call heuristic. You really need to know what you are doing to use them, though I accept that plenty of linux users both need and appreciate them.

I attempted to download a piece of software called AWN, and was prompted to do the download and install manually from the command terminal. It wouldn't let me copy and paste, which I found irritating, and when prompted for my password, I typed and nothing came up on the screen. In the end I gave up, but later found out on a forum that the password is there when you typed - just not visible - again violating another usability heuristic.

Installing downloaded software through the windows GUI

I tried to download Thunderbird, having spent several hours trying to configure the default email client Evolution Mail (which actually has a better interface than Thunderbird, which is a shame). I could not find the install file and was baffled at how they had made it so difficult. I was thinking why don't they just make the install file symbol really obvious. When I did finally get to it didn't work. Searching on the forums once again, I was pointed to the add/remove applications manager in the applications drop-down.

The system presented was completely intuitive. It is basically an all in one search and install function. This level of integration makes far more sense than finding an application through the web browser, downloading the install file, locating, and then going through a sometimes lengthy install process (as in Windows). With the Ubuntu system the user simply searches or browses applications through a simple GUI (with the option of different alphabetically ordered categories), ticks the applications they want, and then clicks apply changes. The whole download and install process is then handled by the system. An absolute usability gem.

Sound Problems

Since the first install I had noticed that the sound output was at a lower level than in Windows. I didn't seem to be able to adjust it through the volume control GUI. This week the sound suddenly cut off whilst playing music, emitting a crackling sound. After forum searching I decided to bravely re-install the drivers manually through the command line. The process was only a few lines of code and actually not too bad, but really there needs to be a GUI way of doing it for users that are less confident. The re-install failed, so I ran hardware tests through the BIOS, which returned no problems. In the end it turned out to be that the PCM volume in the advanced volume controls had become muted. For a start this shouldn't have happened for no apparent reason. Notification and instruction upon a cut out would have been useful if possible, since the issue caused a serious problem for myself. According to many of the forums there are lots of similar problems in Ubuntu. They need to smooth these out if they are going to attract users.

Using arrows for navigation

When navigating folders through the arrow keys, backspace and enter buttons, the first press of an arrow in a new folder window always starts the focus at te top of the list. This is good usability (consistency and visibility heuristics). However when saving docs the backspace cannot be used to navigate back a level (as it can in normal navigation). This is an inconsistency that can easily be fixed.

Snipping tool

Missing on default set-up. I downloaded a similar application, but it wasn't half as good as the Vista snipping tool. Such a useful tool should be installed on default I believe.

PDF to document

I read and transcript a lot of papers. I had problems with formatting when I copied and pasted text from double columned papers in the default PDF reader into open office. This is a serious usability issue to myself and other academic researchers.

Round up

Despite usability issue I came across this week, Ubuntu continues to impress me at the level of usability and interaction.

Week One – First impressions on early use

Installation and set up

The installation process for Ubuntu 9.04 Desktop edition was very straightforward following the instructions from the Ubuntu website. My previous experiences meant much of the instructional material on creating CDs with ISO images was un-necessary, but they did appear clear and concise. I chose to install the OS onto the hard-drive and dual-boot alongside my other OS (Vista). Once installed from the CD and booted up the system prompted me with user name and password. I actually had problems installing 8.04 previously because it hadn’t told me to take note of the user name, but this time round I logged in with no problems.

Once in to the OS I was expecting some configuration, but was pleased to find that none was necessary. Everything appeared to be set up and ready to go, apart from several updates, which the update manager prompted me with through a user friendly manager. With “The install updates” icon clearly represented and the instructions clear, the process was done with ease, and the system downloaded and installed the updates.

Setting up the internet was also trouble free, prompting me with a list of networks, I selected and typed relevant details, SSID and password, and the system was ready to browse.

I did have some problems early on installing plug ins to play media files and the help provided was fairly poor. In addition due to the linux nature of Ubuntu it suffers from alot of compatibility issues with downloaded software, which is a problem for Ubuntu at large, but no so much a usability problem that can be easily solved with an interface solution.

Finally, I also had problems setting up evolution mail (similar to live mail), and was confused by the help. I’m yet to have it setup, and I think it is an important function of a desktop OS, so will have another go next week.

First impressions on desktop layout

Whilst the aesthetic wasn’t the most appealing (something I later found could be modified to suit), the information architecture of the desktop was very intuitive. In terms of the main panel at the top of the screen, the user is presented with three drop down menus, “Applications “, “Places” and “System”. The “Applications” drop down allows access to installed software on the system, of which it is worth noting that a lot of applications such as open office, media players, games, and graphics software come pre-installed. The “Places“ drop down allows access to files, folders and storage spaces on the hard-drive, and appeared well organized. The “System” drop down allows access to preferences and administration functions, though I did think a little more categorization within preferences and administration would be better, since all functions were grouped in a long list (though perhaps the alphabetic ordering solves the problem).

Across from the three drop down menus, Mozilla firefox, email client and help icons were in place to provide shortcuts to associated function. On the right hand side (right to left) the user is presented with a partition with the user name and a power button icon, a date and time drop down, volume icon and internet setting icon. I found this organization of information and function perhaps a little cramp, but intuitively acceptable. I thought a dock below the options bar for important shortcuts could improve the layout by breaking functions up a bit. However, I believe the Ubuntu main options panel improves on the messy windows start task bar.

At the bottom of the screen lies a taskbar panel where open programs can be switched between, a small recycle bin icon and two boxes which allow the user to switch between virtual desktops (a potentially very useful feature). Again a fairly intuitive system. Its also worth noting that other than the recycle bin, this bottom panel is entirely dedicated to task management. I am un-sure at this stage how beneficial this is compared to Windows, but it makes sense to break up function.

One final note here, the icons are perhaps mixed in their ability to represent meaning, though icon aesthetics are customizable to an extent (see below), and appropriate names are also provided. Thus the problem is minor.

First impressions on system integration

The applications, such as the media player really appeared to seamlessly integrate into the desktop, inheriting the same aesthetic throughout (something I read was intended in Mark Shuttleworth’s mission statement for 9.04). However, I find that when multiple applications are running, the consistent aesthetic means that you have to take perhaps a fraction of a second more to recognize where you are than in the system compared to Vista. Also, when windows are not maximized and stacked on top one another, the interface can look confusing and cluttered.

A definite positive is the one function = one application implementation. Ubuntu keeps things simple and seamless.

The options bar at the top and the task bar at the bottom, stay in view at all times as you would expect. However I do think there is a usability issue in that unlike Vista, where you hover straight to the very top right of the screen to minimise and close down windows, the Ubuntu option bar always lies above the bar of the open window, causing the need for a more carefully placed cursor movement.

Personalisation

After a few hours playing around with the OS and exploring the applications I came across a change appearance function in preferences, which allowed a range of personal adjustments to be made on the looks and feels of the desktop, either by selecting from a list of pre-set themes, or customizing the aesthetic of the control icons, colours, window border, general icons and cursor pointer. In addition the background, fonts, interface menu and toolbars, and visual effects could be customized. The visual effects could not be adjusted on my system. After searching for drivers the system simply printed, “Desktop effects could not be enabled” with the only option of “ok”. Presumably it was a driver issue but the reason for error was entirely un-clear.

In the end I found a number of preference options that suited me, but decided to leave it un-adjusted for the sake of using the default system. However the level of personalisation is far superior to Windows XP and Vista and important for the usability of many users I believe. I can see that in-experienced computer users might naturally worry about "messing" with such options. The user studies undertaken in this project may confirm or reject this.

Why has this blog been set-up?

Ive set this blog up to post weekly entries on my self ethnorgaphy experiences with Ubuntu 9.04 as part of a usability project with Canonical and the University of Sussex. I have now been using the operating system for nearly a week, so the first weeks entry will follow shortly.

Comments by any readers welcome, though most of the reason for this blog is to formalise the process of self ethnography.