You are confusing something that is feature rich, with a poor interface. I think the LUA guys are saying their old PBS was much easier to use, even if it was only 95% as powerful. They are saying to me "its worth it, it was that much easier"

If I gave you a TV with a remote that you had to push a button to get the channel you wanted NOW plus a super nice Guide with all the channels, would that be less powerful than a TV you had to program in a separate website to show you certain channels.

AWARD Sports H++
AVOID Notre Dame L
AWARD Action Movies H+
AVOID ChickFlicks L--
Etc.

Yes this would be "powerful" because you could customize the TV, but why not just point and click and get the same thing? And guess what? Guys would say "I don't want to learn how to use a remote" and we'd be stuck where we are.

I'm not confusing features vs UI at all. The PBS UI is severely lacking; it's not intuitive, it's slow, and the overall layout is crap. No argument there.

My point is that taking away features and input controls under the guise of improving usability is not actually an improvement.

I'll agree that the UI can should be improved, but removing features to do so is not moving the ball forward. Still, even with an "improved" UI there would be the need for a manual, help, etc. Some guys still won't bother to learn it which will bring us back to a thread like this.

There are about 30 videos around 5-7 minutes long made by alpa on flying together. They progress you step by step through PBS. Instead of putting so much effort on here to post how bad the product is, maybe use your time to review the videos. They are dry but are well done and help tremendously.

The fact that there are "about 30 five to seven minute videos" would seem to bolster the argument that the system is (what many feel is) unnecessarily cumbersome, as does the existence of the hotline. I was merely posting to add to an opinion already inserted into the thread. What makes you think that I haven't already watched them? Look, I just think its a lousy system that is tilted heavily toward the company and those who have invested an inordinate amount of time trying to learn its subtleties. I crossed an ocean with a PBS instructor. Needless to say we had some time to kill. He couldn't answer many of my questions about bidding and he shared many of my (negative) opinions on the system.

I've also got a future brother in law who has a great job in developing PC based tech systems. I showed him our PBS system and he just laughed.

I'm not belittling any of you who are satisfied with the PBS system. Yet blame the messenger shows up pretty damn quick here. And since its the intewebs, I can post about whatever I like. :)

Have a nice bid.

Nope.......

Only 3-5 HOURS of videos to learn the system? Well that's not really learning the system. That's more like the introduction to the system. And its a waste of time. Its more like 10-12 hours of teaching people where to find everything because its all hidden in unlabeled buttons and a counter-intuitive interface.

And you don't need to worry about it changing because the decade we've been using it is proof it isn't going anywhere. Just goes to show we are totally willing to put up with a substandard product.

I have no problem calling the UAL PBS "substandard" if I knew what the standard was and if other PBS programs met it. I came from the lUAL side and the previous PBS wasn't any better or worse than the current one.

It would be a whole lot easier to understand these type of complaints if the poster would just inform us readers what the better PBS products are out there. We could then let our leaders know and see if we could switch to that one.

One that doesn't take 5 days to put out the FO bids for starters.

I'm not sure you'll find anyone who's satisfied with PBS, my points were only that it does follow garbage in-garbage out if a.) you know how to ask, and b.) you're senior enough to be granted the request.

The other point was that taking functionality away from the system in order to make it less confusing isn't the path to success. I know you didn't make the claim that it would, but hey, I'm on a roll.

I'm with you in that any PBS system we use needs to be intuitive and predictable. We have a long way to go in that regard.

Only thing I don't like about PBS is the fact that I can't bid a reserve line as a back up to a line if above the g line. Example....I want specific trips and if I don't get them I want to be on reserve. Above the g line you will get the reserve line for some reason, even if the trips you want are available.....seems to be an abrogation of seniority.