hardware peripherals [was Preferences, System Tools ]

[Curtis Hovey <sinzui cox net>]

On Sun, 2004-06-06 at 14:15 -0400, Havoc Pennington wrote:
> > > Hardware
> > >       * Screen layout (multiple monitors), resolution, and depth
> > >       * Mouse speed
> > >       * Speaker configuration: 2, 4, 5.1
> > >       * Sound volume
> > >         (may additionally have a panel presence) 
> > >       * Which printer and printer options such as paper
> > >         (may additionally have presence in print dialogs) 
> > >       * Power management
> > 
> > I think we should include PDAs, cameras, and media players, they are now
> > common in the workplace and home.  Computer retailers are selling these
> > 'accessories' with the purchase of a new computer, and users will expect
> > them to be treated like the optional printer and speakers they
> > purchased.
> 
> Note that Seth's list is of settings in the UI, not of devices. What are
> the settings you mean when you say "PDAs, cameras, and media players"?

I may be on a tangent if UI is the intent, though printer and speaker
config seem to be beyond UI.

I think HAL should manage where that hardware is and what driver is
used.  If not for 2.8, then 2.10.  The user may wish for devices that
act as HDs to automount.

We do specify events and software for CDs and DVDs.  My wife expects the
computer to wake up when she plugs in her camera, the photo manager to
start, and the import dialog to display.  The desktop also needs to know
what to do when music players are plugged in.

PDAs are a different issue I think.  Granted, sync behavior is not a
desktop preference, but e-d-s will be a desktop platform service with
which syncing will take place with.  My PDA is not a hard drive, but
future ones might.  What of smartphones that can sync music and address
books?  If I access other USB devices in preferences, why not my PDA?
Where should the user look to manage how the computer interacts with the
computer.  If I cannot configure all hardware that my computer knows
about in preferences, then we need some other location.

One last note about printers.  If I plug a USB printer into my computer,
shouldn't the printer preference identify it and suggest the right
driver?

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