Re: A few things...

[Michael Zucchi <zucchi zedzone mmc com au>]

> > : Is there a way to use the panel to change between applications a la bug
> > : '95? This is a feature I really miss.
> > 
> > Please don't think I'm being critical, I'm just curious: why do some
> > people want this feature when most window managers bind a window/task
> > list to a mouse button? That way you can quickly switch tasks from
> > wherever the pointer happens to be, instead of having to move the
> > pointer to the taskbar. To me a task list that is a permanent screen
> > fixture is a waste of real estate.
[...]
> Yes a task bar takes up some space, but I find myself using it a lot (in KDE
> at work, and in icewm/Gnome at home). I don't think the panel should be
> changed into a task bar, though. An optional Gnome task bar replacing
> the window manager's task bar might be nice.

Well, the gnome panel already takes up wads of real-estate anyway.

Maybe a window-manager based applet could be used (something like the
pager applets).  Could either pop up a menu (but in an 'easy to get
to' place), or have buttons in it ... (in the degenerative case fill a
whole panel ..).

Personally I dont mind the 'task bar' idea, but its not brilliant
either - its just hiding the fact that the rest of the window
management is so crap you dont have much of a chance of easily finding
apps.  I usually find using "windows" you're forced to the 'one
application at a time' 'task switcher' window model, which is what
windowing was trying to get around in the first place!  (a well setup
environment with a key-bound "pager" is often *much* more productive).

 Michael
-- 
     ///   `... thinking is an exercise to which all too few brains
    ///     are accustomed.' - First Lensman, E.E. `Doc' Smith
\\\///  
 \\\/   Michael Zucchi, B.E.                 zucchi@zedzone.mmc.com.au