Why are computer UIs going back to the 1980s and 90s?

[nickdalzell]

We were so close. we already had seen the likes of 3-D looking UIs, full of features, screens with high PPI and resolution capability (and not just Apple's Retina Display either, try Samsung's AMOLED display). but now it seems that UI design is going backwards to the early days of computing:

Desqview 1980s:



AOL 1990s:



Windows 8 (present day):



Android's Play Store and various apps (and possibly future Android itself):



BlackBerry 10:



What is it with the huge icons, dumbed down UI, and colorful toy-like look? what's the point of all this new screen tech when it's wasted on a rehash and modern take on 1980s-90s computing? somehow, i am not surprised to see a Stylus on a Note anymore. everything else has started to devolve backwards. is this a fad or is this the way computing is going from now on?

 

[mikedt]

You forgot one Nick!

iOS7

One word "FASHION"...that's all it is.

 

[Metroid Prime]

^ That UI looks like Windows, Android, and IOS all had a baby.

 

[Hadron]

My 1980s user interface was a VT100 terminal

 

[mikedt]

^ That UI looks like Windows, Android, and IOS all had a baby.

I can see what's due next for a makeover....

Mac OS X

That Dock is too 3D and unfashionable. :thumbdown: It must be flat and it must have bright cheerful solid colours. :thumbup:

 

[MoodyBlues]

My 1980s user interface was a VT100 terminal

Depending on whether I was at home or work, my UI was either my TV screen (connected to my Commodore 64 at home) or a variety of Wyse 50/60/150 terminals plus a color monitor (connected to my UNIX server at work). No fancy schmancy GUIs for me! :laugh:

 

[Revenant Ghost]

Have you ever heard the term, "old is new again" before? Sometimes it works (ex: clothing, cars). Not so much for a GUI though. Hopefully, it's only a passing fad.

 

[nickdalzell]

i couldn't find a proper screenshot of iOS 7 to use. but yeah. i can see Mac OS X following that theme pretty soon which would save me money as i'd never own a Mac if that ever happens.

3-D is the future. this rehash of early GUIs worries me. it seems to be carrying over to other devices as well, like Glass, smart watches, TV UIs, and even the dashes of cars--even my new 7" touchscreen 'app radio' has giant buttons and a kiddy UI

I do hope that like the revival of 1970s-fashion like bell-bottoms and lava lamps in the late 1990s, that this will last about as long as the Spice Girls' carreer. but it could very well become an undying trend like KY's deer hunting or Duck Dynasty as well. that would worry me as the hardware would be the next to follow suit.

I still cannot get over how close Windows 8 came to AOL.

 

[zuben el genub]

Some people have trouble with their eyes and 3D. It gives you a headache. I know I don't like it.

I like the older icons with more text. I can read them faster. They are also cleaner. The appearance of the object is whatever the user wants. For speed and efficiency, the plainer the better. The icons only job is to open the app I want, not admire the icon.

I use my photos as wallpaper, and I don't want any flashy icons in my view.

Those that do like them are welcome to them. I think it's about a 50/50 split.
Go read the posts about Unity in a Linux forum.

FX is supposed to bring out Aurora later in the year.

 

[mikedt]

Some people have trouble with their eyes and 3D. It gives you a headache. I know I don't like it.

I like the older icons with more text. I can read them faster. They are also cleaner. The appearance of the object is whatever the user wants. For speed and efficiency, the plainer the better. The icons only job is to open the app I want, not admire the icon.

Think the whole inspiration for the Metro UI and similar came from subway and airport signage. That's why it was called "Metro" i.e. you don't need 3D, shine and fake leather stitching to tell you where the WC is or which gate you need to go to. ...and its presence could actually obscure or detract from the information.

EDIT

Can give what I think is an example between subway style signage and what I think could be a 3D version.

Which one is the "disabled" sign?

A simple blue and white ideograph or a detailed 3D rendering of a wheelchair?

BTW I keep the posh 3D dock on my Macbook hidden, don't need it in view all the time. It appears when moving mouse to bottom of screen. I'm not staring admiring it and thinking how beautiful it looks, it's there to launch software, and nothing else.

The icons you see on Android or iOS are there to tell you what the apps do, rather like signage in a subway or an airport IMO. And so I think they should be clear and obvious.

 

[sfbloodbrother]

Is this a bad thing?
Windows 8 isnt that bad.

 

[rabidhunter]

I can see what's due next for a makeover....

Mac OS X

That Dock is too 3D and unfashionable. :thumbdown: It must be flat and it must have bright cheerful solid colours. :thumbup:

It looks like the icons are about ready to jump off into the black abyss of space due to their unfashionable appearance.

 

[rabidhunter]

Have you ever heard the term, "old is new again" before? Sometimes it works (ex: clothing, cars). Not so much for a GUI though. Hopefully, it's only a passing fad.

Just look at fashion trends. I remember the 80's styles. Now I see teens walking around wearing those things. Total blast from the past.

 

[kate]

Why are computer UIs going back to the 1980s and 90s?

The explanation I heard, at least for Windows 8, is because it increases performance and battery life.

With tablets becoming more popular they have to focus on better performance with less powerful processors. The Aero look apparently was a waste of resources so they made Windows 8 look more simple.

 

[redpill2016]

I've never liked having crap tiled all over my desktop, feels cluttered. And what's wrong with just a list of programs a la the Start button. Do I really need a 3" square icon that says "Mail" in the middle of it? Maybe humanity is regressing down the evolutionary ladder.

 

[Stannis the Mannis]

Lmao you're the only person i've seen on any forum to go out of their way to complain about this. A large, large majority of users don't mind this. No one gave much of a crap about 3-D UIs, you're not gonna spend some 10 mins staring into an icon or what the rest of the UI looks like unless you're obsessed. mikdedt hit the nail on the head in his comment.

Is this a bad thing?
Windows 8 isnt that bad.

It's not really a bad thing at all, and i agree with the W8 comment. I don't see anyone complain about this except for the iOS 7 UI.

 

[Hadron]

TBH I think that Metro on a desktop is dreadful. I can see where it's coming. from on a phone screen, but apart from a desperate attempt to make the phone UI look familiar cannot think of any reason for putting it on a PC.

Now is this better or worse than MS's previous attempt at this, where they forced (IMO) inappropriate elements into the phone's UI to make it look familiar to PC owners?

 

[Slug]

My Windows 7 desktop is pretty far from Microsoft's default UI experience thanks to Object Desktop (which I've used since it was OS/2-only) and some time spent in the config/setup options. Likewise my Android devices, all four of them, are very different to the original UI thanks to Nova Launcher and the work of some talented icon designers and themers. I couldn't care less what the default "look and feel" is so long as I can make it my own.

 

[sfbloodbrother]

My Windows 7 desktop is pretty far from Microsoft's default UI experience thanks to Object Desktop (which I've used since it was OS/2-only) and some time spent in the config/setup options. Likewise my Android devices, all four of them, are very different to the original UI thanks to Nova Launcher and the work of some talented icon designers and themers. I couldn't care less what the default "look and feel" is so long as I can make it my own.

I don't think you can do that with Windows 8. They give you a look, and you have to use that.

 

[kate]

I don't think you can do that with Windows 8. They give you a look, and you have to use that.

You can still customize Windows 8, including adding a Start Menu and bypassing Metro.

Ways to bring back the Start Menu:
StartMenu8
Pokki
Classic Shell
StartIsBack

I haven't used these, but apparently they work.

 

[doniago]

Yeah, first thing I've done after installing Win8 is downloaded a program that gives me back the Start button and dumps me right into desktop mode.

 

[Codegerm]

^ That UI looks like Windows, Android, and IOS all had a baby.

Ack! That should go hide in the sewers and be ashamed of what it is.. LOL

 

[pbf98]

Its because its whats growing to be the new thing.
With the straight lines, it gives it a clean and simple look. This may be a reason as to why.. but its not only happening in UIs, look at clothing some styles going around now, you will see that there are some styles that mimic the 80s and 90s.

You know the saying.. Out with the new and in with the Old!... or maybe I am confused? haha

 

[Codegerm]

Depending on whether I was at home or work, my UI was either my TV screen (connected to my Commodore 64 at home) or a variety of Wyse 50/60/150 terminals plus a color monitor (connected to my UNIX server at work). No fancy schmancy GUIs for me! :laugh:

Nice... Here is a blast from the past for you. An Altos System running CP/M using a televideo dumb terminal for the interface. I used this over the summer at my mom's office working with medical manager 1.0


OLD-COMPUTERS.COM musem ~ Altos Computer Systems ACS-8000

 

[mikedt]

I've never liked having crap tiled all over my desktop, feels cluttered. And what's wrong with just a list of programs a la the Start button. Do I really need a 3" square icon that says "Mail" in the middle of it? Maybe humanity is regressing down the evolutionary ladder.

That's what I was objecting to when I had Win 8 running on my 25in desktop monitor. It's a UI that was designed for small touch screen tablets. For that it probably works very well. But too large and clunky when scaled up and used with a mouse. The huge coloured squares did bring to mind.... Fisher Price "My First PC"

It's not the first time MS has forced one UI on everyone. Windows CE had a Start menu modelled after desktop Windows. But it was so small and fiddly you had to use a stylus, as fingers were just far too large.