On 19/12/10 17:22, Mirek M. wrote: > *The whole left side of the screen would be devoted to the current > application* > Right now, you get some system-related commands on the right of the > top panel, application-related commands on the left, and some more > system-related commands on the far left. > Moving the launcher and the Ubuntu button to the right would put all > the system-related commands on the right and all the app-related > commands on the left, so neither the launcher nor the Ubuntu button > gets in the way when working with a single application.
One idea we try to preserve is the "hierarchy of information", which says that (in left-to-right languages) organising structure should be on the left, and content on the right. In this case, the launcher is very much "organising structure". > *A "hot corner" wouldn't get in the way* > Keeping application commands separate from system commands is > especially important to workflow when you have areas that activate on > hover (e.g. Ubuntu button). It is extremely annoying and distracting > when you accidentally mouse over a "hot corner"and have to wait a few > seconds to get back to work. As the menu bar and window buttons are > aligned left, and as most toolbars are also left-aligned, a hot corner > on the right will be less likely to be accidentally triggered than a > hot corner on the left. At the moment, the corner is overly sensitive because the launcher shows up for a few seconds if you go over the Ubuntu button. But in fact, it should actually require you to hit the corner. Fixing that should reduce the impact of this feeling. > *The application would get the most focus* > As most languages are read from left to right, our focus tends to > start at the left side of the screen. If the goal of Unity is to > maintain focus on a single task, it makes most sense to put the > launcher somewhere where it doesn't distract from the application -- > on the right. Well, when you are focused on an app, the launcher should be invisible. Balancing focus and awareness is a key design goal for us in Unity, hence the intellihiding approach. There are other things we can do to take this even further, but they'll have to wait for 11.10. > *"Tools" would be easier to target* > Most image editors, raster or vector, have a "Tools" sidebar on the > left, which is very easy to target when it is at the edge of the > screen, but very hard to target when there's a launcher at the left > edge of the screen. Again, the app should generally get all the real estate, including the left edge, solving this issue (i.e. giving Fitt's Law friendly edges to the app). > I hope that this is enough to at least consider moving the launcher to > the right. Good points, well argued, but I'm afraid the balance remains in favour of the left edge for now. Mark
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