Re: [Usability]UI Review Suggestions - Panel & [Usability]some stuff for the ui-review of the gnome-panel

[Roberto Rosselli Del Turco <rosselli ling unipi it>]

Patrick wrote:
>>Desktop Preferences:
>>http://linuxserver.serveftp.net/linux/preferences.png
>
>
> This screenshot is useful to show some problems with the current panel
> menu layout. Instead of the large, very specific and top-level "Desktop
> Preferences" menu as proposed wouldn't it make more sense to have a
> top-level "Desktop" menu? Additionally, the current "Actions" menu is
> very vague and limited in usefulness; since there seems to be a strong
> emphasize on migrating to a Document-centric desktop wouldn't a
> top-level Documents menu also organize things much more intuitively?
>
> Here's how I would envision it:
>
> Desktop
> 	Help
> 	Preferences
> 	Lock screen
> 	Log out
> Applications
> 	Recent applications ...
> 	--- Separator ---
> 	Regular application layout ... *
> 	--- Separator ---
> 	Find an application
> 	Organize your applications
> Documents
> 	Recent documents ...
> 	--- Separator ---
> 	Document locations here (ie. home, network servers)
> 	--- Separator ---
> 	Find a document
> 	Organize your documents
>
> * Ignoring possible improvements to application menu organization for
> now.

I second this. I think the present GNOME Menu is too rich and should be
spread on the Menu Panel. Moreover, consider that often distributions
add the whole GNOME Menu to their custom menu structure: take Mandrake
Linux 9.0, f.i., you end with a very crammed main menu, including all
kind of applications and stuff, which also includes the complete GNOME
Menu. I think this is very confusing for the average user (sorry
Frederic :) : two different menu structures, duplicate entries,
preferences scattered in three different places, etc. Defining a
sensible top level menu structure would encourage distros in following
the same scheme. Perhaps it would help to add a Preferences menu where
could live general purpose and distro specific config tools.

> The only thing not covered by this layout that I see on the menus is
> "Screenshot..." and I'm not sure why taking a screenshot is such a
> prominent "Action" as opposed to being placed as an "Accessory" or
> "Utility" or something of that nature so I left it out.

Move "Screenshot..." to Accessory, and Accessory to be a submenu of
Desktop, or a top level menu on his own (accessories are not
applications, after all, so they shouldn't stay in Applications).

I would also add a "Favorites" menu where you can save locations you
visit frequently: it could/should be a clone of Nautilus Bookmarks menu
(integrating Nautilus even more in the desktop).

Ciao

--
Roberto Rosselli Del Turco      e-mail:	rosselli cisi unito it
Dipartimento di Scienze			rosselli ling unipi it
del Linguaggio			Then spoke the thunder	DA
Universita' di Torino		Datta: what have we given?  (TSE)

   Hige sceal the heardra,     heorte the cenre,
   mod sceal the mare,       the ure maegen litlath.  (Maldon 312-3)