Graphical user interface: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 23:11, 26 November 2003

Revision as of 16:29, 6 December 2003

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GUIs that are not PUIs are most notable in [[computer game]]s. Advanced GUIs based on [[virtual reality]] are frequent in research.

In academic and research circles a GUI is often referred to as a [[Direct manipulation interface]]. This term was invented and adopted in the late 80s because it was felt that the term "Graphic User Interface" did not reflect the actual physical or haptic reality of manipulating a mouse or using a touch screen and that it ignored completely the coordinated use of sound effects to support the manipulation of the graphic elements of this kind of user interface. Also, academic and research institutions often work on prototypes of future user interfaces which place an equal emphasis or even more emphasis on the tactile elements of the interface. The "direct manipulation interface" term is usually not presented as an acronym.

There also exist GUIs which are designed for vertical market segments. These are known as application-specific GUIs. One example of such a GUI is the now familiar touchscreen point of sale software found in restaurants worldwide. First pioneered by Gene Mosher on the [[Atari ST]] computer in 1986, this touchscreen GUI has spearheaded a worldwide revolution in the use of computer technologies throughout the food & beverage industry and in the retail segment in general.