Human Computer Interface

Human Computer Interface

1. GUI (WIMP) Graphical user interface

   • Advantages
     • Easy to use, especially for beginners
     • easy to explore and found your way around the system using GUI.
     • You do not have to learn complicated commands
   • Disadvantages
     • GUI's take up a much larger amount of hard disk space than any other interfaces.
     • They need significantly more memory (RAM) to run than other interface types.
     • They use more processing power than any other interface.

2. Command line interface

   • Advantages
     • If the user knows the commands then this type of interface can be much fast than nay other interface.
     • This type needs much less memory (RAM) than any other types of user interface.
     • A low resolution, cheapoer monitor can be used with htis type of interface.
   • Disadvantages
     • It can be confusing for someone who's never used a command line interface before.
     • Commands have to be typed precisely. if there is a spelling error the command will fail.
     • There are large amounts of cammands that need to be learnt - in the case of UNIX it can be hundreds.

3. Menu driven interface

   • Advantages
     • Extremely easy to use.
     • No commands to learn of remember
     • Step by step options are given so the user doesnt have to remember the commands
     • Menu interfaces dont have to be visual, they can be spoken - good for telephones or the visually impaired.
   • Disadvantages
     • A poorly designed Menu interface may be slow to use
     • It can be irritating if there are too mnay menu screens to work through - users get annoyed or bored if it takes too long
     • The menu can take up a large part of the screen so oyu have to keep flicking back and forth.

4. Speech and sound

   • Advantages
     • The user does not need to be trained on how to use this interface.
     • More flexibility than a dialogue interafce.
     • suitable for physically handicapped people
   • Disadvantages
     • reliability remaisn an issue - teh interface can only respond to commands
     • Not widely avaliable as other forms of interface are often superior
     • A voice interface might need training in order to get the softwrae to recognise what the user is saying.

5. Touch sensitive interface

   • Advantages
     • You can see all the options avaliable
     • Do not need good ICT skills such as typing to be able to use.
     • Can be adapted for many uses eg. Cashpoint machine, ticket sale offices
   • Disadvantages
     • Need to understand the language or the meaning of the icons.
     • Only limited options can be offered
     • If the screen becomes damaged it might not pick up the touch command.

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