Re: GUI

[david.kahn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

PaulMmn <PaulMmn@ix.netcom.com> wrote:

>I have a (well, many) personal opinion (which I'll share):  a green
>screen is more useful for heads-down, pound-the-keys data entry
>than a GUI.  GUIs are more useful in a onesy-twosy mode, or for
>graphics.

Paul's got it. I think that's generally right. We have the GUI-ised version
of J.D. Edwards, the modestly titled WorldVision, and I find it's nearly
always easier, clearer, simpler and faster to switch the GUI off and work
with green screen emulation. However, the users who know M$ applications
find the GUI less of a stretch than the green screen. Generally, the more
keying to be done and the more familiar the user is with the screen, the
more a green screen presentation can beat a GUI. But more than that, the
less formatting and labelling are required.

I once worked on a holiday reservation system. When a customer phoned in to
check their details the reservation clerk would think "booking enquiry" and
key in BKEN, ask for the reservation number and type that in, then press
Enter. We thought that was primitive so we replaced it with a much clearer
presentation where the clerk would select the transaction from a menu and
all the input fields were clearly labelled. The staff hated it and they
never got back to the speed they'd had previously. It also doubled the
volume of transactions we'd planned for because they'd hit Enter as soon as
an input screen appeared (and force validation with no input) so the
inverse video would show them which were the mandatory fields.

Remember, too, how lots of us wrinklies initially hated the highly
structured SAA style screens of the AS/400 compared with those of the S/38
and how IBM needed to introduce up to 3 assistance levels for standard
screens.

Dave Kahn, ABB Steward Ltd.


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