PDA

View Full Version : The usability of a Desktop Environment



Blutkoete
May 4th, 2011, 11:14 AM
Hello!

I don't want this to be just another Unity thread, but if you want to merge it, it's ok.

I'm just wondering: I spent a very small amount of my time in the menus (most applications I use are Java-based). I know that everyone has his or hers own way of using the desktop environment, and no way is better than the other. I know that it might be a problem to re-learn things again and again, and that people want to keep things hey know. But, personally, I find the things why I use a specific system beneath the hood of the system, not in the eye-candy or the amout of clicks I need to start a program, as every system I've ever tried (be it Windows, MacOS, Ubuntu with Gnome, Unity or KDE) had a way to provide me with a one-click-to-my-favourite-application.

Why is the way the menu/the access to applications is organized so important for people that they switch the DE to save one click? Are you really switching and starting applications that often a day that it counts? That you don't get used to it in one or two days?

I really DON'T want to tell anyone that his or her criticism is stupid, I'm just wondering, as the way the menu looks like or is organized was always a minor problem for me.

Sean Moran
May 4th, 2011, 11:39 AM
I like the one-click idea. The top panel on Karmic is excellemt for this. I leave Firefox there for originality, and then there's gCalc, gEdit, GIMP, Filezilla, Rhythmbox, SeaMonkey and Skype right there on the left side after the menu.

On the right is the usual stuff, System Monitor, Help, Logout, Keyboard, Brightness, Volume, Battery, Network, (Separator) and Nautilus, gTerm, Screenshot.

In the middle is the workspace switcher, with date and time (w/secs) to right ( and Eyes to flag the mouse in case of crashes) and Weather report to the left of centre.

Down on the bottom panel, (auto-hided and non-expanded) is Wanda, window-hide, window list, and garbage on the right.

Lots of desktop room and hardly ever need the menu.