On Fri, Mar 11, 2011 at 4:15 AM, Gian
<zappete@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hello everybody,
that's my first time posting here, so hi! :)
I think the proposed solutions of a 2-sided launcher have a great advantage over the current implementation: currently on large monitors the places shortcuts may end well below the dash, because the launcher is full of apps. This spatial separation hides their connection to the dash. Showing them on top when the dash is open stresses their role of dash places shortcuts.
I couldn't resist to draw my own mockup: instead of flipping the launcher, you could make the Places Shortcuts drop down from above when the dash is displayed (see attachment).
the advantage i see is that one is still able to perform window management tasks (such as switching to some window) while the dash is open. I think that this is really crucial, because it means that one can have full control on both the dash and the launcher just by pressing <Super>. This also makes it less important to learn the differences between the launcher and the dash: after all, they both allow you to launch applications.
Moreover, with the current "fade and slide on bfb" animation, the user may be tempted to *click* on the bfb, instead of reaching the top-left corner, in order to display the launcher. It would be disappointing for him/her to find out that all the apps have just gone away from it!
Also note that I left Trash, Removable Devices and Workspaces at the bottom, because they are not related to the dash and do not need to stay close to it.
The advantage of not displaying the places shortcuts on top all the time is that people will likely (and hopefully :) start to code tons of custom places (People, IMDb, ...), each with its shortcut. Moreover, it's nice to have the most used application (say, the web browser) at the top, easily recognizable, when you start your computer: especially for new users!
By the way, I really like how Unity is shaping up: I miss it when I switch back to 10.10 ;)
Best,
Gian
+1
This idea makes a lot of sense - its low on the movement (and hence distraction), but accomplishes what's necessary, decluttering the launcher and making the place shortcuts useful again.