Re: [Usability]Applets category for hardware stuff?

[Gregory Merchan <merchan phys lsu edu>]

On Sun, Oct 27, 2002 at 04:09:42PM +1100, Jeff Waugh wrote:
> <quote who="Gregory Merchan"/>
> 
> > What should be trayed generally? Anything that shows state in a 24px high
> > area. Width should also be about 24px, except for the clock.
> 
> This was quite a separate issue to what I brought up. 

You asked for thoughts on making a new category for some applets. Most of
the applets you listed should be in the tray, so they shouldn't be on the
applet menus. Some of the other applets should also be in the tray,
so some existing categories should have fewer applets listed. There are
five categories on my system: Accessories, Amusements, Internet, Multimedia,
Utility. These are submenus on a submenu on a popup menu. The HIG advises
against having submenus on popup menus and deep menu hierarchies.

It should be clear that the panel popup menu needs to be redesigned.


> It's also something that will not happen for 2.2. I have a separate set 
> of suggestions for a new way of dealing with applets, I'll send it after
> the freeze.

If a freeze is cause to prevent traying some applets, then why rearrange
things now?  The rearrangement would remove 4 items from a 9 item menu and
add 1 submenu with 4 items to an 11 item menu. This is hardly a usability
improvement. Assuming that usability will be improved after the freeze,
rearrangement would be lost coding time and just interface churn for users.

Besides, how sensible does it seem to add hardware to the panel?


> Note that the system tray is not for anything 24px high, it's all about
> notification.

The relative clause "that shows state ..." is restrictive. "Anything" is also
restricted by the context which is "applets which should be trayed".
The question "What should be trayed generally?" is also in the same context;
"generally" expands the list of applets to include those I did not mention.
To read "anything" as without restriction is absurd; the universe will not
fit on the system tray. Hopefully it also would be regarded as absurd to
suggest that applications statusbars should be trayed.


Cheers,
Greg Merchan