Re: [Usability]Feedbacks on GNOME 2 panel from Mdk 9.0 beta test

[MM <m menheere gmx net>]

On Mon, 2002-09-16 at 15:46, Alastair Scott wrote:
> On Mon, 2002-09-16 at 14:19, Frederic Crozat wrote:
>  
> > I'd like to share with you some of the feedback we received during beta
> > tests of Mandrake 9.0 for GNOME 2.
> > 
> > We tried to keep an "almost" identical GNOME2 look as "original"
> > GNOME2.. This mean we keep the "menubar" + a bottom menu panel layout..
> > While a lot of people liked this layout (I think a majority of people
> > never realized it is inspired from MacOS..), many people complained they
> > couldn't move this "top" panel to other areas of the screen, like the
> > other panels.. 
> > 
> > I think it is clearly a problem with current panel configuration.. 
> > When trying to move the "menubar" panel, it should "morph" into an
> > "edge" panel.. In the same idea, there should be only one type of panel
> > to add, with the ability to modify its type using the "Preferences"
> > dialog..
Maybe it is better to not make it visible to the user that there are
actually different types of panels. When customizing a panel different
configurations should be explained to the user as different features of
te same panel. When first using gnome I remember asking myself what does
an edge. floating or sliding panel actually do to the panel. 

I think it is better to describe it as 
			 Panel preferences
edge panel becomes ----> snap panel to window border 
floating panel     ----> uncheck snap panel to window border.
sliding panel      ----> uncheck use entire desktop width 
> > WDYT ? 
> 
> Agreed. I have a few points:
> 
> 1. Can the types not be removed altogether - is there really need a need
> for corner, edge, floating and sliding panels? Can a [generic] panel not
> be first created at an arbitrary point on the screen, then
> dragged-and-dropped to wherever? 
> 
> (The mechanisms for doing this seem to be there or thereabouts already,
> although the 'floating' panel requires X and Y offsets to be entered via
> Preferences to get it away from the edge of the screen, rather than a
> drag-and-drop, unless I'm missing something).
> 
> 2. Is the New Panel option best available only from a panel? Should it
> not be available from the desktop like the other New ... options?
> 
> (Dunno about anyone else, but that I had to create a new panel from the
> menu bar was not obvious first time I came across it).
> 
> Alastair