[Rhythmbox-devel] About the new interface and other stuff

[Luca Ferretti <elle uca libero it>]

OK. Finally I rebuild rb. And finally I read (well, quickly) old
messages in list....

-------------------
xine vs gstreamer.

As user I don't care too much about libraries and framework and
scheduled and others. 
As user I like
        * listen all my music
        * listen all mp3 from my friend or from web

Oh, BTW. Download mp3 plugins from web like WMP8..... It's annoying,
from user prospective.  And we have a lot of distro, not only Home and
Pro :-) But it's not a RB trouble....

As user I like to say "Rhythmbox just works". 

So if _now_ is more simple use xine to develop/test stuff, OK. 
But I hope the final release (included in gnome-core, I mean) will be
gstreamer based, cause it is the GNOME multimedia core.

BTW: if nobody uses gst, nobody can fix it :-)

-------------------
The new interface.

Jorn said: "nobody loves it :-(".... Don't panic. We have an usability
team. We can ask them.

Waiting for it, I can point some personal brainstorming.
        * new interface = old one + "steroids" 
        * new playing buttons: good. More like real player. 
        * to have a queue: good. I don't know why, but it can be useful
        * OK, now bad/wrong stuff
        * THERE ARE TOO MANY WIDGETS!
        * THERE ARE TOO MANY LISTS!!
        * WIDGETS ARE UNCOMFORTABLE PLACED!!!

Let me explain. We have 4 lists, 9 buttons, 1 scroller, 1 text entry and
various labels. All lists are full of labels. We have a "play album",
"play album later" "play song", "play song later" and "play" button...
which button I have to click? "Play album" = "Play Album Later" +
"Play", it seems a duplication.

Browser + available songs. When I go to choose tracks I have to 1) go
(=move eyes) to artist list and choose 2) go down to album list and
choose 3) go right-up and choose. In all choose actions you need to move
your eyes from up to down. Results: to move eyes a strange,
not-so-comfortable "z" movement. Then you can move eyes up, move
horizontally to choose the right "play smth." button.

All with a lot of "visual noise" from the plethora of widgets.

Old arrangement was more simple. Artist and Album were horizontally
placed, but eyes' movements was more "vertically".

Search entry seems hidden. You can locate it simply and quickly.

Playlist width change when change artist/album. BTW: 'cause now the
"core" is the playlist, why its list is smaller then library's list?
Seems like it's placed here 'cause there are not space...

Well, probably I'm wrong or too much severe , but, really, I feel it
uncomfortable. 
Ok, now we have an alternative to d'n'd, but I can't see "It works
fine/great" :-(

-- 
Think bigger

			My uncle