Effect of PDA scrolling- and hierarchy-menu design on users' operating performance

This study investigated the effects of the type of menu (scrolling or hierarchy) and the stage of usage (whether the current usage is the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, or eighth day of usage) on the users' performance in operating a menu displayed in the first, second, or third layers of personal digital assistant (PDA) display. Experimental results demonstrate that neither operating time nor number of clicks differed significantly between the subjects' adoption of either the scrolling or the hierarchical menu displayed in the first layer. Significant differences were observed; however, when subjects adopted the menu displayed in the second layer. The hierarchical menu was more effective than the scrolling menu. When subjects adopted a menu displayed in the third layer, only the operating time differed significantly. The amount of previous use significantly affected users' operating performance only of menus displayed in the second and third layers. The operating performance increased as the usage time increased.