Re: Application-based launchers and multiple workspaces

[Adam Tauno Williams <awilliam whitemice org>]

On Fri, 2011-12-02 at 11:54 +0100, Aaron Sowry wrote:
> I think most of
> the criticism about the launcher behaviour is unjustified.

+1

> For example, the three applications you mention (Nautilus, Terminal, Firefox)
> all support tabs. Surely this should reduce the need to ever open separate
> windows for these applications anyway?

No, I don't believe it reduces the need.  I put them in separate
workstations.  And drag between them [horrible in a tabbed situation].
But I also don't accept that there is any issue with launching new
windows.

In nautilus I also have the option of Open -> New Window [in the
application itself].  Same is true with firefox and terminal.

> Also, it should be pretty obvious whether the application is already running or
> not, just by looking at the icon in the dashboard. It doesn't matter whether the
> application is on your current desktop or not, you can always see if it's
> running. It's then fairly trivial to decide whether you want to click or
> ctrl-click.

Or just ctrl-click anyway.

> The advantage of being able to switch to a running application without having to
> know which desktop it's on surely outweighs the need to think about whether you
> want to start a new instance or not. Is it really so common that one wants to
> have two running instances of the same application anyway?

Yes, it is common.  But then you Ctrl-click if you know you want a new
window.

> Some things that do bug me, however:
> - Nautilus should be better integrated into the desktop - IMHO, if it needs its
> own launcher in the dashboard, then it's not accessible enough. Right now it
> seems like its own separate application rather than a core component of the
> desktop environment.

I sort of agree.  Although the "Documents" app does appear in the
launched by default [at least on openSUSE].