[desktop-discuss] [indiana-discuss] Indiana desktop UI spec - early draft

[James Cornell]

Shawn Walker wrote:
> On Thu, Mar 13, 2008 at 1:26 PM, James Cornell <sparcdr at sparcdr.com> wrote:
>   
>> Shawn Walker wrote:
>>  >
>>  > I would agree if I believe they were redundant.
>>  >
>>  > The precious screen real estate argument is starting to get specious
>>  > as screens get bigger and bigger.
>>  >
>>  > Plus, as others mentioned earlier, having something "right there" that
>>  > doesn't auto-hide, is a great productivity boost for power-users.
>>  >
>>  > I like being able to reach up to the Places menu and instantly access
>>  > folders I frequently use, or quickly get to the systems options while
>>  > I'm in an application.
>>  >
>>  > In addition, I think Ubuntu has proven that it has wide popularity
>>  > among its users.
>>  >
>>  > Still, this is something that could be relegated to a "appearance" or
>>  > style applet that could easily reconfigure the desktop for the user
>>  > based on a set of pre-defined profiles.
>>  >
>>  >
>>  If the user is running an e-mail client that integrates with the tray,
>>  why would he need an icon to launch the program when the applet in the
>>  tray lets them open up their inbox?  If there's two browsers easily
>>     
>
> Because it isn't open right now and thus isn't in the tray?
>
>   
>>  accessible on a default layout which provide the same functionality, why
>>  put the user at a disadvantage?  Use what's the fastest, most reliable,
>>  and leave the rest in the menus.
>>     
>
> I'm a little lost on the two browsers item.
>
>   
>>  Things that should be just there include:
>>
>>  Battery applet
>>  Sound applet
>>  Web browser
>>  Desktop computer icon
>>  Trash (I don't find the panel-based icon useful since I can just remove
>>  icons with right click)
>>   -- When does a user typically delete more than one item without having
>>  a nautilus browser open?  The default behavoir of a full experience
>>  nautilus file browser takes care of having the trash icon at all)
>>
>>  Nothing more, nothing less, maybe a workspace switcher (Which has been
>>  the norm) and a clock (Obviously)
>>     
>
> Don't forget network manager icon; especially needful for wireless users.
> That and the mail client shortcut to me.
>
>   
Heh, it was a what if. (Regarding the browser)

I suppose the network applet is still useful, you can get your ip and 
see if the thing is blinking, ooh shiny :-o!  The problem with the mail 
client, is what I still believe, the program is technically still open 
through a backend (In the case you're using Evolution that is) so why 
would you want to waste more memory unless you needed to check what new 
e-mail was just reported?  Some people may open up the mail client out 
of a nasty habit, because they are used to Thunderbird or Yahoo! which 
can't sit in the background (KMail, and Outlook CAN) and tell you when 
there's no new e-mail.  You can click the notification with subject and 
date that pops up and it'll open the client, but unless you're 
composing, there's no real reason except to check, add/delete-to the 
calendar (Which could be done via right click applet if it was actually 
implemented through sub-menus of the applet itself) the mail client.  
I'm gonna randomly open my e-mail client for no reason, except to waste 
more memory, okay?

James