security
Paul Thurrott’s scathing article Where Vista Fails highlights my biggest concern with Windows Vista: Modern operating systems like Linux and Mac OS X operate under a security model where even administrative users don’t get full access to certain features unless they provide an in-place logon before performing any
remote desktop
I’m with K. Scott Allen: the pervasiveness of Remote Desktop functionality in Windows has fundamentally changed the way I work. The fact that it shipped in the Windows XP box – and as a default component of all the server operating systems since Windows 2000 – has done wonders for its
programming languages
I was struck by this quote from a New Yorker article on Muzak: “Our biggest competitor,” a member of Muzak’s marketing department told me, “is silence.” The problem with comparing something to nothing is that nothing is, well, nothing. James Bach elaborates: I was watching Dr. Stuart Reid talk
keyboard shortcuts
Everyone knows how to use the arrow keys to navigate within textboxes. But not many people know there are a slew of handy keyboard shortcuts for editing text in textboxes. And these keyboard shortcuts work everywhere, even in the most basic input areas – including vanilla HTML forms, such as the
user experience
I’ve witnessed the death of the main menu. And toolbars are on their last legs, too. This screenshot* clinches it for me: Granted, very few people would install this many Firefox extensions. But between this and the Office 2003 debacle, it’s patently obvious that the whole menu-and-toolbar paradigm
usability
From Engadget’s review of the iRiver H10: So the first thing we noticed about this player when we opened it up was, unfortunately, a huge orange flyer [. . .] From Larry Osterman’s review of the iRiver H10: My concerns started when I opened the box. To the left of the
usability
I’m currently re-reading the book About Face. I hadn’t revisited this book since I bought the original version way back in 1995. The update, which was published in 2003, is a significant overhaul – and frankly much better than the original. Adding the second author, Robert Reimann, was a
usability
The Windows Live Local mapping service is surprisingly difficult to use. It certainly looks simple enough: Like everyone else, the first thing I do when I encounter a new mapping solution is try my current address. In this case it’s my work address. But when I press enter, I
password management
I have fifty online logins, and I can’t remember any of them. What’s my password? I can’t use the same password for every website. That’s not secure. So every password is unique and specific to that website. And what’s my login name? Hopefully it’s
usability
It can be very difficult to sell usability, as Jared Spool notes in a 2004 interview: I learned quickly that business executives didn’t care about usability testing or information design. Explaining the importance of these areas didn’t get us any more work. Instead, when we’re in front
design
Which pill bottle would you rather use? The rightmost bottle was designed by Target to address the shortcomings of traditional pill bottles. And you probably decided which pill bottle you liked best within a twentieth of a second. When I suggested redesigning address input in web forms, there was some
user experience
Seth Godin showed this slide during a recent presentation at Google: Users don’t care about YOU. What’s the biggest web design mistake of 2004? 1. Believing people care about you and your web site. Why isn’t anyone reading our blog? 1. You’re not a good-looking female