Perspectives: Themes & Skins and Windows XP
By Nate Mook, BetaNews
November 6, 2001, 11:09 PM
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| Mean | 4.5 | 5.3 | XP |
| Response Range | 1-7 | 3-7 | XP |
| Mode | 4 | 7 | XP |
For the first item the Windows 98 Group rated the ease of this task with a Mean of 4.5 on the scale of 1 to 7. The Range of the responses was as wide as possible, with at least one participant choosing each of the possible answers, from1 to 7. The XP Group rated the same task to be easier, with a Mean rating of 5.3. The Range for this group was much more positive than the Windows 98 Group, as no one in the XP Group chose a response under 3. The Mode (the most frequently selected answer) also reflects a real advantage for XP. The Windows 98 Group Mode was 4 (between 'easy’ and 'difficult'), while the XP Group found this task substantially 'easier' as their Mode was 7 ('very easy').
Item1b: Setting up an E-mail Account
Participants were asked to follow instructions and set up
this computer to receive and send e-mail.
| Mean | 4.3 | 5.3 | XP |
| Response Range | 1-7 | 2-7 | XP |
| Mode | 5 | 6 | XP |
The XP Group rated this task somewhat 'easier' to perform than the Windows 98 Group.
Item 2: Writing a Letter
Participants were asked to follow directions to 'write’ a short letter, which was provided for them to type into the PC.
| Mean | 6.5 | 6.6 | None |
| Response Range | 6-7 | 5-7 | None |
| Mode | 7 | 7 | None |
Item 3: Saving a Letter
Participants were asked to store the letter they just created on their computer’s hard drive.
| Mean | 6.2 | 6.7 | XP |
| Response Range | 5-7 | 5-7 | None |
| Mode | 6 | 7 | XP |
Item 4: Sending E-mail
Participants were asked to send an e-mail message (which was provided to them) to a specific address (also provided to them).
| Mean | 5.6 | 6.1 | XP |
| Response Range | 4-7 | 5-7 | XP |
| Mode | 6 | 7 | XP |
The XP Group found it slightly easier to send the e-mail message than the Windows 98 Group.
Item 5: Setting up a Printer
Participants were asked to follow instructions to set-up a printer.
| Mean | 5.5 | 5.9 | XP |
| Response Range | 4-7 | 4-7 | None |
| Mode | 6 | 7 | XP |
Item 6: Printing a Saved Letter
Participants were asked to locate the letter they had 'saved’ when they performed items 2 and 3, and then print that letter.
| Mean | 6.5 | 6.6 | None |
| Response Range | 5-7 | 5-7 | None |
| Mode | 7 | 7 | None |
The XP Group found accessing the saved letter slightly easier than did the Windows 98 Group. There is no appreciable difference between the groups when printing the letter.
Item 7: Locate an Internet Web site
Participants were asked to locate the following Web site: http://www.nmsu.edu
| Mean | 6.7 | 6.7 | None |
| Response Range | 5-7 | 5-7 | None |
| Mode | 7 | 7 | None |
Item 8: Inserting a Copied Address
Participants were asked to open the letter they previously had saved, and insert the Web address they had accessed in Item 7, into the letter – without typing the address.
| Mean | 6.7 | 6.7 | None |
| Response Range | 5-7 | 5-7 | None |
| Mode | 7 | 7 | None |
For these two tasks, there was no difference in the two groups.
Item 9: Saving to Floppy Disk
Participants were instructed to put a copy of the letter onto a floppy disk.
| Mean | 5.8 | 6.5 | XP |
| Response Range | 3-7 | 5-7 | XP |
| Mode | 7 | 7 | None |
When asked to simply write a letter, there is little difference between the two groups using different Operating Systems. However, as the participants were asked to save and then copy to a floppy disk the letter they had written, the data indicates that participants rated XP easier to use.
Item 10: Creating a New Folder
Participants were instructed to create a place to store 'letters’ and move the letter they had created into that place.
| Mean | 4.6 | 5.1 | XP |
| Response Range | 2-7 | 4-7 | XP |
| Mode | 5 | 6 | XP |
While the Mean responses reveal a slight advantage for XP, this advantage looks even more substantial when looking at the other data. The Range of data for the Windows 98 Group is larger, and the Mode also shows this group found the task more difficult than those using XP.
Item 11: Changing Backgrounds
| Mean | 6.6 | 6.6 | None |
| Response Range | 5-7 | 5-7 | None |
| Mode | 7 | 7 | None |
No appreciable differences appear in this data.
Item 13: Change Double-click Speed for a mouse
Participants were instructed to change the double-click speed to a setting of their choosing.
| Mean | 5.8 | 6.4 | XP |
| Response Range | 4-7 | 4-7 | None |
| Mode | 6 | 7 | XP |
For this task, XP was rated as being slightly easier to use.
Item 16: Adding Software
Participants were given a CD entitled “Encarta Encyclopedia Standard 2001” and instructed to install the program onto their computers.
| Mean | 5,1 | 6.4 | XP |
| Response Range | 4-7 | 5-7 | XP |
| Mode | 6 | 7 | XP |
Item 18: Locating Saved Software
Participants were instructed to locate and open the “Encarta” program that they had previously installed.
| Mean | 5.8 | 6.7 | XP |
| Response Range | 4-7 | 5-7 | XP |
| Mode | 6 | 7 | XP |
Item 21: Deleting Saved Software
Participants were instructed to remove the “Encarta” program from the hard drive.
| Mean | 5.5 | 6.7 | XP |
| Response Range | 5-7 | 6-7 | XP |
| Mode | 5 | 7 | XP |
The data from the 'adding/locating/deleting new software’ items, provides some of the most substantial differences between the two groups, with XP having a clear advantage.
Item 30: Shutting off the Computer
Participants were told that they were done using the PC for the day, and they would not want to leave it on. They were asked to 'please do what is necessary to do.’
| Mean | 6.0 | 6.9 | XP |
| Response Range | 5-7 | 6-7 | XP |
| Mode | 6 | 7 | XP |
Even turning off the PC seems to be 'easier’ using XP than with Windows98.
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