xbmc OPENS as a FAIL

Quote:While XBMC functions very well as a standard media player application for your computer

distinct from: "XBMC is a standard media playing application for your computer"

The paragraph then goes on to say:
"While XBMC functions very well as a standard media player application for your computer, it has been designed to be the perfect companion for your HTPC."

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Maybe XBMC's just not for you.

Some will like it, some won't.

(2012-04-09 18:42)steelhoof Wrote:  When it installs, it is a sweet install. When it launches, it is a frakking nightmare. The entire screen is covered with the program. There are no buttons or menus readily available to help the user figure all of this crap out, the man-pages don't exist and how the frak do I get rid of this monster that ate my computer?

Yup. Main reason of your disappointment is that you expected windowed program and this is HTPC system (like Apple TV, Windows MC etc..).

However, XBMC never quite took a clear stance on this - you can go from full screen to windowed mode, you see mouse pointer and for the most part can actually use mouse.

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(2012-04-09 23:10)steelhoof Wrote:  Yup. As an app on a computer or a a primary media solution for TV or...

I base that comment on this from earlier in the thread:

"XBMC is created for use with TVs and the 10-foot interface (navigable from a remote,
and viable from 10-feet/couch). It is not a normal PC application, nor is it meant to be."

And this from ABOUT:

"While XBMC functions very well as a standard media player application for your computer, it has been designed to be the perfect companion for your HTPC. Supporting an almost endless range of remote controls, and combined with its beautiful interface and powerful skinning engine, XBMC feels very natural to use from the couch and is the ideal solution for your home theater."

So you have read that already but still ended up surprised by home page?

Surprise? No. I do lots for my clients, which are geeks to grannies, As such I look at it from the dumbest point of view. I am offering a perspective. My opinion is you have good to great, but not quite killer. You must know that many people will just install it hoping it will work.

The user might be thinking... "OK, but how about a bit of help during the setup to see what might be a best setup for me."

Help the user get there. easier.

That is all

Tbh, if someone is at the stage where they can't even find an exit button without having their hand held then there's no point even trying, they should just walk away. It doesn't matter how easy you make it because there's always something that's going to trip them up.

I like the set-up, where the only option is to opt-out garbage languages.

I do not want to have a guide & videos bloated download of several gigabytes to get a usefull software product contained of some megabytes of code and some more of skin backgrounds...

leaner is better, if you need more, go to youtube or read the oline wiki - btw I read those stuff usually before I install software ;-)

I will never understand why people think you should just be able to install a program and away you go.....without doing any kind of research to see what you might actually be getting in to

with all of the things XBMC can do why would you think you you can just turn it on and it will just all magically work

i program POS systems and train people of all levels of knowledge....the worst people to train are the ones who already think they know it all because they "have been working with computers for X amount of years"

that is great and all but this is software....not all software is the same because then what would be the need of more than one....not all software will take the same approach....not all developers will think the same....not all software has the same end result in mind....not all software are built using the same language

can go on for ever....if people have all this history of computers and software then they should know better

a little bit of research will go a long way around here

this isn't a VCR that just turns on....which by the way those of you old enough to have had a VCR im sure you even read the manual on that first lol

and this is not to say that some things could be improved on but again all the people coming here thinking it will just load up like as mentioned vlc or something like that and you can just start it up is mind boggling

You're installing it on a desktop PC? Well there's your problem.

Somehow everyone else has figured it out and furthermore does the AppleTV or other such thing freak you out because that really doesn't come with anything other than a startup in full screen.

One statement, XBMC = FREE

I think if everyone actually knew the origin of XBMC and its initial platform... The original XBox. They might actually understand that the primary purpose of XBMC is to be used on a TV or large screen from a distance with a remote.

Out of the 4 systems in my household running XBMC 2 of them are still XBoxes.

I think its an interesting point. Can the first time user experience be improved? Sure, why not.

However threads with criticism usually turn into people 'defending' something out of loyalty rather than actually considering if there is any merit to the point made.