Re: [Usability] Default Panel Layout

[Matthew Thomas <mpt myrealbox com>]

Bryan Clark wrote:
>...
> The 'Show Desktop' button on the bottom confused a lot of people into
> thinking it was a Windows style start button.  I got a number of reports
> of people clicking on it a lot trying to get the start menu to appear.
> I'm planning on removing that from the default for next release.

That would happen no matter what you put in the bottom left corner, no?
Having said that, I have *no idea* what that icon is supposed to be. It
looks like a photo slide stuck in a pile of mud. At least Ubuntu's looks
vaguely like a desktop. :-) (If the home folder was used as the desktop,
you could use a Home icon. This would be more recognizable than any
desktop icon, though not necessarily more understandable.)

>...
> The Applications/Places/Desktop button wasn't obvious that it was a
> button and instead looked like plain text.  I guess requires some theme
> fixes or something?

I think it requires not having a mixture of buttons, menus with text
titles, menus with icon titles, and menus with icon+text titles in the
same panel. The word "Desktop" and the mouse-around-the-earth icon are
exactly as close to each other as the word "Applications" and the fedora
icon, but their relationships are completely different.

>...
> I'm considering putting the trash applet in the bottom left corner.

I look forward to people opening the trash applet expecting to find a
Start menu. :-)

> I'm not sure why Ubuntu chose the bottom right, maybe they can answer that.
> I think it's because that's where the Mac puts it, but I don't know.
>...

It's also where Windows XP puts it by default (though arranging the
icons later moves it over to the left). And, the other three corners are
already taken.

-- 
Matthew Thomas
http://mpt.net.nz/