Content originally posted in LPCWare by MikeSimmonds on Sun Jan 27 09:57:14 MST 2013
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Quote: Rob65
Could we please stop opening new threads on how bad the tools are and how disappointed some of us are with the tools.
I am an early adopter of the LPCXpresso tools and have been using it on a large number of PCs. All that without too much problems - and the problems I could solve reading the manual or the FAQs.
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Quote: Rob65
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And then ... when you are not able to find a solution to a (self inflicted?) problem, then don't blame it on the tools, don't start shouting this is a buggy product, don't complain about the fact that you have a problem with Eclipse of the Gnu tools.[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Tahoma][SIZE=2]
Instead, just ask your question and be thankful for the provided answer.[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Tahoma][SIZE=2]
Only that way you'll keep us responsive on this forum.
I think it is getting time for Code Red or NXP to moderate this forum and to warn some users about their continuous negative moods.[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Tahoma][SIZE=2]
Please keep remembering that you don't have to use the (free) LPCXpresso tools, you can always buy a professional tool suite and stop complaining here :mad:[/SIZE][/FONT]
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Rob, I'll admit that I am quick to voice negatative opinions whether they are always justified upon a more mature reflection. And I can be wrong as much as anyone else.
There is a lot of merit to your post; however ...
a) I am not one to keep silent about a perceived (real or otherwise) problem for fear of ruffling someone's feathers.
b) If a user interface relies on non-obvious settings, has deeply buried menu items or dialogs, is counter to the expectations of the concentus, or needs a detailed search of the documentation, it has failed the central tenet of interface design (I took a UI design course as part of my HND). The very fact of expanatory FAQ's indicates that the documentation has failed in its prime purpose.
c) There is a 'weighting' factor involved. If, when I design an application, I put in special effort (one time) to make the UI good, this has benefits for 1000's (I should be so lucky) of users. In conrast, if I take the easy way out, I save my efforts (once), but condem 1000's of my users to hassle and extra time to perform their tasks. And, for daily use type applications, this is multiplied on up by the usage factor per user.
I believe that if a tool/application/hardware design is, shall we say frustrating, it is our duty to complain about problems and suggest usability improvements to the authors.
If no one says anything, there can be no change for the better. [This one of the reasons that open source is so spectatularly effective.]
How much of [I]your[/I] time did you have to spend researching problems, and how much did that directly benefit all the other users?
[B]I agree[/B] that the tone usually taken (an I include myself in this) is often quite accusatory rather than discursive; I will try to moderate the strength of my feelings in future; usually, there is time pressure involved.
But, (big but) there [I]has[/I] to be a mechanism for criticism in order for products to get better/easier to use/and correct bugs.
Whether a product is free or not is largely irrelevant; paid authors [I]should[/I] be expected to respond, freeware authors may decline to make updates (for whatever reason or whim), but they should so state -- not maintain a silence.
Mike
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