Microsoft Project 2000 contains some  interesting performance support features. 

A Different Kind of Error Messages

The following screen shot illustrates what in some systems may have been a standard error dialog. This dialog presents a different design for error messages. It lets  a person to choose not to view the message even though they may repeat the error. The message dialog also provides a clear link to additional information about performing the selected task. 

Moveable help pop-up

The following screen shot shows a unique help pop-up that appears when a person selects the Split task menu or tool bar button. The pop-up move with the cursor and displays information about the selected task bar and the instructions about splitting a task. 

Information Pop-ups

One of the most difficult problems in designing any system is dealing with the limitations of screen real estate. Mouse over information pop-up can be a good way to view information without having to select a menu and open a properties dialog box. The following screen shot shows a information pop-up for a project task. This information is assessable by hovering the mouse pointer over the clipboard icon. 

Moving Floating Toolbars and Property Dialogs

While floating tools bars are great for accessing frequently used function sets, they can sometimes get in the way and must be moved. This often means interrupting the current task to move the floating tool bar.  In Project 2000 the floating tool bar moves out of the way even when you are in the middle of a task. The following screen shots shows that the arc drawing tool is selected, but the toolbar can be moved when you push the cursor against it. The movement is very smooth.