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The Alt.OS Usability Challenge

Sample Challenge Document

(Do not send this version. Use the downloadable plain text version instead). Read the introduction here.

Dear [insert editor or publication name here],

I'm writing to suggest that [insert publication name] produce an investigative feature which I believe could prove very popular among your tech-savvy readership.

As you know, the technology press has been buzzing about alternative operating systems over the past year. While the vast majority of this press coverage has focused on the challenge the open source movement presents to the industry, very little of it has concentrated on the actual usability of alternative operating systems or the software built for them. When considering questions such as "Do alternative operating systems stand a chance against Windows on the desktop?," this consideration is key.

The reason this question is rarely addressed is, I believe, because a relatively small proportion of journalists writing about alternative operating systems are actually using or testing them personally. This is probably a function of tight deadlines and limited testing resources, but the result is a tendency to repeat catch phrases such as "Linux is making inroads in server space, but faces a tougher challenge on the desktop," or "BeOS appears to be a technically excellent alternative, but faces limited hardware and application support." Furthermore, it appears to me that BeOS is often glossed over or given no coverage at all, for whatever reason.

Here is my suggestion for a [insert name of publication or site] feature story:

o Set aside a Windows machine or two with a couple of gigabytes of free disk space. Be sure to investigate publically available hardware compatibility lists for both operating systems before beginning. One of many Linux hardware compatibility lists can be found at http://www.redhat.com/corp/support/hardware/ .

o Select one or two people from your organization who have experience working with MacOS or Windows, but no experience working with alternative operating systems. You may want to perform the same tests with users at different levels of technical experience: Beginning, intermediate, advanced, etc.

o Provide them with Linux and BeOS installation CDs, of the most recent available versions. Any distribution of Linux is fair game. Provide them with any amount of documentation, including books, manuals, guides, FAQs, web sites, etc. Do *not* provide them a "guru" or human assistant.

o Have the users install BeOS and Linux partitions on the computer provided. Observe the users (or interview them later), noting any part of the install process that proved difficult. Interview them about the experience.

o Have the users configure the systems. Have them set their video cards to work at a preferred resolution and bit depth. Have them configure their network cards to attach to a TCP/IP network, such as the company LAN. Have them configure dial-up networking services to connect to an ISP. Have them perform any other basic configuration tasks you can think of. Observe the users, noting any part of the configuration process that proved either easy or difficult. Interview them about the experience.

Note: Because Linux comes in so many different flavors and distributions, the results of the tests will be heavily colored by the particular Linux distribution chosen. Be sure and note which distribution was used in the test.

o Once configured, have the users begin to actually use the system. Have them find a simple text editor in which to work with plain text documents. Have them locate (download if necessary) a full-featured word processor and/or spreadsheet application. Have them manipulate files in the file system: move, copy, rename, create folders, etc. Have them download, install, and run any type of software available "out there." Have them double-click an icon and cause a document to appear in an appropriate application. Have them change that filetype association (either for that document alone, or on a system-wide basis). Have them switch among running applications. Have them find, configure, and use an email client, check and organize their mail, etcetera. Have them change their wallpaper, folder backgrounds, etc. Have them change their screen resolution. You might want to have them set up a web or FTP server, or enable telnet access into their machines. Have them change their network information: IP and DNS addresses, for example. Have them access shared Windows volumes on a network. Have them exchange data between partitions on the same machine; can they move BeOS / Linux data over to Windows or vice versa? Have them play some music (possibly from CD audio or from MP3 files). Have them record audio or video data to a file. Have them create and work with a personal contact database. Have them configure their screen saver. Ask them to get information on their installed hardware and the resources it's consuming. And so on and so on. Observe the users, noting any aspect of usability process that proved either easy or difficult. Interview them about the experience.

o Interview the users about the "sex appeal" of the operating systems tested. Was the look and feel appealing to the users? Did the operating systems feel "responsive?" Did they remain responsive under heavy multitasking loads?

o For extra credit, you may want to provide the users with additional or replacement hardware. For example, you might hand them a new video card (or install it for them) and ask them to get their systems working happily with the new hardware.

Your final analysis may be divided into sections such as:

- Installation: If unable to install, everything else is irrelevant.

- Configuration: The defaults may be good, but how easy are they to change?

- Familiarity: How long does it take to get "up to speed?"

- Acclimatisation: Beyond the basics, what else is this system good for?

- Specialisation: Does the OS make good sense only for certain kinds of tasks?

- Dual-boot issues: Do users need to boot other OSes for specific tasks?

Of course this is just a set of suggestions, and you'll want to modify them to suit your needs or target readership. If you intend to perform the experiment in a "scientific" manner, you may want to hire the services of an official usability laboratory, though informal experiments certainly have their value as well. You may also find it beneficial to be in communication with BeOS and Linux experts/representatives prior to writing your final analysis.

I fully expect to see Linux win on some of these points, and BeOS on others. I fully expect different kinds of users to have different experiences and perceptions. The point of the excercise is to raise the questions, "Which of the popular alternative operating systems are best suited to meet the needs of new users looking for a way out of Windows? Which of the popular alternative operating systems present fewer hurdles when it comes to installation, configuration, and general usability? Which of the popular alternative operating systems presents a better base of easy-to-use productivity, media, networking, and other types of software?" This challenge is not meant to be an "Enterprise Shoot-Out" or "Server Comparison." Rather, it's a simple test of which alternative operating systems are well-suited for users looking to replace or augment Windows or MacOS on the desktop. I'm sure that you and your readers will find that the test and its results make for interesting reading.

Linux, as you may know, is a free operating system. You may install it without licensing issues from any existing Linux distribution CD, or download the entire system (not recommended). Start at www.linux.org for more information.

Thanks for your time,

[your name here]




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