Re: [Usability] The Window List Applet

[Boris Goldowsky <boris alum mit edu>]

Gregory Merchan wrote:

> A moment ago, I had an idea for the window list applet that I've not seen
> presented anywhere. Before I mention it, I'd like to address two things.
>
> 1) Grouping
>   I'll let Alan Cooper speak here:
>
>     Unfortunately, in Windows XP, Microsoft has done something which
>     disrupts this quite workable ToolTip scheme: As space gets limited,
>     rather than squeezing all the buttons, the Taskbar starts grouping
>     them by application into single buttons.

I actually prefer having the application name in the window list rather 
than the document name.  Example: mozilla mail uses the subject line of 
the currently selected message as "document name".  Since that's always 
different and can be pretty much random text, it doesn't lend itself to 
a quick scan to find my mailbox.  "Mozilla-bin (2)" is much easier to 
spot. 

I would therefore like to be able to specify "always use application 
name", since the fact that it changes from document name to application 
name depending on how many windows are open just makes things worse.  I 
realize the icons are supposed to help here, but -- forgive me -- many 
of them just look like grey blobs at that size and are not as quick to 
recognize as the app name.

To satisfy Alan Cooper's objection about tooltips, perhaps all open 
windows could be listed in the tooltip, rather than just replicating the 
"Mozilla-bin (2)" text. 

Actually, since my wife and I often both have Mozilla open all day, my 
favorite would be to have the profile name in the window list, so that 
we can open the correct mailbox without resorting to trial and error.  
It used to be, under plain old X, that you could specify a name for 
application windows on the command line (--title=xyz), and that title 
would get used in icons.  That would be great.

Bng

PS.  Couldn't "Mozilla-bin" just be labelled "Mozilla" ? ?