2.1 Introduction

Current user interface approaches, developed for the desktop personal computer, are limited in their application to the design of information appliances. While portions of PC design approaches can be leveraged for information appliances, many of the design philosophies do not apply or simply cannot be used. Similarly, only a subset of the considerable knowledge from consumer electronics user interfaces applies to the information appliance domain. Therefore, new design approaches are needed to address the special design needs for these devices.

This chapter describes some of the practical design considerations for developing user interfaces for information appliances. These considerations have been derived from significant experience in designing for the information appliance space. In addition to its traditional server, workstation, and software businesses, Sun Microsystems provides software solutions for consumer devices and information appliances. These solutions have been in the form of a real-time operating system (RTOS), enabling platforms such as Java2 Micro Edition (for phones, televisions, automobiles), and complete applications for television set-top boxes, screen phones, and wireless devices.

The design considerations in this chapter are a sample of the principles yielded from our experiences. They are intended to provide the flavor of our new design approach. They are not design prescriptions, but they do offer a perspective for a user experience that is different from that of PCs. Additionally, the principles discussed...