[Evolution] UI-Suggestion / Folder-View

[Thomas Voß <thomas voss rub de>]

Hi,

as a long-time linux-user and cheerleader permanently advertising Linux
/ GNOME to my friends and family, I'm maintaining a huge archive of
statements given by new GNOME users regarding the overall UI-experience.
Most of the 'contributors' are former MacOSX-users and therefore
accustomed to Apple.Mail.

So, here is the essence of their ideas/concerns regarding Evolution:

[1.] Folder View
The folder view presents a hierarchical view of mailboxes(local and
remote) and the folders contained within these mailboxes to the user. In
general this resembles the view on a (local and/or remote) filesystem.
Why not offer the same options like e.g. nautilus regarding the display
of this hierarchy, i.e.:

    [1.1] Default Icon View - Just presenting the icons representing the
individual folders (tagged with their name and the number of unread
messages enclosed in parentheses) of _one_ mailbox to the user and make
the different mailboxes accessible by a drop-down box.  This view is
quite similar to the one provided by Apple.Mail.
    [1.2] List View - This is the currently implemented one. All
mailboxes and the folders contained within are presented in a
customizable list view.
    [1.3.] Detailed List View - An enhanced list view on mailboxes and
folders that displays information customizable by the user similar to
the information that is displayed by nautilus according to different
levels of zoom).

Once the user is familiar with file-browsing, she/he will be able to
read/manage her/his mail in quite the same way. Furthermore it might be
useful to make the folder-view collapsable as most (non-geek:-)) users
maintain just one inbox. Collapsing the view saves screen estate.

[2.] Message Pane
Most new users claim that the display is a little too narrow and that
they would like just a little more vertical space between individual
message headers.  One interesting  idea was the ability  to display a
small  popup on mouse-over containing the first few lines of a message
(of course it should be possible to switch this feature off).

Cheers,

Thomas