I really like the Ribbon interface

[DisappearingOak]

I think the Ribbon interface on apps is one sensible piece of innovation. I loved it in MS Office Apps. I like my tools set out in front of me in an intuitive nice tabbed layout. I took to it from day one. But I do not understand why Linuxers hate the ribbon interface and it mostly seems to be because it's associated with Microsoft. I wish it was adopted in Linux apps.

[CharlesA]

I didn't really like the Ribbon layout when I first started using Office 2007 after using Office 2003 for a long long time at work. It felt alien to me and caused problems before I had to relearn where everything was. It is human nature to want to resist change (see the Unity outcry), but sometimes it is for the better.

[Paqman]

Can't say I really see the advantage of the ribbon. Apparently it was intended to improve the discoverability of options in the menus, but I find in practice there are so many things in the MS Office menus that it's just as cluttered as the drop-down menus were and you just spend time hunting through the ribbon instead of hunting through menus. Either is just as quick once you've learned where everything is, and until then I didn't find the ribbon any quicker.

I don't hate it, it's just another imperfect interface. Can't say I get quite as ragey about interfaces as some folks do around here.

[prodigy_]

*in comic book guy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comic_Book_Guy)'s voice* Worst. Interface. Ever.

Well, seriously, it is.

[mr john]

No, it was better to have the standard File, Edit, Vew etc... Now you have to search around for stuff a bit more.

[pqwoerituytrueiwoq]

*in comic book guy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comic_Book_Guy)'s voice* Worst. Interface. Ever.

Well, seriously, it is.

this

[BigCityCat]

Who does not want to wear the Ribbon? Who?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGaqI20WHyk

[lykwydchykyn]

But I do not understand why Linuxers hate the ribbon interface and it mostly seems to be because it's associated with Microsoft. I wish it was adopted in Linux apps.

That's a wide generalization. Most users use whatever tools are available to them on the platform they're using.

You should take a look at Calligra suite. It doesn't use a "ribbon" per se, but the features are laid out in side panels in a similarly "everything out in the open" sort of way.

[vasa1]

http://ux.stackexchange.com/questions/8238/is-microsofts-ribbon-ui-really-that-great-from-a-usability-perspective/8242#8242

[Virtuality314]

Well actually....

I prefer the ribbon interface as I find searching through File, Edit, Help... more clumsy and less eefficient. Honestly.
And I am horrified to see that Linuxers seem to love going through menus. (:O)

Also, there is WPS office, currently in beta, but with a ribbon interface nevertheless.:

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2013/03/wps-office-for-linux-looks-like-microsoft-office-but-isnt

[MadmanRB]

Eh the ribbon is a mess as its much harder to navigate some options in it like spellcheck,

[3rdalbum]

I don't really mind the Ribbon. Some aspects of it are good - for instance, if you select a table and then go to the table formatting part of the ribbon and start going through the list of table styles, they will automatically apply to your table as your mouse moves over them. Like a real-time preview. Pretty good.

Most of the ribbon-hate is just that people don't want to relearn where things are kept. We've seen the same thing with Unity's introduction and we're still seeing it now actually as the 10.04 users will be forced to upgrade next month.

I still find myself searching through the ribbon for a particular function, from time to time, but on the whole the ribbon is a fairly decent UI.

[forrestcupp]

Well, I like MS Office a lot, but it's not because of the Ribbon. I'm pretty indifferent to it; I don't love it or hate it. Ribbon is great for most day to day stuff, but if you need some feature that's not as common, it's a lot harder to find things than the old way. For instance, I print envelopes from Word a lot, and it was a major pain in the backside to find the envelope tool and set it up to launch it easily. I would think envelopes would be something common enough to just be built into the Ribbon somewhere.

[lykwydchykyn]

And I am horrified to see that Linuxers seem to love going through menus. (:O)


I spoke with all the Linuxers this morning, they assured me they don't like going through menus. They prefer hitting M-x and typing a command.

[Virtuality314]

I spoke withAlthough all the Linuxers this morning, they assured me they don't like going through menus. They prefer hitting M-x and typing a command.

Good.

[llanitedave]

I think the Ribbon interface on apps is one sensible piece of innovation. I loved it in MS Office Apps. I like my tools set out in front of me in an intuitive nice tabbed layout. I took to it from day one. But I do not understand why Linuxers hate the ribbon interface and it mostly seems to be because it's associated with Microsoft. I wish it was adopted in Linux apps.

With therapy, perhaps you'll return to the land of reality.

I never found it intuitive, and the mix of options and functions was a long way from optimal. It was supposed to make the most commonly used functions most obvious, and hide the lesser-needed ones. Seems I always need a function that's not up at the top, and I spend more time searching for obscure options than I ever did with regular menu'd apps.

The learning curve is a lot steeper than it needs to be, and as with so many Microsoft products, you have to adapt to what they decide you need. You have no say in the matter.

Yeah, if you grow up with it, sure, you can navigate it just fine. That doesn't mean it's an improvement. A sighted person can learn braille just fine, too. That doesn't mean it's preferable to writing.

[llanitedave]

That's a wide generalization. Most users use whatever tools are available to them on the platform they're using.

You should take a look at Calligra suite. It doesn't use a "ribbon" per se, but the features are laid out in side panels in a similarly "everything out in the open" sort of way.

Side panels do make for a more efficient use of screen real estate. I'd rather have those than a top one.

[lykwydchykyn]

Here's a screenshot of calligra for those who don't want to download it:

http://www.calligra.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/calligra_words_spring.jpg

[montag dp]

My favorite Windows program has a GUI with a command line built in (the command line also lists possible commands when you start typing). It's an awesome, efficient interface and I wish it was more popular in other programs. Plus it's script-able.