Re: [Rhythmbox-devel] blaat.

[Luca Ferretti <elle uca infinito it>]

Il dom, 2003-02-09 alle 22:03, Jorn Baayen ha scritto:
> Zo, stelletje hoeren,
> 
> I lost faith in ever reaching a decent UI, so I took my crack pipe and

:-) I read somewhere about a way to measure the interface effectiveness:
the GOMS model (Goals, Operators, Methods, Selection rules).

I can try to fine more infos, but I think the name show a good path to
develop something: not only visual appearance, but a good interaction
too.

So, probably, a good and detailed list of "stuff that user can do
sitting in front of rb" can help us.

But, as Marco said, we can do the best interface in 2.x release.

So, let's review

> Yes, it's more similar to the original UI than anything else. I used it

True, and probably it's a good think. Some people already uses rb, so
switch to it is less traumatic ;-)

1) Make the source list single column: a better way to show current
source is the highlight, as is Artist/Album

2) Time slider??? OK, you don't need so much, it's absolutely true, but
it well be the first feature request ;-) Personally I agree: remove it!

3) Volume button. First is a little out of place (shuffle and repeat are
togglebuttons), second personally I dislike an app related volume
changing. Let me explain: if I can increase only music volume to
override system sounds I'm very happy, but seeing a volume icon I
connect it to system volume. Personally I'd like something like "Preamp"
slider in a Edit->Equalizer dialog. 
So I don't dislike the feature, I simply think connect it to a volume
idea is wrong; but 'cause actually we don't have an equalizer, probably
it's the only way

> as a starting point since it seems to  work reasonably well for
> non-queuing playback. The other designs have the problem that you can no
> longer 'directly' play from the library, which is not too nice. This one
> has the problems that you cannot easily queue without creating a
> playlist, not so easy to create playlists, and the evil morphing play
> button. Oh well.
> 

Yeah, antithetical. But not impossible. Unfortunately following the
iTunes way it's a little crack, you said.

But we can do it in future releases.

> OK, apart from what you can see on the shot here's some crack ideas I
> had:
> - rating in the player area instead of in the treeview, you only rate
> songs you're listening to anyway

mhh.. I don't know. 'cause you are changing a prop, the best way is do
it only in prop dialog. 

Change it in list is a crack , 'cause you can't change artist or album
entry, but the same for player area

BTW: but we did copy from iTunes3 the rating/last played/played ideas or
vice versa?

> - 'smartly' decides which columns to show, for example when 'all' is
> selected so artist and album columns, but if an album is selected hide
> the album column. That way you always have the information you need,
> without the treeview being too full all the time.

This can be cool, but how much a variable widget can be HIG compilant 

> - easy predefined playlist creation queries, like 'songs i havent heard
> in a week' or 'new songs'

Yeeeeaaaah!!!. And "Top rated" and "Top played" too. 

And a dialog like in glade attach to make complex search/playlists

> - shuffle really shuffles the list

personally I dislike it. I see the shuffle as a "mode", like repeat, and
you can enable or disable it. 

The fun is you don't know what's the next song until it starts.
Something like a roulette :)

> - scrollable filter area, scroll to the right to see the genre browser.
> WE can prolly put the search entry somewhere in there too.

Can generate ugly interface. For example I resize the window and appears
just half genre list... 

I have to admit that a quick way to show all sorting list, more then
open pref dialog, can be appreciated, but prob it can be stuff for 1.2
release ;-)

> - no views, no changing menus. Just lists, with a special
> everything-list called the library.

IMHO the only way to do it and keep a feature-complete app is break it
in a multi-main-windows app. 

> - audiocd is no problem, just another list

see above. (i.e. place an "Import" button"

> - we can probably implement iradio as a list thing as well, but we don't
>  want to change the menus and toolbar in any way.
> 

see above.

BTW: we can place a station list where in the library is the browser and
fill the songs list whit streamed songs. So you can go to previous song
and import songs in library :-)

> But, anyway, I think I'll retire from rb hacking for some time. I've had
> enough of it for now, especially with all this forking madness, maybe
> I'll be back hacking in some months. Just not now.
> 

You can't... pleeeeeese

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