I really hate that MS Word is basically the only app to use for business-level word processing... unless I want to use Google Docs. Like... yikes. I've tried LibreOffice and Word Perfect, but the biggest issue is that they don't actually handle MS documents that well. And these other apps tend to have a UX experience from the early 2000s.
@indubitablyodin I'd like to note that a stable UX is a *good* thing once you pass roughly 50 years of age! Loss of mental agility means many older people can't adapt to changing UIs, especially when the change is radical eg MS's brain-dead tab bar replacing and hiding the menu-driven UI.
Most businesses don't need document retention for > 5 years, but some (law, medicine) have human-lifespan-equivalent stability needs, and I'd like to be able to still read my parents' writing now they're dead.
@cstross I feel like this relatively innocuous post may have touched on something you feel strongly about? 😅
I agree largely, at a certain level. For instance, I *like* the so-called "brain-dead" tab bar in MS Word. I found the explosion of options in the older UI to be stressful.
That said, I've taught enough seniors to realize that even small changes can severely limit someone. Which brings me back to my annoyance with MS. In a good program, I should be able to alter the UI to suit my needs.
LibreOffice actually does this! I really loved being able to switch to tabbed view. But, LO wasn't working for me for other reasons, mainly to do with how well it handles .docx and that I have to work largely within Word at both work and school. Anyway, LO is a good example of designers trying to provide options.
Document retention is a bit different than program UI, but I also agree that stability and longevity are sort of key. And that they get horribly ignored by designers working toward the business model.