Java Human Interface Group has been conducting the same usability tests on JDK 1.2 fcs, Cricket (1.2.2) and 1.3 beta-O. We have been tracking steady improvement on scrolling and dragging in a variety of applications. End users are expecting Java applications and applets to scroll and drag no differently than native applications. Therefore, we still need to work on performance and quality of rendering improvements for these important, highly visible actions.
The most recent tests were conducted in September, 1999 on the following configurations:
Windows NT 4.0, sp3
Intel 200MHz Pentium Pro
64 MB RAM, 16 bit graphics @ 800x600
Java Version "1.3beta"
Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.3beta-O)
Java(TM) HotSpot Client VM (build 1.3beta-O, mixed mode)

Basic background on tests: Test subjects used a variety of Java 1.2 and Java 1.3 applications and services (text editor, browswer. spreadsheet, mail client). All users made negative comments agbout dragging internal and external frames as well scrolling text. Visual tears, corrupted data are all symptomatic of the performance of these actions.
The test report is available at: http://javaweb.eng/~harry/Kestrel1-3UsabilityReport_9-99.html

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