Computer Science Honours 2011
Vannevar Bush
envisioned a device with touch screen, keyboard and scanner
users could search for knowledge
l d l l
Digital computer not invented yet – little notice paid to ideas
L ’ fi “ ” d i d
Late 1930’s, first “computer” designed to performed lengthy calculations
basically just a calculator
Three distinct eras:
batch interfaces (1945 – 1968)
text or command line interfaces (1969 – 1983)
graphical user interfaces (1984 – present)
Didn’t just disappear from one era to the next
B h i f
Batch interface:
First type of interface available for computers
Th h d i f h
These computers had one or more interfaces that let users pre‐program specially formatted cards with punch holes
with punch holes
The cards would be read in a card reader that supplied the information to the computer to process
Problem: couldn’t interact with the computer while the computer was processing the cards while the computer was processing the cards
First interactive computer First interactive computer graphics interface
Nearly all computers of time ran batches
MIT had TX‐2
First interactive system
First interactive system
dials and buttons
object oriented design
Uncomfortable sitting position
display was input device
display was input device
Father of a revolution in HCI
mouse
light pen (bug)
joystick
k i t d i
knee input device
"The operand‐selecting devices that showed up well in our The operand selecting devices that showed up well in our tests were the mouse; the knee control; and the light pen. These three were generally both faster and more
accurate than the other devices tested.
Inexperienced subjects did not perform quite as well with the mouse as with the light pen and knee control, but
i d bj t f d th th "b t" f th
experienced subjects found the mouse the "best" of the devices tested, and both groups of subjects found that it
was satisfying to use and caused little fatigue.
Although the knee control was only primitively developed at the time it was tested, it ranked high in both speed
and accuracy and seems very promising It offers the and accuracy, and seems very promising. It offers the major advantage that it leaves both hands free to work at
the keyboard."
Command‐Line Interface:
Displays a command prompt
User can then type in a command using the keyboard and submit the command for processing ‐ provides text output
CLI provided the possibility of interactivity with the computer – major leap in usability
Problem: users have to learn a list of commands to instruct the t t d h t t
computer to do what you want
DOS for the IBM PC and compatible computers was the most popular operating system
Still used by many network administrators and programmers
Still used by many network administrators and programmers today
The development of CLIs isn’t standing still
▪ Microsoft PowerShell for Exchange Server 2007Microsoft PowerShell for Exchange Server 2007
▪ Unix Bash (Borne Again SHell)
T U I f
Text User Interface:
Unlike CLIs, a TUI uses the entire screen area to perform tasks
perform tasks
Provide greater functionality and usability for conducting tasks
conducting tasks
Like CLI, require keyboard but not mouse to interact.
Users are not required to remember long lists of commands, but can select operations to perform from screen
from screen
H b th t d d i t f i th
Have been the standard user interface since the 1990s
Availability of y Windows on the popular IBM PC p p and compatible platforms drove GUIs to
widespread acceptance
You use your mouse to click on icons and menus
You use your mouse to click on icons and menus
GUIs are typically based on a metaphor of some type where the visual elements match
something in our everyday experience with something in our everyday experience with physical reality
Another hallmark of GUIs is the customizability y
of the interface
office automation
office automation
hide complexity, allow user to focus on tasks
high resolution graphics
b
abstract
representation of files
WIMP windows
WIMP – windows, icons, menus, and pointing devices
p g
Apple Macintosh:pp
Lisa computer was born in early 1983 ‐
$10000
Lisa failed, but a sister project, the
Macintosh (Steve Jobs), was introduced in 1984 and quickly gained a small but enthusiastic customer base
Macintosh (Mac) eventually overtook
Macintosh (Mac) eventually overtook sales of Apple’s original computer series (Apple II...)
Mac OS has long been considered the g superior operating system, especially over Microsoft Windows
Other GUIs during 1980s:g 9
VisiOn:
▪ 1983 ‐ makers of the first ever spreadsheet VisiCalc
▪ it did not use icons at all, requiring the user to click on text labels to start programs or work with
documents
Windows 1.0:
▪ 1985 ‐ inspired Bill Gates to come up with a competing product, initially
l d f
titled Interface Manager
▪ each application had its own menu bar attached to it, just below the title bar
Other Other GUIs during 1980s:GUIs during 1980s:
Amiga Workbench:
▪ 1985 ‐came with its own GUI, Workbench
Workbench
▪ ability to move windows up and down the "stack", and the ability to select, move, and work in a window without move, and work in a window without automatically bringing it to the front
▪ also had a single menu bar at the top that was normally hidden from view and activated using the right mouse button
GEOS:
▪ 1986 ‐GeoWorks and briefly became a competitor to Microsoft Windows
More GUIs during 1980s:
The 1990s and beyond:
Only Windows and the Macintosh as the survivors of the GUI wars
Windows:
▪ 1992 Windows 3 1 while still lacking
▪ 1992 – Windows 3.1 ‐while still lacking many of the features of the Macintosh (such as an icon‐based file manager) it was sharp and had good looking icons, and sold millions of copies
▪ Windows 95 ‐cemented Microsoft's lead in GUI sales, and became one of the most popular programs of all time
Apple:
▪ Mac OS X and Aqua
▪ introduced the idea of a GUI where every window was double‐buffered in memory, so that any redraws happen off‐screen and aren't visible
aren't visible
Based on a metaphor
Office automation
Designed with a particular user and work environment in mind
What happens when they are used outside of
that environment?
Many people consider the GUI to be
stagnant, differing little in its basic desktop,
d d
windows, mouse, icons, and pointer concept from the original Lisa
b bl h k f h
Probably more accurate to think of the GUI as a slow evolution towards an ideal interface
l f dd f d d
Potential for adding new features and modes
of interaction remains limitless
ff f
Is it much different to the standard GUI of the 1990s?
yes it is prettier, but from an interaction point of view, how is it any different?
still interacting with a 2D input device…
what can we use to control 3rd dimension?
http://www.infinite‐3d.com/cube.html
Wh t b t th t f ti ?
What about other types of computing?
This course concentrates on these “other” types of computing – non traditional input p g p
not limited to a desktop
Ubiquitous Computing computing all around
Ubiquitous Computing – computing all around us
Augmented Reality / Virtual Reality – carry a
i h
computer with us
Multimodal interaction – not just a keyboard and mouse
Mobile Computing – cell phones
Advances in sensors, microprocessors
Smaller, cheaper, more powerful
Physical objects have become “aware” of surroundings
Cars: monitor engines, alert driver before problem occurs
Appliances: dishwashers, washing machines
All these behaviors needed to be designed
d d h h b
and communicated to the human beings
Introduction to the types of
d
environments we are interested in
