Re: [LAD] Experience driven design and Linux Audio

On Thu, October 2, 2014 7:00 pm, Will Godfrey wrote:
> On Wed, 1 Oct 2014 21:40:10 -0700 (PDT)
> Len Ovens <len@email-addr-hidden> wrote:
>
>> On Wed, 1 Oct 2014, Paul Davis wrote:
>>
>> > Here's an interesting counterpoint or follow up point or whatever.
>> I've queued it to
>> > start at the right time, listen till about 31:00 (or longer if you
>> want). The key point
>> > I wanted to highlight was Gerhard's point about saying "No" to user
>> requests. But, being
>> > Gerhard, he has other interesting points to make as well.
>> >
>> > src="//www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/x26axz5?start=1530"
>> allowfullscreen></iframe><br
>>
>> An interesting chat. In his case the reasons for saying no to user
>> requests might be different, though not by much.
>>
>> I also realize maybe I am taking the original question off of what it
>> was
>> asking. The original talk was about something that is perhaps not
>> understandable in the context of creation rather consuming. Many of the
>> newer DEs are frustrating for developers (not just SW development), but
>> developers even though there are many, are a very small percentage of
>> computer users. Most are consumers, games and browsing are almost all
>> that
>> happens. From that POV win8, unity, gnome3, OSx, Android, etc. all make
>> sense. From a developers POV (POV meaning personal use), they don't.
>> Someone who is creating music, video or graphics is a developer and
>> their
>> needs are not the same as the consumer. Once that difference is pushed
>> out of the way and one looks at the user experience from a developer's
>> POV
>> the "experience" that is expected is different but it is still there.
>
> <snip>
>
> I found myself nodding all the way through this!
>
> Also, it seems that as time goes by a lot of people are using steadily
> more
> powerful equipment to actually do less! Whether this is what they want to
> do or
> whether it's what the interface *allows* them to do is a moot point.
>
> As someone who tries to get the most out of anything I use, I find most
> commercial software extremely frustrating in the way it strait-jackets
> users. I
> think this also blocks curiosity and maybe stops more youngsters joining
> the
> creative communities.
>
> I think this relates back to the topic as in who's experience should lead
> the
> design?
>

If "youngsters" are people under the age of, say 25 then, most of them
will be blocked from LAD by not having access to a Linux PC. The ones who
do will mostly be doing academic study, scientific research or working for
governments who have chosen Linux instead of the other options. It's
increasingly unlikely they will have Linux Desktop PC's at home.

Very few new people are taking the time to install Linux OS's on desktop
PC's and the desktop market is in decline for the consumer portion across
the board. The majority of the shift to Unix has been for Android,
ChromeOS, OSX with firefoxOS and Tizen coming closer to fruition each day.
The remaining professional portion of the market which I assume Harry is
targeting for a sustainable income is well and truly in the OSX camp. It's
going to be hard to pull them away from OSX to this OS. Even with really
slick interfaces they generally have a different mindset that defines
their reasoning.

As I was told once. "it's not about how much money they can save, but how
much money they can make..."

Linux has seen wide adoption in the embedded audio hardware market but
many of the companies that make audio hardware running on Linux systems do
not participate directly here.

So in terms of usability and this discussion the majority of LAD
professionally focused developers are targeting the scientific/academic
markets and embedded hardware markets. In that case usability takes second
place to raw power and functionality.

There is also the web market but I am in a clear minority on the
importance of that round here.

--
Patrick Shirkey
Boost Hardware Ltd
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