Re: Touchscreen Compatibility [was: Feature proposal: combined system status menu]

[Alberto Ruiz <aruiz gnome org>]

2013/4/22 Allan Day <allanpday gmail com>:
> Hi Alberto,
>
> Alberto Ruiz <aruiz gnome org> wrote:
> > > The main element of the design is to combine the sound, network,
> > > bluetooth, power and user menus into a single menu. This will enable
> > > us to resolve a number of UX issues we've encountered with the
> > > existing design (badness on touch, difficulties having the user name
> > > in the top bar, lots of complexity in some menus, like network,
> > > virtually none in others, like sound...).
> >
> > Sorry if this goes a bit off topic,
>
> It is a bit, so I'm moving this to a new thread. Touch compatibility
> is only one of a host of drivers for this proposal.

Good call

> There has certainly been discussion in the past. We talked about it
> last GUADEC during one of the BoFs, for example.
>
> I agree that it's difficult to be completely agnostic when it comes to
> input devices. That said, the number of devices shipping with touch
> screens in combination with other input devices is on the increase. I
> think it would be a really bad situation if people wanted to install
> GNOME on their laptop, would be unable to use their touchscreen with
> it.

Sure, loads of those being shipped. However we have to question
ourselves if this is another trend like the netbook one that is
somewhat transient and misleading. Loads of those are shipping with
touch screens because of Windows 8, but we have to question ourselves
if it does make sense to have both touchpad and touchscreens on the
same device.

I'd make a distinction here between transformers (Docable tablet that
turns into a laptop+trackpad) that switches between touch mode and
keyboard/pointer mode.

My question is, do we have data that backs up the notion that people
actually want a touch screen in their laptops? Or is this just the
OEMs following Windows 8 in the hope that they will sell more units?

> So as an initial goal, I'm hoping that we'll be able to have a good
> form of touch compatibility, with a target of laptops with
> touchscreens.

I don't believe there will be a single UI for both form factors. I can
see value in having the ability to switch from tablet to PC with the
same device as long as the application set is different and only apps
shipped for each form factor are shown on each mode.

> I don't think we have the resources to create several versions of
> GNOME for different types of devices.

Wasn't implying that we do, I'm just saying that I'd be supportive of
such thing to make it clear that I don't have anything against
touch-driven devices.

> To a certain extent we do have to follow hardware manufacturers - we
> have no control over what they ship, and there are a lot of hybid
> devices out there nowadays.

I understand that point, I am just concerned about how much stuff that
would make a great design for keyboard+pointer are we giving up to be
touch friendly. I am afraid that if we go down that route we will end
up with a not so great touch UI and a not so great keyboard+pointer
UI.

If it was up to me I would stick to be a great UI for what people
knows and will keep using for as long as we are a keyboard+pointer
desktop when it came to design criteria. But that's just me, I am just
trying to have valuable conversation about this and making sure I
understand what's in your mind moving forward.

> > I am also concerned about the message that this sends to application
> > developers. Should they optimize their apps for touch as well? In my
> > experience doing an app for a touch driven device and a kbd/pointer
> > one is quite a different deal.
>
> This is something where the nascent design patterns and accompanying
> toolkit work will help - we obviously need clear guidelines for
> application developers. I foresee a couple of different classes of
> applications when it comes to input devices - simpler applications
> which use the standard GNOME design patterns, and which aim to have a
> level of touch compatibility, and more complicated applications (like
> image editors, office apps, etc) which are fully targeted towards
> pointer driven input.

My problem with that approach is that you are somewhat giving users
notion that they can use the desktop with a touch interface, and as
long as you try to use a more complex app that ability goes away,
that's ought to be frustrating.

--
Cheers,
Alberto Ruiz