Re: Re: RFXCOM to HomeSeer and other HA apps via xAP - and other GUI's ..

[Chris Hunter <cjhunter@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

'difficult one to cut, this one ... on the one hand, IMHO, having two
systems is daft (old switches plus HA), on the other hand HA that
doesn't allow the user to take command when necessary is really
frustrating ... not forgetting, too, that without my glasses, a any
screen would be useless, anyway ... and also that the HA should be
discrete - ie: it shouldn't be intrusive, so using the TV or computer
as a routine interface is also a no-no ... IMHO !

on fighter aircraft, we've used automation very successfully to move
from giving the pilot links to the controls, to giving the pilot a
means to say what he / she wants to happen ... eg: he / she uses the
stick & switches to say what is to happen, rather than to move the
controls or switch things on & off, per-se ... 'seems to me we should
aim to do something similar with HA ... similarly with the
instruments - they no-longer show system parameters, they show what
is needed to be known, when it is needed ... 'though, of course,
there is the ability to drill-down when required & as required ... an
overall objective being to increase capability whilst reducing
workload ... seems to me we should try to do something similar with HA !

Chris




On 12 Apr 2007, at 22:15, Mal Lansell wrote:

> I have always believed very strongly that a successful HA system will
> be an addition to - rather than a replacement for - standard, manual
> controls.
>
> The simple reason is that visitors to the house may not be familiar
> with your system - blinding people with science isn't impressive,
> it's just being an ass, IMHO.
>
> That means having normal, intuitive "push to turn on"
lightswitches -
> not touchscreens that require the user to decypher the icons before
> they can do anything.
>
> My main beef with GUIs is the idea that there should be a snazzy PC
> based app showing all your devices and their current state.  Apart
> from the pure geekiness of it all, why?  The PC-based interface
> should really only be needed for setup and configuration, but these
> areas are often neglected.  Yes you can see if the hall light is on,
> (although poking your head out of your study might achieve the same)
> and the graphics are wonderful, but adding new devices still usually
> requires a bunch of dull scripting and general faffiness.  This is an
> area I want to address in xPL - I don't want to do a floorplan or
> similar, but I do want to make the connecting of events to actions
> (the heart of HA) a hell of a lot more intuitive for the average user.
>
> Mal