STC Usability SIG
Newsletter: Usability Interface
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| Usability SIG Computing Environment |
by Dick Miller
Reprinted from Usability Interface, Vol 6, No. 2, July
1999
At this year’s STC Conference in Cincinnati, we conducted a survey to any attendees learn more about their computing environment in order to improve the design of the Usability SIG web site.
19% of the respondents were Usability SIG members. Of the 112 people who responded to the survey, 21 are members of the Usability SIG.
The following is a brief analysis of the results of that survey.
What is Most Prevalent.
Windows operating system
With both SIG members and non-members, more than more than 95% used a version of Windows as their computer operating system.
CPU speeds are higher for non-members
CPU speeds ranged from 55 to 400 MHz for SIG members, 66 to 550 MHz for non-members. Most SIG members had CPU speeds in the 100 to 300 MHz range, while most non-members had CPUs with speeds of 200 MHz and up.
Windows 95 and Windows NT
Half of the USIG members used Windows 95, one-fourth used Win 98, and one-fourth used Windows NT. Of non-members, only a few used Windows 98, while the rest were approximately evenly divided between Windows 95 and Windows NT.
17-inch monitors
In both Usability SIG member and non-member groups, 17-inch monitors were cited by two-thirds of the respondents. The next most popular sizes were 21-inch, 19-inch and 15-inch.
LANs, modems, and T1 lines are used for Internet connection
These three methods of Internet connection were cited approximately equally, with 37% with T1, 33% with modems, and 30% with LAN connections.
Modem speeds ranged from 28.8 Kb to 56.6 Kb, with 56.6 Kb listed for 75% of respondents.
Netscape and Microsoft browser is equally common
Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape (Navigator, Communicator, etc.) was cited as the primary browser approximately equally in both groups. In almost every case, if a secondary browser was named, it was the other of these two.
Microsoft Outlook most popular e-mail program
Outlook or Outlook Express was cited by 37% of respondents. The next most popular, each mentioned by about 13% of respondents, were Netscape, Lotus Notes, and Eudora. About one-fourth of respondents used a second e-mail program.
Computer experience: Intermediate to Expert
No respondent reported being a novice computer user. On the whole, there were approximately equal numbers of Intermediate and Expert computer users (self-definition and self-description). Non-members were more likely to describe themselves as Expert, compared to SIG members.
WWW experience: Intermediate to Expert, but slightly less so
No respondent reported being a novice WWW user. On the whole, slightly more than half the respondents described themselves as Intermediate WWW users (self-definition and self-description). SIG members were about equally divided, while non-members were slightly less likely to describe themselves as Expert.
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