Will tabs in IE7 confuse users?

I remember hearing that the reason the IE team didn't consider a tabbed interface for so long was because it broke the GUI guidelines and the user's expectations.

Whether that was speculation or not, it raises the question: will users get confused?

I always like to think of my poor Mum when it comes to UI issues.  And I know for a fact that if she clicks a link and it opens in a new tab, she will not notice it.

If anything, she'll look to the taskbar - where she has learnt to look for missing windows.

What do you guys think?  Is this gonna cause problems for your average joe user, or will my mum even be able to figure it out?

Unless I'm missing something tabs are not turned on by default?

I'm assuming that users clever enough to work out how to turn them on are those that will really want to use them and will have no problem figuring them out.

Personally I think most people like your poor Mum won't bother turning them on.

I agree with irascian...

In IE7 the tabs are designed so that if you trigger a tab...you'd know it.

irascian wrote:

Unless I'm missing something tabs are not turned on by default?

I'm assuming that users clever enough to work out how to turn them on are those that will really want to use them and will have no problem figuring them out.

Personally I think most people like your poor Mum won't bother turning them on.

Wells wrote:

I remember hearing that the reason the IE team didn't consider a tabbed interface for so long was because it broke the GUI guidelines and the user's expectations

Tommy4 wrote:

Tabs are on by default, and they will only confuse the confused.

Maybe we are talking about the same thing, what I consider default is that it is available with no additions.  When I see a link I want to open I right click and say open in new tab. Or if I wish to open a new tab with IE all I have to do is click the next tab. I do not have to go to file to get a new tab all i have to do is click the quarter size tab next to the current one.  Not sure what you mean by default but that is what I consider on by default.

There where tabs (or call it register cards) for a long time in the windows ui (in dialog boxes or in Excel). And if Microsoft is clever, they will be integrate tabs in the standard explorer shell (and think of tabs for the desktop, so you could easily use more dektops, like you can in Linux). But the designers must use the rules of the Windows ui and they doesnt do this in the ie7 beta.

taken from  http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2005/05/26/422103.aspx
 

Our philosophy for tabbed browsing is to keep the user in control of the experience. Tabs are on by default in IE7 Beta 1, but for those that do not want to use them they shouldn't be intrusive and there's a setting to turn them off and reclaim the screen real estate if desired.

W3bbo wrote:

Wells wrote: I remember hearing that the reason the IE team didn't consider a tabbed interface for so long was because it broke the GUI guidelines and the user's expectations

That's rich. Considering they decided to relocate the menu bar BELOW the address bar. That, if anything, is going to confuse the users more than the tabs.

W3bbo wrote:

That's rich. Considering they decided to relocate the menu bar BELOW the address bar. That, if anything, is going to confuse the users more than the tabs.

thats because there is something wrong with it: locked toolbars = loss of functionality

(all so everyone is forced to have a search bar in every window to inhibit going to google )

(ms line: its all about phishing! think of the children!)

btw - ive heard a few off the cuff remarks in articles along the lines of "for those that know what theyre doing - Longhorn (at the time) will be the most customizable windows yet"

i dont find that at all.  No list view.  Upsidedown un-moveable toolbars, sort left to right - not up and down

if its so customizable - why are these key features gone?

question for dave massey if he is reading this:


will the ie7 (for XP version) separate file windows (popup new window) and www. windows (popup new window) - or is that just in this beta - and the real version will have the same integration as XP does now.

Im just asking because if it isnt going to - you should have a warning: "IE7 removes Windows integration between web and local drives - continue?"

W3bbo wrote:

Wells wrote: I remember hearing that the reason the IE team didn't consider a tabbed interface for so long was because it broke the GUI guidelines and the user's expectations

That's rich. Considering they decided to relocate the menu bar BELOW the address bar. That, if anything, is going to confuse the users more than the tabs.

bsilby wrote:

contradicts all the talk about consistency etc.

Personally I don't like tabs. That's because I'm not used to using them. I've given them a go in Firefox--didn't like them, and decided to switch them off.

Tabs will confuse users. I've seen it. I'm running IE7 beta 1 here. Yesterday my brother's girlfriend needed to look something up. She had hotmail open in one tab, and in between she clicked a link that openened a new tab. She didn't understand how to get back to Hotmail. I told her "you have to click on the tab that says hotmail" and I just got a blank look. I couldn't get her to understand it until I demonstrated what she had to do.

EDIT: Also, I'm forcing myself to use tabs, but they still confuse the heck out of me! I keep losing stuff. I must really condition myself not to open a new window for stuff, because if I do, I end up with ten IE windows each with three or more tabs, meaning it takes me fifteen minutes of alt-tabbing before I remember that what I was looking for is open in a different tab, and then five minutes more before I find the window that tab is in. (times exaggerated for dramatic effect )

I'm using IE7 in Windows Vista and my tabs were on by default so that when I click a link, they go to a new tab. At first, it was a bit confusing/needed a bit of getting used to, but now when I use IE6 on my XP machine, I find myself missing the tabs.
I hated the address bar being above the menu at first, but now I'm getting used to that too. And I do really like being able to put other toolbars on the menu bar. I've wanted to do that a long time since I have a wide screen, high resolution monitor and would prefer my windows to be a little wider and have all my toolbars in one row and leave more of the window avaible for other things.

I do think IE7 will confuse most, if not all, the home users I know. I think the tabs should be off by default or have some box or something come up that shows the users the new functionality. Even though they're nice after you figure them out and get used to them, they are very confusing and different for people who are used to seperate windows.

Sven Groot wrote:

I must really condition myself not to open a new window for stuff