2011/1/4 Mark Shuttleworth
<mark@xxxxxxxxxx>
On 19/12/10 17:22, Mirek M. wrote:
The whole left side of the screen would be devoted to the
current application
Right now, you get some system-related commands on the right
of the top panel, application-related commands on the left, and
some more system-related commands on the far left.
Moving the launcher and the Ubuntu button to the right would
put all the system-related commands on the right and all the
app-related commands on the left, so neither the launcher nor
the Ubuntu button gets in the way when working with a single
application.
One idea we try to preserve is the "hierarchy of information", which
says that (in left-to-right languages) organising structure should
be on the left, and content on the right. In this case, the launcher
is very much "organising structure".
I understand the point, however, in most operating systems, this rule of information hierarchy is not followed in application/window indicators/launchers. The GNOME, XFCE, KDE, and LXDE panels, Windows taskbar, and Mac OS X dock are all on bottom, not on top, which I assume is because they interfere less with workflow than if they were on top.
Chrome OS, on the other hand, puts tabs on top, because it is its assumption that the user doesn't stay in a single tab very long, but constantly switches between tabs.
Therefore, unless it is Ubuntu's intention that the user should be switching applications frequently, I think it is more wise to put the launcher on the right and not on the left.
A "hot corner" wouldn't get in the way
Keeping application commands separate from system commands is
especially important to workflow when you have areas that
activate on hover (e.g. Ubuntu button). It is extremely annoying
and distracting when you accidentally mouse over a "hot
corner"and have to wait a few seconds to get back to work. As
the menu bar and window buttons are aligned left, and as most
toolbars are also left-aligned, a hot corner on the right will
be less likely to be accidentally triggered than a hot corner on
the left.
At the moment, the corner is overly sensitive because the launcher
shows up for a few seconds if you go over the Ubuntu button. But in
fact, it should actually require you to hit the corner. Fixing that
should reduce the impact of this feeling.
The application would get the most focus
As most languages are read from left to right, our focus
tends to start at the left side of the screen. If the goal of
Unity is to maintain focus on a single task, it makes most sense
to put the launcher somewhere where it doesn't distract from the
application -- on the right.
Well, when you are focused on an app, the launcher should be
invisible. Balancing focus and awareness is a key design goal for us
in Unity, hence the intellihiding approach. There are other things
we can do to take this even further, but they'll have to wait for
11.10.
Even with the launcher hidden, the Ubuntu button still gets in the way -- because it's right next to window buttons and the menu bar. If you want to really focus on an application, you need the whole application to be separate from system buttons and commands.
BTW, what's in plans for 11.10?
"Tools" would be easier to target
Most image editors, raster or vector, have a "Tools" sidebar
on the left, which is very easy to target when it is at the edge
of the screen, but very hard to target when there's a launcher
at the left edge of the screen.
Again, the app should generally get all the real estate, including
the left edge, solving this issue (i.e. giving Fitt's Law friendly
edges to the app).
I hope that this is enough to at least consider moving the
launcher to the right.
Good points, well argued, but I'm afraid the balance remains in
favour of the left edge for now.
Would at least an option to have the launcher on the right be possible?
Mark