Pavel A. SamsonovJan 4, 2024

Microsoft's Copilot button is a shining example of the form factor trap.

Who remembers when Siri came out and voice assistants were the future of computing? Samsung built a physical Bixby key into their phones (and went through massive pains to prevent users from disabling it). Microsoft had a dedicated Cortana button ship pinned to Windows 8's dock. Google Assistant was a default Android homescreen.

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https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/4/24023809/microsoft-copilot-key-keyboard-windows-laptops-pcs

#uxDesign #ProductManagement

Microsoft’s new Copilot key is the first big change to Windows keyboards in 30 years

Microsoft is bringing a Copilot key to new Windows-powered laptops and PCs. It’s the first big change to the Windows keyboard layout in nearly 30 years.

The Verge
Show threadPavel A. SamsonovJan 4, 2024

Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Samsung assured us they were building the future.

Nobody wanted the future they built. After a couple of years, Bixby, Cortana, and Assistant are gone from the spotlight. But not to worry - Microsoft has a new thing it wants to stick into your face! This time it's a physical keyboard button!

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Show threadJan DJan 4, 2024
@PavelASamsonov after having tried to set up gifted devices at christmas for my relatives, I came to realize that much open source software will by now have a better usability; not because of the expertly designed UIs but because there are less features+advertisement+banners thingies.
Show threadPavel A. SamsonovJan 4, 2024
@simulo I'm torn on this because on the one hand, yes, but on the other hand much OSS follows the design principles of "this is the way I like it" which often results in a very difficult UI for people whose mental model doesn't match the creator's
Show threadJan DJan 4, 2024
@PavelASamsonov totally agree. I am not praising the state of UX in open source software, it is just that all the "enshittification" of basic infrastructure (like operating systems) makes them difficult to use (except you opt in in all their data collection and services).
Show threadScott JensonJan 4, 2024

@simulo @PavelASamsonov #OpenSource software is 1 giant step forward for privacy and calm (no upselling/nudging) and 1 giant step backward for #UX

My hope is that the state of both will continue to improve.

Show threadFreelockJan 4, 2024

@scottjenson @simulo @PavelASamsonov For many open source projects, #UX is not at all a "giant step backward".

I'd say that #OpenSource generally prioritizes getting things working, functional, and tested before working on #UX, but many OSS projects have matured to the point where UX is a major focus -- and often better than commercial alternatives.

See current #Drupal, #NextCloud, #HomeAssistant, #ForgeJo, #BitWarden, #Mastodon, and dozens of other examples...

Show threadMoritzJan 4, 2024
@freelock @scottjenson @simulo @PavelASamsonov I agree with many of those, but Nextcloud definitely should not serve as a positive example for "good UX" in #FOSS software.
Show threadScott JensonJan 4, 2024
@preya @freelock @simulo @PavelASamsonov care to elaborate? (happy to have a DM if that's easier)
Show threadMoritzJan 5, 2024
@scottjenson @freelock @simulo @PavelASamsonov This is hard to convey in 500 characters (or even multiple toots) and obviously is very subjective. But one of the greatest UX fails in #Nextcloud is the whole sharing topic. There's actually at least three different and independent sharing functions (regular share, groupfolders and circles) which function completely independently. So as soon as you allow more than one of those within your team, all hell breaks loose.
Show threadMoritz
@scottjenson @freelock @simulo @PavelASamsonov People don't understand the difference between a group folder and a "share". The UX around this is horrible. There should be dialogs, warnings and help pages explaining the differences, as soon as you have multiple of those mechanisms in place. It's the number one thing that brings most of my customers to hate their Nextcloud after a couple of months/years of use.
Jan 5, 2024 at 8:43amElk