OLPC's UI To Be Kid-Tested In February 140
dfoulger writes "The AP is reporting that kid testing of Negroponte's '$100 Laptop' starts in February. This article is some of the first mainstream coverage of just how different the user interface of the XO Computer is — it ditches the traditional office metaphors in favor of a 'neighborhood' and an activity-based journaling approach. Video of Sugar, as the UI is called, has been out on the net for a while, and Popular Science recently gave the color / monochrome display a 'Grand Award' in its 2006 technology roundup. What do you think of this new UI?"
Re:How about reading and writing? (Score:4, Insightful)
And then, after that? Wouldn't it be nice if they could use their reading and writing skills to enter the global information highway? Get access to the wealth of information on the web? Share their own stories and content?
There seems to be a misconception that countries in which computers aren't widespread also don't have high literacy. This is not true. Libya, one of the countries that signed up for OLPC has very high literacy; in fact, many Libyans have higher education. From what I'm told, Russia is another country with near-universal literacy, but without universal access to computers. I bet there are others.
Not sure about that UI... (Score:5, Insightful)
The UI they have created (see video) seems like a strange choice, however. It is a very simple and seemingly restrictive interface. It appears childish and maybe even somewhat insulting to the user. I thought that the OLPC was supposed to specifically encourage children to (1) truly learn how to use computers (not merely use them as applicances), and (2) encourage them to tinker/modify the system.
With regard to (1) it should be clear that providing a contrived UI specifically tailored to 'kid tasks' may be useful for the first week, but ultimately is a disservice to the children, as they are not learning about the true power and beauty of computers. They are not learning about modern computer capabilities or conventions if they are stuck in a primitive UI.
With regard to (2), my understanding was that Linux was chosen as the OS specifically because it allows for the students to modify, tinker, extent, and customize. The idea was that (unlike with a proprietary OS), they would be able to learn about the inner functions of computers and become truly interested and skilled with computer work. A simplistic UI that hides the true behind-the-scenes working of the computer hardly accomplishes this goal.
I may be mistaken about the UI. Perhaps what we see in the demonstration is an introductory UI that will be used by very young students (with a more normal GUI and system behind the scenes?
Kids are very smart... and I believe they would have little trouble dealing with a modern, full-featured UI and OS. So why the simplistic interface?
Re:How about reading and writing? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Not sure about that UI... (Score:3, Insightful)
``I thought that the OLPC was supposed to specifically encourage children to (1) truly learn how to use computers''
Yes, but who's to say that's not what's happening? The UI paradigm expressed by OLPC may be different from the desktop metaphor of Windows and OS X, but that makes it no less real. The OLPC computer is also a different beast from the desktop PC; perhaps this UI simply suits it better. Or, perhaps the authors are right, and this is a better UI for the target audience.
``(2) encourage them to tinker/modify the system.''
I think the way the UI works does influence what new software and modifications look like, but I don't think this UI, in particular, limits what can be expressed. For example, I see no reason a desktop with icons and windows and the like, or a terminal emulator, couldn't be expressed in this UI.
Re:How about reading and writing? (Score:2, Insightful)
The extent of literacy is more important.
There, access to reading materials is important. For many countries, a town full of $200 laptops would be cheaper than building and maintaining a library with any significant amount of reading material.
That's were the 3R people are missing the point. A low cost computer is cheaper than paper, pencil, and books over even a short period of time.
But isn't this "fundamentalist" stuff off topic? I'm pleased to see that most subsequent threads focus on the UI.
Re:Wrong focus (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Icon Collision? (Score:2, Insightful)
Circle+X in a circle = Home / kid splat
X in a circle = Close/end task
X-with-arrows in a circle = Move
I din't like having to depend on mouseovers to figure out which symbol I'm looking at each time
Re:How about reading and writing? (Score:3, Insightful)
Correlation does not equal causation.
Re:Not blown away (Score:3, Insightful)
The size of the code wasn't the reason for using interpreted code; the important thing is that the kids can look at it and see how it works.
Re:OLPC old farts think kids are dumb like them (Score:3, Insightful)
Maybe you're too young to remember a world before Microsoft Windows (TM), but at my advanced age I can recall many people meeting Windows for the first time as an adult (actually, using a computer for the first time as an adult, as I did) and getting by in a few days. Typing is the main "computer skill" in general use that takes time to learn and that is platform independent. Clciking on an icon isn't as intuitive as you may think, but it doesn't take long to learn; and the OLPC does use a desktop and icons.
Do you imagine that using this interface will warp their minds and make them forever incapable of clicking on a start button? Is giving a child a bicycle going to prevent them from learning to drive? Does playing football prevent you from learning basketball?
A noble idea, but lacking in proper execution (Score:2, Insightful)
The main screen looks okay, but navigating it is very awkward. You have to move the mouse to the top and only then the dark grey menu bar appears. Then you have to move around the edges to get to the bottom where the applications are located. The buttons in the top left corner deal with various screen layout options. One option allows you to set all applications to the center of the screen.
Then you realize there are actually only five applciations available: an RSS feed, a chat program, a program that identifies itself with a drum but that doesn't make sense initially and Abiword. Strange enough the webbrowser is not loaded in the center screen option, but it is there.
That's it. Five applications, three of which you need an internet connection for.
Abiword is already a very light and versatile word processor and adding it to the OLPC really makes sense. But why does it have to be an extremely stripped version of Abiword. Even the complete version leaves a very small footprint. And where is the ubiquitous spreadsheet program? Is it not necessary for the kids in poor countries to be able to calculate?
The inclusion of the webbrowser does make sense, but you can only hope that the schools or the villages are willing to spend some money on a decent internet connection. Since you can hardly expect that, it leads to the conclusion that the disk space spend on chat and the RSS feeds has been wasted.
The overall usability is low. Very low. The interface and the icons are far from intuitive. And, for heavens sake, who decided that purple, light grey and dark grey are attractive colors for children? That team should have been sent to the likes of Toys R Us.
Nope, this interface and the choice of applications only add to my scepticism. The idea behind the project might have been good, but in the end it is disappointing.