Re: [Ayatana] Global menu in Oneiric Ocelot (11.10)

[Henrik Peytz <henrik.peytz@xxxxxxxxx>]

2011/5/19 Ian Santopietro <isantop@xxxxxxxxx>

The reasoning for the global menu bar isn't just about saving screen space. It's also about reduction of UI chrome to provide an interface that looks cleaner and simpler. Mouse travel distance *is* irrelevant since mouse acceleration allows for great travel distances from short, twitchy movements. It is also easy to hit the menu, as it's on a screen edge and easy to hit vertically. I work with a *trackpad* on a very large monitor, and of all if the pointing issues I have, the only serious one is when I need to aim in two dimensions.

 

Not to sound like a feisty bugger, but I'd argue those points ^^ :

- I wouldn't call the Global menu a decisive win in regards to reducing UI-chrome. It's a tradeoff of moving window-menus to a permanently visible bar at the top of the screen. The net-reduction of UI-chrome depends on how many windows you have open in a regular use-scenario, so that's a personal thing where the net benefit/negative impact can be calculated by counting pixels, which will be different depending on use and resolution. I have a resolution of 1920x1080, which means the global bar takes up about 1600x25 = 40.000 pixels (estimate of horizontal res minus the dash and trays). That's a lot of pixels I'll never be able to move a window to or use in any other way than in global menu regards.

- A trackpad is an advantage in this scenario, as you can simply flip the finger repeatedly without moving your hand. OTOH I use a mouse, I Gimp and also game a bit so I can't afford to have the mouse-acceleration set at a high level, as I'd loose the precision in those cases. So in my case I have to move the mouse and often lift it if my use requires the pointer to travel.over certain distances.

- I wouldn't say the UI is made simpler by disjointing the menus spatially from the application, and having those disjointed menus only visible when the application in question is in focus. Sure, it may look nice on screenshots having the applications looking so minimal and tidy, but the truth is that the application is now no longer confined to it's window, having some of its functionality moved elsewhere; so it seems like a moot point that only graphical artists will appreciate. So basically IMHO, yeah, it may look cleaner, but it isn't simpler.