Human Computer Interfaces

Human Computer Interfaces

1. Menu Driven Interfaces

   • The user is offered a simple menu from which to choose an option (Simple Menu)
     • A menu bar is the set of options at the top of the screen. When an option is chosen a drop-down menu may be offered
   • A menu that takes o the entire screen (Full Screen Menu)
     • Menus will help guide you throughout a website and are very important therefore that's why there is different types of Menu Driven Interfaces.

2. Graphical User Interfaces

   • Graphical User Interface is sometimes shortened to a GUI. The user chooses the option usually by pointing the mouse at an icon representing the option
   • They are much easier to use for beginners. They enable you to easily exchange information between software using cut and paste or 'drag and drop'. They use a lot of memory and processing power. It can be slower to use than a command-line interface if you are an expert user. They can be irritating to experienced users when simple tasks require a number of operations.
   • When discussing user interfaces, it is always important to note that Windows XP, Windows Vista, Apple OSX and Ubuntu all have graphical user interfaces

3. Command Line Interfaces

   • A command-line interface allows the user to interact with the computer by typing in commands. The computer displays a prompt, the user keys in the command and presses enter or return.
   • Features
     • Commands must be typed correctly and in the right order or the command will not work. Experienced users who know the commands can work very quickly without having to find their way around menus. An advantage of command driven programs is that they do not need the memory and processing power of the latest computer and will often run on lower spec machines. Command driven programs do not need to run in Windows
     • An inexperienced user can sometimes find a command driven program difficult to use because of the number of commands that have to be learnt.