Introduction / Context:
User friendliness refers to the ease with which end users can learn, use, and remember an interface while achieving their goals. In software engineering and product design, usability has moved from a 'nice-to-have' to a core requirement across web, mobile, desktop, and embedded systems.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- The question asks about the prevalence and trajectory of user-friendly systems in industry.
- We assume modern platforms (smartphones, SaaS apps, consumer OSs) are representative of current trends.
- Traditional mainframes historically focused on reliability and throughput rather than user-centric GUIs.
Concept / Approach:
User-centered design, accessibility standards, and competitive market pressures have pushed vendors toward intuitive navigation, helpful defaults, responsive feedback, and consistent visual language. As computing expands to non-expert users, usability becomes a differentiator and a compliance matter (e.g., accessibility). Therefore, user-friendly systems are increasingly common across domains.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Identify the scope: modern OSs, apps, and devices emphasize usability.Contrast past vs. present: legacy mainframe terminals used terse commands; today's systems favor GUIs and guided flows.Infer the trend: broader audiences demand lower learning curves, so user-friendliness is becoming more common.Select the option that captures this trajectory: 'becoming more common'.
Verification / Alternative check:
Observe mainstream platforms (Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, modern Linux desktops) and business apps with onboarding, tooltips, and accessible components—clear evidence of usability proliferation.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- required for object-oriented programming: OOP is a design paradigm, not a usability prerequisite.
- easy to develop: quality UX requires research, prototyping, and testing—rarely 'easy'.
- common among traditional mainframe operating systems: historically focused on batch/terminal efficiency, not end-user friendliness.
- None of the above: incorrect because user-friendly systems are indeed becoming more common.
Common Pitfalls:
- Equating visual polish with usability; true user-friendliness also covers workflows, error prevention, and accessibility.
- Assuming developer convenience maps to user convenience.
Final Answer:
becoming more common.
Discussion & Comments