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What is User Interface Friction (UIF)?

 

UIF is the resistance imposed upon a user-guided process through the operating system and the way the user interface reacts. In most cases, it has nothing to do with functionality: we use the term User Interface Friction to define the difference in fluidity and productivity that can be observed when running the same program or procedure on different computer systems, or when trying to achieve the goal on two similar digital devices.

 

Major points:

 

Windows Vista increases the amount of user interface friction of the operating system. Windows XP and particularly Mac OS X performed better than Windows Vista in these benchmarks

 

While Windows Vista with the Aero user interface provides a slicker look than earlier releases, it can slow down the user.

 

In terms of mouse precision Windows Vista performs less well than earlier versions of Windows. This is particularly important in market segment that rely on precision position of the cursor during the work process.

 

It seems that Vista is not a good choice if what you want is productivity and efficiency:

 

http://www.pfeifferreport.com/trends/trend_vistauif.html

Edited by Proteo

IMHO all the results were subjective. In the real world his results can be easily disproved. But I do see some point in his methodology. And you really can't have a benchmark with GUIs because users have their own way of working around these difficulties, and they do not share the same technologies. Results will also differ based on the computing history of the person; a noob on Vista might say that WindowsXP is counter-intuitive, and vice-versa.

Edited by Zulu.Walker
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