2006/1/14, David Tenser <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > So is there anyone having a comment on the proposed default layout of > the panel? > > http://www.djst.org/files/gnomepanel/ > > I think discussing this is important. If not for improving the current > situation, then maybe this discussion will at least help motivate why > things are the way they are at the moment. As I've understood it, there > is no clear, written reason for the default layout.
This mockup shows very well why I am absolutely opposed to a single panel layout. This one-on-one Windows copy layout has been attempted by several distributions already (like the Java Desktop) and I never liked the idea. Just some points: - The foot icon is just no match to a real desktop menu. It doesn't even make any sense unless you are trained by Microsoft that bottom left equals "big all-encompassing menu". Aside from the discoverability issues, it also uses a much less efficient layout. Your idea of using a three-column menu is certainly interesting, but also has the potential to look and feel very confusing (cluttered), especially with submenus popping up all over. - The trash applet has to be either large or in a corner, otherwise it becomes extremely tedious for repetitive drag and drop operations (which is still the main point of the icon, to drop stuff into it). On your mockup it is neither and it also looks ugly in the middle of the panel like that. Removing the icon would be even worse, since on the desktop it is usually not visible and thus not useful for dropping stuff either. The trash applet has actually been one of my favorite new features and it mainly became feasible because of the dual-panel setup. - The size of the workspace areas makes my wrist hurt from just looking at it. :P And even with all those ugly compromises to squeeze everything on a single small panel, it still feels cramped. There is hardly any space left to add additional launchers and forget about actually adding a panel applet. You are basically forcing the user to create a new panel to make use of this possibility. I just can't see anything good about this. There are two arguments I can resonate with: That icons look better with 32px (I actually use two panels with a height of 32px, on 1280x1024) and that the default panel layout might take too much space on small screen devices (especially notebooks). But those issues aside I find the dual panel setup vastly superior, so I would much rather see discussion about creative solutions to those problems (doing the same as Windows 95 hardly qualifies as creative). Maybe there could be an alternative panel setup for notebooks and low resolutions, maybe even a vertical panel or an autohide panel. I'm also curious how Apple gets away with their menu and dock layout, considering that it takes up even more space. Apple notebooks are all the rage after all, aren't they? - Daniel _______________________________________________ Usability mailing list [email protected] http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/usability
