gareth.glaccum at btopenworld
Feb 27, 2008, 10:40 AM
Post #18 of 22
(558 views)
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Re: A different perspective on the "user experienceissue"
[In reply to]
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--- This is a tad longer than I expected, if you don't read the whole thing,
please at least read the last paragraph. 'What I find confusing'
I don't know about this argument about a single machine. An end user that
has only 1 machine, I can't see the problem with asking them to run a
'power-setup' program for modifying low level settings that they will
probably only touch once, whilst reading the walkthroughs of how to install
myth on their OS. (if they are not capable of determining that mythtv-setup
[remember they only have 1 machine] is a power setup program for setting up
their capture cards, then it is quite possible that they will not be adding
an extra 3 capture cards 4 months after initial installation).
Secondly, who are we talking about 'end-users'? If we are to split users
into system installers, and end-users, but have all the configuration in a
single area, do we then need to consider adding pin-codes to any setup page
that could stop the system from working? My wife ain't dumb, far from it and
very computer literate for her job, but not giving her access to a program
which can stop the whole system from being able to record, is a relief. She
doesn't know any of the access details for the backend machine I have apart
from an auto-mounted SMB share.
From the manual (I am sure someone watered this down since I last read it):
---MythTV isn't (yet) for everyone. While it's likely that at some point
you'll be able to treat it as an appliance, requiring no special care or
maintenance, that day hasn't entirely arrived yet. There are companies
selling pre-configured MythTV boxes and those units likely are stable enough
to toss on the living room shelf and hand the remote to your kids. But if
you're building one yourself (or having someone build one for you), then the
process may be more complicated - this is the price you pay for power and
flexibility.
Currently myth is not an appliance. Ok, so we should be aiming to make it
more user friendly, but currently this rant is causing a lot of discussion
without much answer. Having the setup and the frontend programs seperate for
the moment allows the developers to develop more easily. My understanding of
the way that the systems have been programmed, it should be relatively easy
at a later stage for some poor Dev to merge the two programs. However, I am
sure that someone in this thread has already said that the config screens in
mythfrontend are already too complex. Some streamlining needs to be done,
features hidden from the normal user. No, wait, that is the Microsoft way of
thinking, hiding complexity so that what should be simple tasks require
access to the command prompt to complete. I do find the setup screens in
mythfrontend a tad confusing myself, but I don't think I have gone into them
more than 6 times in the last 2 years for the 4 frontends and 1 backend that
I am running.
When I look at the appliance boxes that I have used in the past,,, my
set-top-box, didn't allow any configuration, I could search for channels
that was it. My DVD player, I can select the aspect ratio that is all, apart
from a 48 button remote control that is too blooming difficult to use (10
digit keypad, 3D setting that no DVD I have seen supports etc.etc.).
Switches I have used in the past that are based on linux, basically
appliances, they have one interface for 'Managers' and another backdoor that
gives you a root console to actually configure the darn things. Apart from
the setup to mysql, I don't think I needed to really run any command line
tools to set up myth, considering its complexity I think that is brilliant,
well done.
What I find confusing, is that mytharchive settings are not where I would
expect them. Perhaps,,,, maybe what should be done, IF a complete re-write
is done, and this would break all of the themes I am sure, maybe on the
front screen to myth, we should be able to press a menu button, then from
this menu, select 'expert' or 'configuration' mode. This could optionally be
pin coded for the paranoid like me. When I view the main screen now there
will be a new setup option, allowing me to configure how things look
(appearance)
When I go into 'Watch TV' there would be an extra setup option that allows
me to configure tuners. When I enter 'Media Library' I would have a setup
option which allows me to specify things like storage, and auto-expire
settings. When I go to archive files, there will be an extra setup option
allowing me to specify commands for archiving, and where the temporary files
are stored.
Gareth
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jay R. Ashworth"
End-users don't know, nor do they care, nor should they be required to
care -- by and large -- what part of a system which is segmented
largely for the convenience of the developers (and power users)
supplies a specific piece of functionality.
Indeed, even people who do care don't always know whether a specific
piece of functionality is supplied by front-end or back-end --
especially if they only have one machine -- and it's therefore not
obvious where to go looking for a certain setup item.
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