Oct 18, 2009 | The minimalist aesthetic

How far we have come in comprehending the fundamentals of user-oriented design! Here’s an example where functionality has overridden the long-held tenets of design and visual design: the log in screen for an OS. Whereas Microsoft still hangs on to a left-arrow and Apple to a image button, Ubuntu and many other Linux OSes have long since discarded it in favor of minimalism. It is hard to imagine a scenario where a user is able to type in their username and not have access to an Enter key. Obviously, the need for a username/password gateway can be debatable (and an unfavorable hindrance for some).

Windows 7 is slated to look very much like Vista.

All Ubuntu 9 has is a input box.

Previous versions of Ubuntu also had a similar interface.

It may take a while to get used to, but since the Enter key is considerably easier to press than moving a mouse, the functionality of a Enter button is largely visual. I can only begin to imagine how that might transition to the online world (though I have no doubt in some cases it already has).