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Re: Documenting in Windows 8 - Click? Press? Select?
Subject:Re: Documenting in Windows 8 - Click? Press? Select? From:Reshma <reshma_pendse -at- yahoo -dot- co -dot- in> To:"Wroblewski, Victoria" <vwroblewski -at- NECsphere -dot- com> Date:Fri, 25 Jan 2013 01:15:32 +0530
Hi Victoria,
I've been thinking about this and wondering how long before I'll need to implement this.
Just because your application might be supported on win 8 does not necessarily mean it will be supported on all devices that run win 8. For example, while there are apps that work on ios 6 on iPhone and iPad, there are many others where you find separate apps for the two devices. So it's not enough that win 8 supports touch; you need to find out if your app will do that too.
If the answer is yes, then I would ditch the click/ press/ tap terminology and go to generic terms like Select, Choose, Open etc. - that's what I am planning, fwiw.
Anyone think it's time for MMSTP 5 already? I do!
Regards,
Reshma
Sent from my iPhone
On 25-Jan-2013, at 12:42 AM, "Wroblewski, Victoria" <vwroblewski -at- NECsphere -dot- com> wrote:
> Has anyone out there had to start documenting anything for Windows 8 yet? It's starting to peek over the horizon with some of my projects, and I'm trying to see if there is yet any standard way of dealing with it.
>
> If you've happily ignored everything about Windows 8, it's designed to work on both traditional PCs and also tablet devices. And they obviously forgot the uproar from a lot of technical writers back when the replaced the word "Start" menu with the icon - they've removed the start menu entirely.
>
> While I'm okay with the idea that we may just have to tell user to open/access and application without direct instructions on how to find it via the Start menu (instead of "Go to Windows Start > All Programs > Application Name", just saying "Open Application Name") I'm struggling with how to document the user experience since it may not be a single experience - will they be using a tablet and used to "press/tap" terminology? Or a standard laptop with a mouse and clicks? Or even a touch screen enabled PC where they may be able to press/tap or use a mouse?
>
> For my own purposes - the likelihood is going to be adding Windows 8 support to an application that used to be desktop-based only. And it's still looming on the horizon (but those things also tend to appear that way, and then approach you rather quickly).
>
> I've done some searches and if Microsoft has provided any guidance on this, it's well hidden enough where I haven't been able to find it. (Curse you, MMS for making us all go the "click" route years ago and then changing the game on it).
>
> So, anyone doing this yet? Or planning their approach?
>
>
> - V
>
> Victoria J. Wroblewski
> Technical Writer
> NEC Sphere Communications, Inc.
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