hmm.. I kinda like this behavior...

Okay, I'll grant you that the behavior is interesting and does have a potential use. I wouldn't use it that way, but to each his own.

However...

Strictly from a user-interface standpoint, don't you think that if a user (let's say a non-computer-savvy consumer) tells it to "always randomize this playlist", don't you think it should... oh I dunno... actually do that?

If not, then shouldn't that checkbox be renamed? And just how would you rename the checkbox: "Randomize this playlist, but only if it consists of just songs, if it consists of sub-playlists then the behavior of those playlists will take precedence, but the playlists themselves will be selected randomly." Gonna have to make that dialog box bigger.

I'm just kidding of course. I don't envy the Empeg guys. I've always said that there is no such thing as the perfect user interface, and this is no exception. There are exactly as many perfect user interfaces as there are users. A UI is always a compromise between all the possible users. As soon as I express my opinion about how I think it should work, someone else pipes up with a desire to see it behave in exactly the opposite fashion. The volume control is a classic example: I recall hearing numerous complaints that it was too slow, and as soon as they sped it up the other half of the users started to complaining that it was too fast.

Okay, let's hear from the other BBS users. How do you use the "Always Randomize" checkbox? I thought that my usage was its intended purpose, but found out otherwise when I tried to use it for the first time. How's it being used in the real world?



-- Tony Fabris -- Empeg #144 --
Caution: Do not look into laser with remaining good eye.