[Sigia-l] web applications - to integrate or not?

[Dan Saffer]

<snip>Though perhaps if they could match the look and feel of the idioms
of whatever operating system and shell they were on they would have a
lesser learning curve again?</snip>

They are java applets, so (in theory) they run "anywhere."

The problem with doing this is that the standard metaphors don't work
well for what these applets do (monitor the stock market, place trades).
Having the standard Windows-style menu items (File, Edit, View, etc.)
would make no sense, because the data that is being manipulated (and,
just as importantly, how it is being manipulated) doesn't support things
like saving, copy and pasting, etc.

Steven Johnson wrote an interesting article that touches on this
discussion (interface uniformity) in Slate a few months ago:
http://slate.msn.com/?id=2075219
In it, he talks about the two diverging approaches that Microsoft and
Apple are taking. MS (unsurprisingly) wants one uber-shell that is
standard across all applications, while Apple is driving towards
applications whose interfaces are driven by what is being manipulated.

Dan

dan saffer
sr. interaction designer, ameritrade
http://www.odannyboy.com

"there's a lot of things 
 if I could I'd rearrange." -U2