I stumbled across a very interesting post linked off of Digg, which I browse on a fairly regular basis. In it, the author attempts to put to rest some of the more common (and, for the most part, completely inaccurate) stories that revolve around various Linux distributions.
Though I think Jake B might have something to say about the first point on the list, it made for interesting reading at the very least – and for the most part, I agree with the author wholeheartedly. Link after the jump!
Until he started bashing on the MS Office 2007 UI change in the comments. For some reason, Linux folk all seem to have a massive chip on their shoulders about that.
@Jon F
I didn’t catch that, actually – thanks for pointing it out. I wasn’t aware of any pre-existing disposition by Linux users regarding the UI, but I personally love the ribbon interface (and its implementation in other applications with Windows 7).
@Jon F
Didn’t they have some OpenOffice UI changes in the works to mimic the ribbon?
They sure did. Apparently though, the community was up in arms over the proposed design. No clue as to the current status of the project.
I think though, that a lot of Linux users are closing their eyes to the ‘ribbonizing’ of OO.org simply because it ‘omfg looks like M$ lolz.’ I also get the distinct feeling that the vast majority of people who complain about the ribbon UI haven’t taken the time to learn how to use it. They dislike it because it’s different, not because it is inferior.
Now combine the two, and you’ll see where my argument is headed. Maybe if we all took a deep breath, and admitted that it is possible for Microsoft to come up with a good idea every now and again, we wouldn’t dismiss that idea before giving it a shot.
Besides – if you’re looking to attract users to a platform, I guarantee that waving around a UI that looks 10 years old isn’t the best way to do it. Like it or not, everybody who uses MS products will upgrade to Office 2K7+, and then the Ribbon will be standard on that platform. At that point, the current OO.org interface will appear old and clunky.