当我们与其他人谈论新版本的Windows时，我们不情愿地开始了关于功能区及其效率的争论。有些人不喜欢Windows 10和Windows 8.1比(Windows 8.1)Windows 7更广泛地使用它，还有人抱怨与Windows XP的旧界面相比，它的效率要低得多。为了用事实而不是主观意见来结束这场辩论，我们决定创建一个基准。一系列可用于比较功能区界面(ribbon interface)效率的测量，因为它在Windows 10 、Windows 8.1(vs. Windows 8.1) 和 Windows 7中使用。(vs. Windows 7)与旧版Windows XP的界面对比。结果如下：
测试程序
我们创建了四台虚拟机：一台使用Windows 10，一台使用Windows 8.1，一台使用Windows 7，一台使用Windows XP Service Pack 3。所有操作系统都安装了所有最新更新。我们测试了所有这些操作系统中存在的三个应用程序，它们都使用功能区：写字板(WordPad)、Paint and Windows/File Explorer。
然后，我们启用了可以在这些应用程序中找到的所有工具栏和按钮。例如，我们启用了Windows 10、Windows 8.1 和Windows 7应用程序中快速访问工具栏中(Quick Access Toolbar)的所有按钮。在Windows XP中，我们启用了Windows Explorer中的所有工具栏。所有这些按钮和工具栏都是使用默认菜单和设置(default menus and settings)启用的。我们没有运行(NOT)任何注册表黑客或第三方工具来启用其他功能。
然后，我们写下了我们认为您可能在Windows 10、Windows 8.1、Windows 7 和Windows XP中的这三个应用程序（(Windows XP)写字板(WordPad)、绘画和文件资源管理器(Paint and File Explorer)）中执行的最常见任务。我们测量了完成这些任务所需的步骤数并比较了结果。任何无法在所有操作系统中执行的任务都被排除在测量之外。例如，在Windows XP中，您不能插入URL 网站(URL website)地址作为写字板(WordPad)中文本选择的链接，并且重做在(Redo)Windows 资源管理器(Windows Explorer)中不作为功能存在。
我们想进行基于点击的比较，因此我们没有使用任何键盘快捷键来加速任何任务。一切都是使用鼠标、菜单和每个应用程序中可用的按钮完成的。除非需要强制输入文本以完成任务（例如重命名文件或文件夹(file or folder)），否则不会使用键盘。
写字板(WordPad)中的功能区用户界面(ribbon user interface)- 效率提高 21%
我们分析的第一个应用程序是写字板(WordPad)——所有Windows版本和版本中包含的默认文档编辑器。(default document editor)
我们分析了人们在写字板(WordPad)中处理文档时执行的一系列 12 项常见任务。尽管在Windows 10(Windows 10)、Windows 8.1 或Windows 7中执行的大多数任务的结果惊人地相似，但与Windows XP相比，情况发生了显着变化。如果您使用现代Windows(Windows)操作系统， “复制和粘贴(Copy & paste)特殊”、插入图片和保存文档都是您可以更快完成的任务。
总而言之，我们认为Windows 10中的 Ribbon 相比(Windows 10)Windows XP带来了高达 21%的效率提升是公平的，但它仅比(efficiency improvement)Windows 8.1中的Ribbon 界面(ribbon interface)快 3% 。下面的图表应该为您提供更清晰的画面。
Paint中的功能区用户界面(ribbon user interface)- 效率提高 42%
让我们来看看Paint - 这个工具很可能是世界上最基本但最常用的图形绘画程序。我们在这个应用程序中测试了一组 16 个任务。
在这里，与旧的Windows XP相比，(Windows XP)功能区用户界面在(ribbon user interface)Windows 7、Windows 8.1 和Windows 10中带来的改进是显而易见的。
令人惊讶的是，自Windows 7(Windows 7)以来似乎没有任何变化，因为我们在测量中获得的结果与最新版本的Windows完全相同。但是，希望Paint的用户界面在即将到来的Windows 10 Creators Update中变得更加高效。
在Paint中，与(Paint)Windows XP中使用的旧菜单相比，Windows 10、Windows 8.1 和Windows 7中的功能区界面(ribbon interface)效率提高了 42% 。
Windows/File Explorer中的功能区用户界面(ribbon user interface)- 效率提高 55%
最后但并非最不重要的一点是，我们测试了Windows/File Explorer，这是我们查看的所有三个应用程序中最常用的应用程序。
我们比较了 15 个任务，我们认为这些任务通常由使用此工具的人执行。
在Windows/File Explorer中，我们注意到所有工具的最大改进。Windows 10和Windows 8.1中的文件资源管理器(File Explorer)比Windows XP中的效率高 43% 。功能区不仅让用户可以更快地访问(user quicker access)各种选项，而且还包括新选项，并且在每个新的Windows 版本(Windows version)中组织得更好。但是，与Windows 8.1(Windows 8.1)中的文件资源管理器(File Explorer)相比，我们发现Windows 10中的(Windows 10)文件资源管理器(File Explorer)没有任何改进。
结论
就个人而言，我们并不期望看到不同版本的功能区界面(ribbon interface)之间的可用性有很大改进。但是，我们相信结果不言自明。与 Windows 7中的(Windows 7)用户界面相比， (user interface)Windows 8.1和Windows 10中的功能区确实可以更快地访问我们测试的每个应用程序中可用的操作和控件。另一方面，使用旧式界面(style interface)的人经常自定义菜单，以便单击即可使用所有常见活动。功能区强制您从一个选项卡单击到另一个选项卡以获取您想要的内容。比较功能区本身，如果我们看看最新版本的Windows，从Windows 8.1开始，似乎功能区界面的效率在(ribbon interface)Windows 10中没有太大变化。然而，在下一次Windows 10创意者更新(Creators Update)中情况可能会进一步改善。
Comparison: Is the Windows ribbon interface more efficient than the old-school menus?
When we tаlked with others about the nеw versions of Windows, we unwillingly started a debate about the ribbon and its effiсiency. Some people do not like the fact that Windows 10 and Windowѕ 8.1 use it more widely than Windоws 7, and there are still people who complain that it is way less efficiеnt compаred to the older іnterface from Windows XP. In order to put an end to this debate using facts instead of subjectіvе opinions, we dеcided to create a benchmark of sorts. A series of measurements that can be used to compare the efficiency of the ribbon interface, as it is used in Windоwѕ 10 vs. Windows 8.1 vs. Wіndows 7 vs. the interface from the old Windows XP. Here are the results:
The testing procedure
We created four virtual machines: one with Windows 10, one with Windows 8.1, one with Windows 7, and one with Windows XP Service Pack 3. All the operating systems had all the latest updates installed. We tested three applications that are present in all these operating systems, and which all use the ribbon: WordPad, Paint and Windows/File Explorer.
Then, we enabled all the toolbars and buttons that can be found in these applications. For example, we enabled all the buttons in the Quick Access Toolbar found in the apps from Windows 10, Windows 8.1 and Windows 7. In Windows XP, we enabled all the toolbars in Windows Explorer. All these buttons and toolbars were enabled using the default menus and settings. We did NOT run any registry hacks or third party tools to enable additional features.
Then, we wrote down what we think are the most common tasks you are likely to execute in these three applications (WordPad, Paint and File Explorer), in Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7 and Windows XP. We measured the number of steps required to complete these tasks and compared the results. Any task that could not be executed in all the operating systems, was excluded from measurements. For example, in Windows XP, you cannot insert a URL website address as a link to a text selection in WordPad, and Redo does not exist as a feature in Windows Explorer.
We wanted to make a click-based comparison so we did not use any keyboard shortcuts to speed up any of the tasks. Everything was done using the mouse, the menus, and buttons available in each application. The keyboard was not used unless it was required to make a mandatory text entry to complete a task (e.g. renaming a file or folder).
The ribbon user interface in WordPad - Up to 21% more efficient
The first application we analyzed was WordPad - the default document editor included in all Windows versions and editions.
We analyzed a series of 12 common tasks people execute when working with a document in WordPad. Although the results were surprisingly similar for most tasks performed in Windows 10, Windows 8.1 or Windows 7, things changed significantly compared to Windows XP. "Copy & paste special", inserting pictures, and saving documents are all tasks you'll do a lot faster if you use modern Windows operating systems.
All in all, we believe it is fair to say that the ribbon in Windows 10 brings an efficiency improvement of up to 21% when compared to Windows XP, but it's only 3% faster than the ribbon interface in Windows 8.1. The following chart should offer you a clearer picture.
The ribbon user interface in Paint - Up to 42% more efficient
Let's go to Paint - the tool which is very likely to be the world's most basic yet most used graphic painting program. We tested a set of 16 tasks in this application.
Here, the improvements that the ribbon user interface brought in Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 are obvious when compared to the old Windows XP.
Surprisingly, it also looks like nothing has changed since Windows 7, as the results we got in the measurements were exactly the same in the more recent versions of Windows. But, hopefully, the user interface from Paint will become even more efficient in the soon to come Windows 10 Creators Update.
In Paint, the ribbon interface is up to 42% more efficient in Windows 10, Windows 8.1 and Windows 7, versus the old menus that were used in Windows XP.
The ribbon user interface in Windows/File Explorer - Up to 55% more efficient
Last, but not least, we tested Windows/File Explorer, which is the most used application of all the three we looked at.
We compared a number of 15 tasks which we believe are executed pretty often by people using this tool.
In Windows/File Explorer we noticed the biggest improvement of all tools. The File Explorer in Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 is 43% more efficient than that from Windows XP. Not only does the ribbon give the user quicker access to various options, but it also includes new options and is better organized in each new Windows version. However, we found no improvements in the File Explorer from Windows 10, compared to the File Explorer in Windows 8.1.
Conclusion
Personally, we did not expect to see big improvements in usability between the different versions of the ribbon interface. But, we believe that the results speak for themselves. The ribbon in Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 does give faster access to the actions and controls available in each application we tested, compared to the user interface you'll find in Windows 7. On the other hand, people who use the old style interface often customize the menus so that all common activities are available with one click. The ribbon forces you to click from tab to tab to get to what you want. Comparing the ribbons themselves, if we take a look at the latest versions of Windows, it doesn't seem like the efficiency of the ribbon interface has changed much in Windows 10 since Windows 8.1. Yet things could improve further in the next Windows 10 Creators Update.
