Re: [Usability]rhythmbox interface

[Damien Covey <djcovey softhome net>]

Jorn Baayen wrote:

> Hi,
>
> The current Rhythmbox interface isn't very good, and we've been thinking
> about improving it, but it's hard. So some input from you guys would
> rule.
>
> Current interface, with it's problems:
> ======================================
> To begin with, for the people who have never run rb here is a
> screenshot:
> http://nl.linux.org/~jorn/Files/ff.png
>
> As you can see, there is a sidebar, which allows you to switch between
> different views. This has a lot of problems:
> 1. The interface changes when clicking a button in the sidebar, just
> like Evolution. My opinion is that it sucks, badly. I tend to remember
> where items are in the menus, and if they get messed up all the time, I
> get confused.
> 2. The toolbar with the playback controls and the area with the
> currently playing information are static; they don't change when
> switching between views, and act on the playing view. This is really,
> really confusing. Even though I wrote it, I still find myself being
> dizzy when using it. (Just hiding these wouldnt work either: because it
> still is playing. Or stopping playback is not an option either, since
> you may just want to browse your playlists or do some organization.)
> 3. It's not obvious how to add songs to groups/playlists. (Right now you
> have to dnd songs from the lib to the sidebar button, or use C&P)
> 4. Users cannot specify what song to play after the current one.
> Playlists are not enough here; if you are playing from the library, you
> want to be able to say which song is to play next.
>
> What we need:
> =============
> 1. The music library we have now
> 2. A way to specify what song to play after the current one
> 3. Playlists (reorderable subsets of the library) [1]
> 4. A clean way to do this, without awkward views or stuff like that :)
>
> Things we have now, that will probably be moved out:
> ====================================================
> 1. Audio CD. Got this in because we had the views stuff, but it prolly
> belongs in a separate app. [For ripping we would ideally have nautilus
> support browsing audiocds, and support copying oggs off it]
> 2. Internet radio. Same as above.
> 3. The sidebar :)
>
> What other applications do:
> ===========================
> 1. WinAMP, basically supports everything but all in multiple windows and
> with a totally ugly and confusing interface. Not something to get
> inspiration from.
> 2. iTunes, does mostly the same as the current RB.
> 3. MP3Organizer [http://mp3organizer.sourceforge.net/], integrates
> playlists and queueing by putting them next to the library.
> 4. Apollo [http://www.apolloplayer.org]. Has an interesting PlayFirst
> feature, but it looks like a hack to me.
> 5. Squelch [http://rikkus.info/squelch.html]. Here you seem to mark
> songs/albums for playback, instead of directly playing them, or
> something.
>
> Current Ideas:
> ==============
> http://nl.linux.org/~jorn/Files/blaat.png
> http://nl.linux.org/~jorn/Files/blaat2.png
> http://nl.linux.org/~jorn/Files/altblaat.png
>
> The view on the left would be the song queue/playlist view.
>
> The problem with these is that the interface is crowded; I dont think
> it's very clear.
>
> Another random idea is to have a "Queue" button or something, which
> would append the selected songs to some song queue. (And not have the
> song queue shown by default, but make it possible to open it in a new
> window. This doesn't solve the playlist problem though.)
>
> Thanks,
> Jorn
>
> [1] Seth: At least Luis wants reorderable playlists (for mix tapes and
> the like), so groups like we have now don't suffice.
>
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>
>  
One other thing, I dont understand why there is not a "stop" button.  
Every other music player I can think of has one, be it a player on a PC 
or a stereo system.

-Damien