Re: [Usability] Re: Future of the menu top bar?

["Shane M. Coughlan" <shane shaneland co uk>]

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Steven Garrity wrote:
> I think it's fair to assume that many of the distributions that do use
> the two-panel setup are doing it primarily because it is the default
> upstream in GNOME (as opposed to having a particular preference).

Given that Ximian have abandoned the two-panel setup, and the above
statement is true, is GNOME in danger of having a legacy layout for no
particular reason?

Important things to know:
1) Why did Ximian/Novell drop the two-panel setup?
2) Do distributions include two-panels just because GNOME has them?
3) Is this reducing usability?

Looking like Windows might bring X% of Windows users, but that does not
mean it's the best choice.  GNOME is not Windows.  Looking like Windows
because the Windows layout is better *would* potentially be a better
choice.

Is MacOS easier to use than GNOME and Windows, and GNOME easier to use
than Windows?  If this is the case, there is a strong argument for
suggesting that GNOME freeze on the current layout and move towards
increasing functionality to match the MacOS top-bar.  If GNOME is not
easier to use than Windows, there might be a case for meeting Windows
before MacOS.

Too many 'ifs' and not enough statistics.

Yesterday I fixed a friend's Windows machine.  The deal was I that I
repair the machine and load Windows, but I also get to install Ubuntu in
a spare partition.  Fair enough.  My friend was rather impressed with
the ease of using GNOME, stating it was simpler than Windows.  Indeed,
it was so simple that they found it a little boring.  The top menu had
no affect whatsoever on their use of the machine.  If GNOME is going
wrong, it's not going badly wrong.

Perhaps it would be wise to have a word with the KDE 4 developers, as
they seem to have spent quite a lot of time thinking about the desktop
paradigm lately, and how it might be changed to improve productivity and
increase usability.

Shane

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