mplayer vs. xine

[Geoff Teale]

On Fri, 2004-01-30 at 08:29, Eric S. Raymond wrote:
<snipped>
> The default xine front end is a classic case of bad design, an
> interface that is all glossy surfaces and no substance.  It's cramped,
> cluttered, chronically difficult to understand, and subordinates every
> usability consideration to the purely visual objective of looking like
> a piece of glossy stereo equipment.
> 
> *ptui*
> 
> I grant that it's an attempt to be "friendly" for the non-technical user,
> but it's a clumsy, hamfisted, *stupid* attempt.  Not anything to be emulated.
</snipped>

Amen!

A lot of people attribute some of the bad UI's in F/OSS to the lack of
resources for usability testing on non-commercial projects.  This may be
true in part, but I see an equal lack of such testing if commercial
software through a lack of understanding rather than a lack of resource.

Too much effort is spent on making things look "cool" or making them
"skinable" to little effort is spent on making things usable.  Simple
consistency of interface is a big step and it's one of the reasons that
Red Hat 8/9 was easier to get onto people's desktops than Red Hat 7.  

I'd like to see Fedora strive to provide applications, wherever
possible, that conform to Gnome HIG, or at least try to provide a
sensible, consistent interface design.  If people want something else
they can look to Fedora extras/alternatives surely?

-- 
GJT 
gteale at cmedltd.com 

Life is like a tin of sardines.
We're, all of us, looking for the key.
		-- Beyond the Fringe