Re: Proposal: gnome-main-menu for inclusion in GNOME 2.18

[Luca Ferretti <elle uca libero it>]

Il giorno ven, 20/10/2006 alle 14.56 -0400, Rodney Dawes ha scritto:
> On Fri, 2006-10-20 at 20:25 +0200, Martin Ejdestig wrote:
> > On Fri, 2006-10-20 at 13:11 -0400, Rodney Dawes wrote:
> > > The menu thing looks like the Mac menu, but doesn't
> > > behave anything like the real thing does on Mac OS.
> > 

<snip>

> > (FWIW, I don't think it matters much how much something might or might
> > not look like something else on some other system...)
> 
> It depends on where the difference is. The two main types of
> differentiation here are:
> 
> 1) It's different enough to be better.
> 
> 2) It's just different enough to be confusing.
> 
> The slab falls into category 1, while the menu bar falls into category 2
> here.

Rodney, this is your personal opinion, I hope. :-)

> The default panel layout in GNOME looks like some inane mix of Mac
> OS and Windows, and has been a point of confusion for many people
> switching over.

But there are also long time GNOME users that are fine with current
panel menu applet. Myself for example. Or my sister.

Or Martin Eidestig :-)

>  Power user Martin Eidestig might be used to using that
> layout, and may have been for some time, but John Q. Customer who has
> been using Windows his whole life, won't be.

I've to agree. Non-passionate users (or, better not concerned in PC
stuff, but simply forced to use PCs for works, for example my mum), want
the same "path" everywhere.

They learned ONE path to launch THE web browser, so they think this is
the only way to launch a web browser.

slab could help GNOME project to catch those users.

But I'm not sure that slab should replace current panel behavior. Sorry,
but IMHO and in my daily usage the current panel menu applet is much
better. This is only a personal feeling and habit, but the current
applet is faster for me.

>  The significance of how
> much it is like, or unlike, a similar specific interface on Windows or
> Mac OS, is that we need to define our target audience. Without a target,
> we can't reasonably say what is truly best for the desktop.

Our target is 10x10, isn't it? :-)

Should GNOME include slab? IMHO, yes, while there are some relevant
stuff that should be fixed or rearranged IMHO (see below)

Should GNOME switch to slab and dump current panel menu applet? IMHO,
no. I don't know what could be the better layout for GNOME panel, of if
it exists. I know that some users are fine with current layout, some
others could appreciate slab.

The best solution is provide both, as well as Nautilus do with spatial
and browser. This is not good for the first GNOME directive (be simple)
and is not so K.I.S.S. but it should be effective for 10x10.

################################

And now, my personal list of doubts about slab:

      * gconf schemas installed in wrong directory - see my other email
        on this thread (also keys for app browser and control center
        should be placed in another place)
      * missing integration with panel - add slab, remove "old" panel
        menu applet and hit Alt-F1 -> the panel will open the old menu,
        not slab (BTW accessibility??)
      * distro-related actions - such as Upgrade or Recent Applications
      * external dependencies - by now NetworkManager is not in GNOME
        Desktop
      * no quick access to Places - :-((
      * icon sized - why not 48x48 for main area and 24x24 for System
        and Status
      * targets of Status button - what should be the behavior of those
        buttons in plain GNOME Desktop? System Monitor and Network
        Tools ?
      * System area don't follow current panel behavior 

About this last entry, I could really love slab if the System area could
be changed to match the current layout of panel's System menu. See
this[1] screenshot. Applications, Preferences and Administrations should
launch the gnome-*-browser for related stuff (yes, there is no
admin-browser in slab, I know); of course the admin entry should be
hidden is you don't have privileges. Note also that the Applications
button is always available, not only when Show is favorite applications.
Lock Screen, Log Out and Shut Down buttons should act as the menu
entries in current system menu, opening the related panel dialogs.

Cheers, Luca

[1] http://digilander.libero.it/elleuca/shots/slab-proposal.png