February 2010
4 posts
7 tags
Typing on the iPad
The issue of how to input text into the iPad has been a heated discussion both before and after the device was announced. Obviously, without having the tablet in hand, no one knows how easy or cumbersome it will be to enter text. I actually believe that typing in landscape mode, using both hands as on a full size keyboard, will be a perfectly adequate way to enter even lengthy messages. The on...
January 2010
4 posts
5 tags
The iPad
Steven Frank has the best article I’ve read about what the introduction of the iPad means to personal computing over on his blog. A choice passage:
The bet is roughly that the future of computing: - has a UI model based on direct manipulation of data objects - completely hides the filesystem from the user - favors ease of use and reduction of complexity over absolute flexibility -...
7 tags
Vehicle Key Fob Design
I had the distinct privilege of driving a Lexus the other day and was startled by how poorly designed the buttons on the key fob were, especially considering the “high end” nature of the vehicle itself.
The most notable infraction here is the double duty the top button is performing for both Lock and Panic. I instinctively didn’t want to press the button that most commonly...
3 tags
It's the Small Stuff, Pt. 1
I’ve been staying at my folks’ house over the holidays, and I’ve yet to discover any rhyme or reason to the light switches. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve inadvertently turned on the fan, rather than the light, in the bathroom. It seems logical and natural to me to have the light nearest to the doorway, so, from a user perspective, it’s the first switch...