[Usability] tools on the desktop

[Thilo Pfennig <tp alternativ net>]

Hi,

I have thought about the procedure on a Mac to eject a disk (dropping it
on the trash). I accept that this is not a perfect idea. I think the
attractive thing on it is that everything that is usable with a left
click and dropping it on something visible is easy to manage.

If we right-click and select a menu entry this is more complicated. We
do have to read the menu entries and we have to be more perfect with
mouse handling (also think for people with disablities, children...). I
must admit, that I always liked this featire as i was still a Mac user.

But I think we should also think in the future:

 * I can imagine that in some cultures a trash is either not very well
known or more negativley associated.
 * I like "desktop-tools" (be they on a panel, gdesklets or icons on the
Desktop itself) that can do things. On the Mac I think the exagerated
things. A Mac user can not do anything without drag&drop, but I think if
we really have tools that have a functions that are easy to understand
this could improve the usability quite significantly. I think one could
have 
A) a tool for ejecting/unmounting. this could also have a functionality
similar to the "Computer" "folder" - listing resources - but with
"Computer" you can not mount/unmount (except with right-click, which is
not a good idea from my viewpoint). this tool would need a good name tha
is easy understandable. i would suggest dragging a mounted resource on
it would start a dialog for unmounting (user could choose to never been
asked before unmounting). This tool also could manage resources in the
network that are available via Rendezvous. One should be able to drag
resources from here to other applications. What i do not like is to
integrate so much functionality into applications o that they handle
resources by themselves (besides a file chooser). So rather than having
Rhymthmbox listing rendezvous music resources on the net you should need
to configure this "resource manager". That every application could use
this resource.
  



 * Why not use Themes as something that is adopted to a local culture? I
think the "trashcan-tool" should be kept but there might be different
looks that are more receptible. Here i am very much for much more
ccoperation and more intensive research. I think today themes are too
much something for geeks who like one look or another. I think themes
should be perfect for the user. I also think that there is no need for a
default theme or a common look, although it would be nice and would make
things easier. I think not only language should be localized, but also
look and behaviour.



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