Re: [Usability] The menubar, and windows vs. applications

[Julien Olivier <julo altern org>]

(snip)

> The Mac approach eliminates all of these problems. 
> It's easy to see what app is frontmost.  All windows
> of an app have access to the menubar at all times. 
> Working with multiple windows open and visible on the
> screen is simpler, whether those windows belong to one
> or many apps.  There are only three drawbacks I know
> of:  One, you can't click-through to the menubar of
> another application- you've first got to bring one of
> its windows forward, to see its menubar.  Second, it's
> weird to people not used to it to have an app open
> with no windows.  (This can be a problem in OS X, when
> an app is running and in the dock, but with no open
> windows.  Unless the app knows to open up a blank
> document when its dock icon is clicked when it's in
> this state, a user might not know how to actually
> start using the application.  So: apps should probably
> close when there or no open windows, or they should
> know to open a blank document when they are "launched"
> or switched to when already running.)  Third, of
> course, it's weird to use global menubars with sloppy
> focus.
> 

Well, I totally agree with you but I just wonder: wouldn't it need to
rewrite (at least partially) almost every applications to have them work
with an application menu ala Mac ? Would it be worth then ?

> So, those are the thoughts of a Mac/Windows/Gnome
> user. 
> 
> -j
> 
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