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Windows 95's Start menu was invented by a chimpanzee-lab psychologist: 'Even a rocket scientist couldn't figure out Windows' (www.windowslatest.com)
submitted 4 weeks ago by to c/nottheonion@lemmy.world
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Former Microsoft exec explain how a behavioral psychologist utilized Fitts's law to place the Windows 95 Start button in the bottom-left.

Paywall?

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[+] -9 points 3 weeks ago (6 children)

Although corners have infinite access, I doubt anyone is using mouse anymore to open start menu

Current fastest pipeline is Press Win button - start typing what you need

And it is convenient for eyes when menu is in the center.

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  • [–] 13 points 3 weeks ago (1 child)

    Have you never worked in an office?

    At least 95% of users use their cursor to open start.

    The majority rarely use their keyboard for anything other than typing sentences.

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  • [–] 1 point 3 weeks ago*

    I am not talking about these people. They are not bothered or affected by UX microoptinizations of having infinite speed access areas.

    Judging by how my original comment is downvoted, I for sure hit something in those who are bothered and who for some unknown for me reason are still using mouse to open Start menu, so it is important for them to have it on the left.

    It is literally the same as with pineapple pizza. Internet told them to hate it, so they do, lol.

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  • [–] 5 points 3 weeks ago (1 child)

    As an IT professional I’ve noticed that the search bar has subsumed almost all interaction with the Start menu. Most people I work with don’t even know what it is anymore.

    And that’s before the concept of typing something while Start is open to search, which is unintuitive for a lot of “monkey see/monkey do” users.

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  • [–] 2 points 3 weeks ago

    Most people I work with don’t even know what it is anymore.

    At first you think its the young ones that have never used a version of Windows with the word "Start" next to, but then you run into people of any age that dont know what the start menu is and you have to start calling it the windows button. Its infuriating

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  • [–] 2 points 3 weeks ago

    I'm currently back to Win+R and either whatever I want to start or CMD, because I have to work with a bunch of Windows PCs for my job and about 30% or so will randomly decide to crash the Explorer or at least the searchbar.

    On a tangent; just yesterday I had to out-bug two bugs with another two bugs, to get a notebook to almost do what I want. It's great.

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