Re: [Usability] Mac-style menubar in GNOME

[Justin English <Justin English Sun COM>]

On Sep 12, 2006, at 3:40 PM, BJörn Lindqvist wrote:

> > I'm working on a simple panel applet that would provide functionality
> > similar to Mac's menu bar.  Adding the applet would cause most  
> > menu bars
> > to automagically disappear from their respective windows and migrate
> > into the applet's area.  Removing the applet would restore  
> > menubars to
> > their parent windows.

A few issues:

Keeping the menu current with the app that currently has input focus  
will be critical--any lag in menu bar switch and update will be  
nearly insurmountable as a usability problem

You'll need to provide a way for the user to ascertain from the  
menubar what app has input focus.


I find that occasionally (and heretically) the menu bar at the top of  
the screen is not what I want. If I have multiple apps open on my  
multiple-monitor desktop, I may have to move the pointer a great  
distance to get to the menu bar. As monitors grow, there is a  
tradeoff between having the menu bar always in the same place and  
impossible to overshoot versus close at hand in the current window.

J. English
Some Big Computer Compay