alt Hacker NewsThey had a different look, but usage and UI conventions including keyboard navigation worked basically the same. Since the mixing of mobile and desktop with web technology, it’s the Wild West.
They had a different look, but usage and UI conventions including keyboard navigation worked basically the same. Since the mixing of mobile and desktop with web technology, it’s the Wild West.
It was always the wild west. Windows was full of "native" apps that reinvented their own UI. Off the top of my head:
- Office (custom widget toolkit, menus, toolbars, etc)
- Internet Explorer (frequently introduced new toolbar designs not available to apps via API until later)
- Encarta (custom dark mode-ish theme)
- Netscape Communicator (custom toolbars)
- RealPlayer
- QuickTime
- MSN Messenger (custom theme)
- Every video game ever
... UI inconsistency didn't arrive with the web. Even macOS has always been a patchwork. Apple couldn't stop introducing new themes over time and there were always apps that didn't quite follow. Brushed metal!