Inside story: The birth of Xbox

“One of the most controversial choices at the time was whether the Xbox should have a modem in it or not. It sounds bizarre now but most people at the time were connecting to the internet via a dial-up modem.

“So the decision to add a modem in there was fought and fought and actually went all the way up to Robbie Bach. There was a big difference of opinion because at the time there were a lot of dial-up multiplayer services, and we knew if we supported that we could get a lot of people playing.

“The idea of having an Ethernet connection in your home was pretty new at that time, and not many people had it.

“And I remember that this was one of the clear demands that Robbie made, he said we were building the machine for the future, that we were going to bet on people signing up to broadband.

“Once he made that decision. No-one went back.”

An in-depth look at how Microsoft got into the console race, tracing the two years from product conception to launch.

Usability week ending October 10th

Friday, 8th October, 4:46 PM
Mobile web apps are an excellent opportunity for native-like performance without specializing in a particular platform: http://j.mp/aoQhzw

Thursday, 7th October, 4:55 PM
Ten golden principles for successful web apps: http://j.mp/9bkD6B #design #ux #development #startups

Tuesday, 5th October, 4:16 PM
Business-aligned #usability ratings communicate actual business impacts of issues identified in usability #testing: http://j.mp/dvvnXh

via twitter.com/terretta

Usability week ending April 11th

Friday, 9th April, 4:19 PM
Engaging the "desk potatoes" through #design -- designing for passive consumption: http://j.mp/bDBxON #ia #ux #ipad

Friday, 9th April, 3:04 PM
Risky #assumptions are risky mainly as they can result in a product’s failure in the marketplace: http://j.mp/9lQDYN #ia #ux #strategy

Thursday, 8th April, 3:37 PM
The real cost of #software #development is #usability: http://j.mp/alPF03 #ux

Thursday, 8th April, 12:59 PM
Learning from game design: 11 gambits for influencing user behaviour: http://j.mp/ccTIpu #ux #ia

Thursday, 8th April, 12:57 PM
#Gadget reviews focus on device itself, innards, #specs. #UX is more strategic, more effective basis to analyze a device: http://j.mp/cUOJsq

Wednesday, 7th April, 1:07 PM
Bouncing ideas among a team with almost immediate feedback in the form of #design #mockups in @skitch is invaluable: http://j.mp/asGIed

Wednesday, 7th April, 12:56 PM
New #cameras, and more importantly, new #aesthetics, are breathing new life into #video storytelling and #journalism: http://j.mp/d4BaML #vx

Monday, 5th April, 2:28 PM
"Information efficiency" lets you know when you can stop looking for a better #design: http://j.mp/9jy5W2 #usability #ux

via twitter.com/terretta

Usability week ending February 28th

Friday, 26th February, 4:22 PM
The laws of prägnanz (pithiness) say we order our experience in a way that's regular, orderly, symmetric, and simple: http://j.mp/bPcwrW #ux

Friday, 26th February, 2:49 PM
If elements of an interface are ambiguous, behaviour should be what will least astonish the user: http://j.mp/bKjqei #ux #usability #pola

Thursday, 25th February, 3:40 PM
Bringing user centered #design to the #agile environment: http://j.mp/bl4oln #ucd #ux #development #scrum

Thursday, 25th February, 11:07 AM
Is this obvious? Let’s make 2010 the year of common sense user experience: http://j.mp/b5xTBV #usability #ux #ui #design #webdesign

Wednesday, 24th February, 11:40 AM
"The All New Yahoo! eFail Client" -- when web mail stops being usable, users get irate: http://j.mp/ct44EC #ux #usability @yahoo #gmail

Tuesday, 23rd February, 1:07 PM
#Simplicity is easy to describe but difficult to achieve, especially when there are other people in your life: http://j.mp/bSR58X #declutter

Monday, 22nd February, 5:20 PM
Transform your software #design process into an objective, deliberate activity that furthers commerce: http://j.mp/9VSIMb #ia #ux

via twitter.com/terretta

The real reason offshoring continues to fail

When it comes to offshoring, if unclear expectations, miscommunication, and poor cultural fit send a simple conversation about a deadline sideways...

... what about really big stuff like:
  • Requirements
  • Deliverables
  • Quality control testing
  • Development standards
  • Documentation

The implications are literally staggering.  In fact, I’d go so far as to say the fact that every outsourced project hasn’t failed is something of a miracle.  It’s a testament to having the right people who naturally and instinctually bridge these gaps through extra communication.

So what’s so hard about outsourcing?  It’s hard because of the cultural baggage we bring to the table on both sides, and neither side necessarily realizes it because of assumed interactions.  We need to be more aware of the cultural assumptions going in to projects like this, or we’re doomed to repeat them ad absurdum.

Managing this gulf in cultural expectations is a daily commitment. Shared backgrounds, frequent visits in both directions, and a culture of innovation go a long way to cross-pollinate the ideas vital to keeping more projects on track with local and offshore expectations.

We've been working with offshore developers for over a decade, and have definitely experienced many of the concerns Dave raises. But thanks to Eastern Europe's education standards and some of the most qualified, dedicated, and hardworking computer science professionals in the world, finding a local company to help you bridge the gap brings end results that are worth the effort.

Usability week ending October 25th

Friday, 23rd October, 11:21 AM
The plain fact is users will not read anything you put on the screen. How to treat user myopia: http://j.mp/oeIwQ #ui #development #ia

Wednesday, 21st October, 9:26 PM
Users hate change--just evolve a familiar #design. When incrementalism eventually destroys cohesiveness, redesign: http://j.mp/pdOUM #ux #ui

Monday, 19th October, 1:56 PM
If someone approaches you about #SEO, ignore them. Fire whoever makes your web pages, hire someone better: http://j.mp/37Bpsl #ia #webdesign

via twitter.com/terretta

Usability week ending September 6th

Friday, 4th September, 7:50 PM
7 of 37signals—publish, dogfood, simplify, impassion, charge, share, engage: http://j.mp/SVhc1 #success #startup #ux

Thursday, 3rd September, 5:07 PM
Close the gap between webpage purpose and customer intent through blood sweat and tears—and these 6 tips: http://j.mp/lT75N #analytics #ux

Wednesday, 2nd September, 8:41 PM
Al Gore invented the Internet’s Top 10 User Experience Myths: http://j.mp/vOWEQ #ux #design #usability #IA

Tuesday, 1st September, 11:50 AM
Got a sales and #marketing problem? When in doubt, make your #software more compelling: http://j.mp/2bexnF #ux #development

Monday, 31st August, 11:07 PM
Every now and then the simplicity and elegance and sheer obviousness (after the fact) of an invention blows me away: http://j.mp/3FHA2E

via twitter.com/terretta