Calligaro, a member of the Windows Mobile development team, points out that, unlike many other engineering disciplines, software development is rarely constrained by the laws of physics or available technology. "No, these automotive engineers aren't going to make a car that gets a thousand miles per gallon." But software developers can do just about anything.
Ironically, the biggest constraint in software development, according to Calligaro, is a direct result of being able to do just about anything. "We can do anything, but we can't do
everything," because there's only so much time, he writes.
The issue that prompted this post is one that apparently comes up from time to time -- giving the user the option to move the scroll bar to the left side of the screen. This would be a great help to left-handed users who end up covering the screen when they use the conventional right-hand scroll bar.
According to Calligaro, some of the questions that go into prioritizing features include:
- How many users will it affect?
- How long will it take to implement the feature?
- Can ISV or OEM partners implement the feature, or must the Windows Mobile team do it?
- Are there existing mechanisms that do the same thing?
The blog post has generated a large number of interesting, detailed replies. Read the full post
here.
Related stores:
