Re: [Usability] Dynamic Workspaces

[Reinout van Schouwen <reinout cs vu nl>]

Hi Alan,

On Fri, 5 Mar 2004, Alan Horkan wrote:

> > > The only reason Epiphany uses tabs is that something better
> > > utilizing SDI hasn't come along yet. Tabs are not good, they are a
> > > (sometimes) necessary evil.
>
> Unfortunately tabs as they stand must be implemented on a per application
> basis, it would help if tabs could be implemented at the Window Manager
> level (I think this has been done, i forget the name of it though).

pwm is a window manager that tries to accomplish this.

> A large part of the objections to tabs is that they are just a workaround
> when what is needed is a better tasklist and task management system rather
> than unthinkingly throwing tabbed interfaces at everything.

One of the reasons tabs are so popular in browsers, is that they allow for
grouping similar pages together. If the windowing environment provided for
this, tabs wouldn't be necessary. So in a sense, this has everything to do
with Ryans' metacity proposal.

> dig through the mailing list archives (which I might have time to do
> tomorrow).  Help me Reinout!  Surely this FAQ must be covered in the HIG
> somewhere?

I'm not sure, however in these cases I usually refer to mpt's blog (anyone
seen him around lately??):

http://mpt.phrasewise.com/discuss/msgReader$294
http://mpt.phrasewise.com/2002/07/10

> something for Friday afternoon methinkns.)  If you have a look at the
> Interface Hall of Shame you will probably find many more of the
> complaints against tabs.

The IHS shows mainly how the tabbed notebook widget can be abused (tabs
within tabs with tabs..[1]) and how Microsoft turned a good idea into a
travesty (tabs jumping position when clicked).


[1] Still popular amongst incompetent GUI designers. I encountered this
one yesterday: http://www.cs.vu.nl/~reinout/Schermafdruk.png

regards,

-- 
Reinout van Schouwen			Artificial Intelligence student
email: reinout cs vu nl			mobile phone: +31-6-44360778
                       www.eat-better.org