Andrew's Usability in the Real World: Predictive Usability

"Historically, usability research was focused on identifying obstacles to success, not on assessing how intensely people will desire a new product or service. The field of usability evolved studying how military personnel interacted with weapons systems and how employees used the software their bosses required of them. The goal was to increase efficiency and decrease errors, not necessarily to attract new customers."

A detailed discussion by Andrew Swartz ...