Former Microsoft exec explain how a behavioral psychologist utilized Fitts’s law to place the Windows 95 Start button in the bottom-left.

Paywall?

  • lb_o@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    3
    arrow-down
    12
    ·
    6 days ago

    Although corners have infinite access, I doubt anyone is using mouse anymore to open start menu

    Current fastest pipeline is Press Win button - start typing what you need

    And it is convenient for eyes when menu is in the center.

    • Honytawk@discuss.tchncs.de
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      13
      ·
      6 days ago

      Have you never worked in an office?

      At least 95% of users use their cursor to open start.

      The majority rarely use their keyboard for anything other than typing sentences.

      • lb_o@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        4 days ago

        I am not talking about these people. They are not bothered or affected by UX microoptinizations of having infinite speed access areas.

        Judging by how my original comment is downvoted, I for sure hit something in those who are bothered and who for some unknown for me reason are still using mouse to open Start menu, so it is important for them to have it on the left.

        It is literally the same as with pineapple pizza. Internet told them to hate it, so they do, lol.

    • ShaunKL@startrek.website
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      6 days ago

      As an IT professional I’ve noticed that the search bar has subsumed almost all interaction with the Start menu. Most people I work with don’t even know what it is anymore.

      And that’s before the concept of typing something while Start is open to search, which is unintuitive for a lot of “monkey see/monkey do” users.

      • gnuplusmatt@reddthat.com
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        4 days ago

        Most people I work with don’t even know what it is anymore.

        At first you think its the young ones that have never used a version of Windows with the word “Start” next to, but then you run into people of any age that dont know what the start menu is and you have to start calling it the windows button. Its infuriating

    • Luccus@feddit.org
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      6 days ago

      I’m currently back to Win+R and either whatever I want to start or CMD, because I have to work with a bunch of Windows PCs for my job and about 30% or so will randomly decide to crash the Explorer or at least the searchbar.

      On a tangent; just yesterday I had to out-bug two bugs with another two bugs, to get a notebook to almost do what I want. It’s great.