Re: [Usability] Mac-Finder-like keyboard-navigation: Ctrl="and close the current one"

[Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie>]

On Tue, 2 Dec 2003 Murray Cumming Comneon com wrote:

> Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2003 15:31:47 +0100
> From: Murray Cumming Comneon com
> To: usability gnome org
> Subject: [Usability] Mac-Finder-like keyboard-navigation: Ctrl="and close
>     the current one"
>
> I am tantilisyingly close to getting agreement that this is a good thing,
> and that it's worth removing one of the many Window Manager shortcuts to get
> it. I'd like some of the distinguished usability folks to agree with me so
> that Havoc feels OK about it.

Those of you who have used KDE occassionaly (and you should do, it is
important to be aware of alternatives) will know that KDE allows you to
choose Mac Settings, Unix Settings or Windows Settings.

Gnome only offers Gnome and while it is nice not to be bothered with
difficult questions the first time you run it, it would certainly be nice
for advanced users to be able to choose a set of keybindings more like
what they are used to.

> ** The downside:
> Metacity currently uses a bunch of keybindings, because window manager stole
> them all in the terrible past when UNIX applications were unusable. To
> implement this feature, we need it to stop using the Ctrl-Alt-Arrow
> keybinding, which is currently used to switch workspaces.

I get the feeling that Gnome simply cannot please everyone and that
different profile schemes will inevitably be needed (pain in the ass to
keep well maintained though).

> *** Why the downside is not important:
>
> I don't think many people even know about the metacity keybinding, though
> those users might be very vocal. I think that the Nautilus feature will be
> far more useful, and used, by future GNOME users, just as it is on the Mac.
>
> It's not such a great hardship to use the panel workspace switcher to switch
> to another workspace.

for users of a Mac like interface multiple desktops are not usually
expected (i decline to use them, i want a better window manager instead)
so the intersection between these two groups would in my opinion be quite
small you might be able to decide a reasonable situation in which the old
Unix style keybindings could be easily/automatically reenabled (perhaps as
an option of the workspace applet).

Hope that helps

Sincerely

Alan H.