Re: [Usability] Re: What's new in HIG 2.0

[Ricardo Veguilla <veguilla hpcf upr edu>]

On Sun, 2004-09-19 at 22:08 -0500, Shaun McCance wrote:
> On Sat, 2004-09-18 at 19:09 +0100, Keith Sharp wrote:
> > On Sat, 2004-09-18 at 14:54 -0300, Steven Garrity wrote:
> > > Keith Sharp wrote:
> > > > I agree with this entirely.  My main usability gripe with Rhythmbox is
> > > > that there is no stop button in the UI.  I frequently stop the current
> > > > track playing by pressing pause, then leave the computer for a while.
> > > > When I return I want to start a different track playing - frequently I
> > > > select the track I want and the click play with the effect that the
> > > > previous track resumes playing!
> > > 
> Now, as for the practical matter of how to get back to the beginning of
> the track, you have two pretty easy options:  You can click Previous,
> which will take you to the beginning of the track, as long as you've
> passed some time threshhold (you know, *exactly* like all those CD
> players we're so keen on imitating).  Or you can grab the slider that
> indicates your position in the track and drag it all the way to left.
> 

Assuming that "restarting the current track from the beginning" is
common action, then the app should provide an easier way for the user to
accomplish that (easier than using the slider, or clicking "Previous"
button after some "threshold"). Maybe adding a small button in front of
the slider with a tooltip saying "Start from the beginning"
<ASCII art>

[R][========={}==]

</ASCII art>
   
or changing the "track name" label to a button for the same action.

 
> And for the practical matter of pausing, them coming back an hour later
> and wanting to start on a new song, what's wrong with double-clicking
> that song in the queue?

I think that the problem of pausing and clicking "Play" to start a
different song may be the result of a wrong assumption. If the user was
playing track #1, clicked "Pause", selected track #2, and then clicked
"Play"... which track are we assuming he wants to play? Right now
rhythmbox assumes its track #1, but it is that the correct assumption?

In other words, maybe its just a matter of not resuming the previous
track if the user selected a different track. Maybe the app ask the user
if he wants to interrupt the "paused" track.

Its pretty obvious that in both cases the user could perform the desired
action simply by double-clicking in the desired track, but I don't think
that the user should depend on double-clicking for performing any
action, if possible (this is also recommended by the HIG). 

-- 
Ricardo Veguilla <veguilla hpcf upr edu>