Re: Launching vs. Raising an application...

[famrom ran es (Guillermo S. Romero / unnamed / Familia Romero)]

>Anyway, I once taught beginning computing courses at various
>private training companies and I've seen lots of newbie users trying
>to figure out the MS-Windows user interface.
>A common problem is confusion between launching and application
>and raising/maximizing an application that's already open.  I've
>often found users having trouble because they'd somehow opened
>a dozen or so copies of the same program.  New users find it intuitive
>that in order to get back an application that has "disappeared" (i.e..
>you've minimized it or hidden it behind a window)  you repeat
>whatever you did to start the thing in the first place.  Why not
>try to blur or eliminate the distinction between minimized and
>terminated applications?

I think you should tell them a few phrases... my young sister is capable of
using a windowing system decently. Users can learn, do not treat them like
stupids, correct their errors and keep going.

Sorry to disagree, but it is too much (I can imagine the situation of "gterm
--force-new-instance", and hurts). The problem I see is the curve. Trying to
slash the curve to "0 high and 0 slope" is too much. Think about cars, the
first you learn is that ignition key is used to start the engine, not to
start moving every time you stop in a semaphore.

And I always tought that Unix windowing system was different to commonly
used (Mac and Windoze): multiple desktops, root menus... for me X is faster,
I do not minimize or maximize, just select the desktop, use raise or lower
windows, move, lauch apps from the more convenient place (main bar, root
menu or xterm).

Is it so vital, so necessary? Or better let the user learn?

GSR