[Usability] Re: [Desktop_architects] Printing dialog and GNOME

[Antti Aspinen <antti aspinen gmail com>]

Talking about the dialogs in gnome. I think that gnome got some really stypid gui design things, but it's got also some fast manuvers. It doesn't not look pretty, but it sure does is simple to understand and get started with it.

I personaly use both when I need gnome I use it and when I use kde I use it. I have my desktop defaulted to kde. As it works faster and it's got more eye candy. :P

But talking about the topic. (I recently already changed my Firefox to Konqueror btw.) I don't like the way how gnome works. Here is couple points why...

Talking about the stypidity for example in [save file] dialog. Where the heck is the filesystem address bar where I can write where do I want this file to be saved to? All I can see is huge amount of files and folders and some kind of bookmark system. It's not fast, it's not very useable and since Gnome is supposed to be useability desktop I just cannot get why it is made so hard to browse file system. Yes, there is thing that when you write something with your keyboard it will search the folder/file of that name.

Next thing I don't like in Gnome is that it's got some very weird model of acting in different situations. Nautilus is real nazi program since if you don't type anykind of parametres (such as --no-desktop and --browser) it won't even work like it is supposed to(it will create a desktop to anywm where you can open at least millions of windows before you can reach locations as simple as /usr/loca/games/something). So if this simple user is supposed to get gnome installed he surely won't understand where to change settings so that nautilus will open in browse mode. (I am using Debian sid Gnome 
2.10 by the way. I have seen that some things have been made even worse in gnome 2.12 and some have been fixed.) And talking about the desktop icons. I know the my computer, my documents and recycle bin can be removed without removing other icons, but still they are annoying.  Too much like windows. >/

Let's see what's on list next. oh yes, the taskbar...

One of gnome stypidities is that task bar takes lots of space from screen. why in the heck have gnome programmer made a three different menus (it can be changed with little effort) for all their smart locations this way simulating the OS7 which is dead. OSX should be the way to make this, but I guess GTK libs doesn't allow making such system. It's got some configuration problems which I won't mention here but I just say that they are annoying.

To say it straght. Gnome is like 1:1 copy of Windows95 desktop stolen from OS/2 and made by IBM where have been added features from Mac OS. Heck, Gnome's got even a registry editor for programs. I kind of like that, but I allways wonder why those common settings cannot be found from gnome programs them selfs. 


And to add, I am not saying that KDE has a pure useability desktop which has no flaws. It does have them. But those flaws aren't as stypid/effective to your way to use the desktop as in Gnome.

-Antti-

Ps. Sorry my shitty english. I haven't writen anything for a while and I am little sleepy when I saw this thread. I know. It's not an excuse for writing stuff like this.

And I apologize for Gnome folks. Most of the gnome is like gconf-tool. it's good idea, but needs some redesign. gnome's got also some unique features which I like. :)