Re: suggestion for managing clutter on the desktop

[Tristan Buckmaster com]

The other big feature to my approach, which doesn't
exist with the use of the combination of tabbed
applications and a conventional task list is the
ability to use drag and drop between windows. 

The only disadvantages I see to my approach are:

1. It would take one click longer if someone wants to
show a window from an unique application that has
multiple windows, none of them been in focus, there are
not many items in the tasklist and the tasklist is not
set to always group.

2. It's a different approach than the well established
tasklist so users will have to learn the slightly
different behavior.

Now in regards to point 1, the focus switch type would
only be small portion of the total amount of focus
switches a user makes, it is only one click more in
close proximity to the first click and the reduced
clicking required when a large amount of windows are
open more than compensates for any time lost.  Also
this situation would be applied to the tabbed
application solution, not only would the user require
two clicks, the two clicks are not in close proximity
to each other (one on the tasklist, one on the tab of
the application).

In regards to point 2, there isn't really that much to
learn as my solution uses a lot of borrowed ideas that
the user is probably already familiar with.  Tabbed
applications are much more difficult to discover how to
use in comparison to my solution.  Also gnome doesn't
have to be the same as windows, apple or kde and this
is seen by many of the courageous decisions made my the
gnome team.

Tristan