Re: [Usability] Foobar Menu Layout

[Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie>]

On Wed, 4 Jun 2003, Jeff Waugh wrote:

> Date: Wed, 4 Jun 2003 13:00:00 +1000
> From: Jeff Waugh <jdub perkypants org>
> To: usability gnome org
> Subject: [Usability] Foobar Menu Layout
>
> So,
>
> I always feel a little bit deflated when I see "arbitrary" changes in vendor
> releases of GNOME. In this case, I'm sure the Ximian foobar menu was changed
> to be similar to their existing 1.4-based product, and to make up for users
> not grokking where things should be under Applications or Actions. So, not
> entirely "arbitrary" in this case, but it would be nice to keep these kinds
> of things synced...
>
> The GNOME foobar menu layout:
>
>   Applications  Actions

Always avoid alliteration!

Alliteration makes life harder when you are trying to make everything
keyboard accessible.  I realise this is not particularly relevant given
the current state of keyboard accessibility.

I expect that Microsoft Windows users would be more comfortable with
Programs (because windows uses "Program Files").

System and Help look a bit more like the Mac, but I haven't used a Mac in
so long I might be imagining it.

In reference to Seths comment, a Desktop menu on the Desktop seems
confusing but it would probably make more sense if I knew the context of
the discussion he mentioned.  (which list archive or bug reports are
relevant?)

> Great to see the big menu icons back, but it's pretty scary to see the
> sidebar image on the Programs menu. Yucky poo. :-)

For space reasons (crap monitor) I prefer smaller menu icons but big icons
are a sensible default but I couldn't agree more about the sidebar image
in the programs menu.  Windows 95 had this and there is some obscure
registry key that allows you to turn it off.  This image also means that
you cannot makes the menu items easier to hit by having them right against
the extreme edge (Fitts Law agian).

And the program menu contains "Favorites"!?!
I hope they remembered to localise it, Microsoft didn't which is really
annoying and culturally insensative for some of us.

Shame Nat is using PPT instead of SXI (Star Office Impress/Presentation)
but I can only hope that it is part of convincing people how good
StarOffice is at dealing with Powerpoint Presentations.

- Alan H.