Internal spinning drives should be illegal!
I was recently talked into getting a SSD for my MBP to replace my 500GB 7200 HHD and I was immediately blown away by how much faster every interaction became. It was like I bought a brand new insanely fast computer for $160! It cold boots in 11 seconds, most apps load before the dock icon can bounce once, and all file access is instantaneous. It is a fact that the spinning HD has been the biggest bottleneck of operating speed for the last 2-3 years, maybe longer!
I also did a clean install of Lion on my new 120GB SSD but only added the files and applications I needed, and I reduced my storage from an unnecessary 436GB to only 38GB, and that is including all my heavy design applications. I also have a few HD movies that I stream to my PS3 every now and then, and if I want to stream one from my Ext HD I just copy it to my SSD and delete an old one to keep ‘em clean. Reduction is necessary before production!
Screw nostalgia, stop being a hoarder, stream your media like you already do, and leave the spinning drives to external junk storage. Internal spinning drives are stifling the advancement of computing and should be illegal to sell in new computers! Strip away your fat and get an SSD, trust me you won’t regret it!
Look Back But Don't Go Back: The Web Design History
Sometimes it is good to look back on where you have come and reflect on your accomplishments, but in the case of web design I think it is a necessity so we never go back. The web was born from our need to communicate, connect, and inform, and in the beginnings it was definitely more useful than usable. But as with any new powerful tool it was quickly abused. Most businesses tried to figure it out but usually ended up using it like TV to steal our attention and shove their advertisements and promotions down our throats. However, I am proud to be apart of the revolution to bring a design-centered approach to the web. Design has made the web useful again by making it usable and enjoyable. As we move forward we must keep this focus on design and continue to enhance the web experience for all.
The Distance Between the Maker and the User
“As the distance between the maker and user increases, so does the difficulty of designing a great user experience.”
This goes back to the quote I posted before, “if the user can’t use it, it doesn’t work!” Don’t let yourself get too far separated from the real users, and don’t forget who you are ultimately developing for…
Without critiques our estimation skills suffer. We overestimate our genius and underestimate our design’s potential.
-Paul Scrivens
(Full article at 52WeeksofUX)
The State of HTML5
I have selected the statements I found most interesting from this article, but I would recommend you read it yourself.
“Really, an HTML5 App is just web standards stuff. I guess you could throw in images there too, but really, the same things you have been using to build web pages for years are now being used to build applications that are more similar to a desktop or smart phone app than a website.”
“…if you have a browser on a device, you have an HTML5 App environment. There is always going to be fragmentation, but that is just the way it’s going to be, and we can live with that for now.”
“Any day now, we are going to see a fully independent app store spring up for HTML5 Apps. (Maybe I should save that idea for myself.)”
Stores are great: Developers can get paid in ways other than displaying ads. This has always been hard on the web. Second, users now have a place where they can go and find apps regardless of what device they own.”
If the user can’t use it, it doesn’t work!
HTML5Rocks.com
Google created this site to help us appreciate the potential of HTML5, and we all trust Google knows what’s best for the web (haha). If you need convincing just click on the Interactive Presentation on their site, and see for yourself!
This should prove to you that HTML5 is the future of the web, so out with the old, in with the new! No more excuses (Flash devotees), now is the time to rethink, rebuild, and renew the entire web experience for all…
UX Quotes
Sometimes a good quote is the simplest way to invoke thought about a subject, and what better subject than User eXperience…
Genius is the ability to reduce the complicated to the simple.
Situation over Personality
Another great article from 52weeksofUX, basically stating that grouping people by personality type without accounting for the situational influences to their behavior is inherently wrong. It states that most behavior is circumstantial but it is human nature to categorize and stereotype people by their perceived personality traits. I agree with this simply because it is easier and unfortunately most people are lazy.
As creators we don’t have the luxury of overlooking the situational and environmental influences when understanding our users’ behavior. When creating something for people we must focus on controlling the situations they encounter rather than trying to analyze and control the personalities they may portray.
