I agree with _parts_ of his argument (which is a bit of a stretch, since I consider it less of an "argument" than merely rationalizations which attempt to justify his doing whatever he wants UI-wise).
A lot of software has stagnated. MetaCreation's programs are frequently amazing to see demo'ed (some seem created with this in mind), and I have seen them at probably a dozen trade shows. The crowds are always slack-jawed. I don't deny that the apps are fun, cool, amazing, etc. They are also beautiful to look at.
But I wondered if they'd gone a bit far with Soap. I had hoped that Soap would be a major hit, and put them more on the front page. But every review I've seen complains that it's too hard to figure out, and once figured out, too convoluted to easily use. Then at the back of the review (if anyone's still reading by then), they always admit that yes, the technology is very cool and some features work almost like magic. Then they slam the UI again for being too obscure.
So it's difficult to read from the company about how wonderful and visionary they are at MCRE in terms of forging new paths in easy-of-use software, when every review I've read has complained loudly about how difficult Soap in fact is to learn and use.
But you're right, Kai isn't the one we want as the practical one. Nevertheless, I wish a "practical one" would appear to rein him in a bit... it would be nice to see reviews of the next product actually say that the app is easy to figure out, and easy to use.
Disclaimer: I haven't tried Soap myself, but I've read at least five reviews of it, maybe more (and have been stymied in the past by other MCRE interfaces).
-- Pete |
