billpapa.org Reading (b)log

Futurologist Paul Saffo sings the praises of RPN (Reverse Polish Notation) calculators. RPN is a notation that never caught on, as we got stuck in a local optimum: similarity with pen and paper problem solving. The problem is that when transfered to the digital world, the “infix” (i.e. traditional) notation is very inefficient. It’s like using a horse harness to steer an automobile, or as Engelbart is quoted in Saffo:

RPN is to infix as a 2-wheeler bike is to a tricycle: The tricycle has no learning curve, but it will never go fast. In contrast, the two-wheeler takes some practice, but once one learns, the bike is a high-performance tool.

The story of RPN shows us that sometimes we must forego the initial ease of use, and focus on long term productivity and usability instead (an issue raised nicely by Gentner & Nielsen in the Anti-Mac interface (1996)).

References

Gentner, D., & Nielsen, J. (1996). The Anti-Mac interface. Communications of the ACM, 39(8), 70-82.

technorati tags:hci, user-centred, user-centered, CognitiveErgonomics, calculator, technology, usability

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