Re: Another way to solve the Spatial vs. Navigational debate

[Rodney Dawes <dobey novell com>]

I really really like how Windows solved this problem. There is an option
to open all folders in the same window, but which is not the full blown
Explorer browser mode interface. It's basically spatial, but ignoring
the per-folder window position/size/etc... stuff. Before XP and maybe
even Win2k (I don't remember about it), Windows in fact, would be
spatial when opening folders through icons on the desktop (or shortcuts
to folders in menus), and only use the browser interface, when you run
explorer by hand or open it from the start menu. Accompanying that
behavior, is also a menu item "Open in New Window". I think Nautilus
already has this item in the browser mode UI.

This does two things. It lets the interface stay simple (no location
bar, no toolbar, no sidebar), and keeps a large number of windows from
opening, to frustrate the user. It might be nice to do this for the
default in Nautilus. It's a nice middle-of-the-road solution, and I
think it solves most of the problems that users have with the current
spatial behavior.

-- dobey


On Fri, 2005-12-23 at 10:23 -0800, Sriram Ramkrishna wrote:
> Why not have a group split off and try to solve the "too many
> windows problem"?  Or maybe advertise to universities on what might
> be a great master's thesis.
> 
> sri