ubuntu-phone team mailing list archive

[Michael Zanetti <michael.zanetti@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wednesday 26 March 2014 11:10:38 Riccardo Padovani wrote:
> On Wed, Mar 26, 2014 at 10:46 AM, Michael Zanetti
> 
> <michael.zanetti@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > Hmm, I don't think the hardware button is that much required. I've been
> > using phones without hardware back button for many years now and never
> > really missed it. I do agree with Oli tho, that I miss the back button in
> > a reachable place now.
> 
> Agree.
> 
> > What I'm not sure about (and thats purely my opinion) is if it was a good
> > idea to give the bottom edge to app developers. As the proposal says, its
> > the most important and easily reachable edge. Imo it should be consistent
> > across the phone experience and be the place where the most important
> > controls for the current context are placed (e.g. the back button). What
> > we'll get now is a random surprise whenever you use the bottom edge.
> 
> Totally agree, imo consistence is one of most important thing in user
> experience.
> I dislike Android because this: every app is different, seems like
> there is a common base and then a big soup with every idea every
> developer has.
> 
> > I personally hoped we'd keep the panel as it was, but lock it to be always
> > visible, and if the OSK is visible, move the panel on top of the OSK,
> > instead of hiding it behind it. I think that would have solved the
> > discoverability issue too without being that disruptive for the overall
> > phone experience.
> Totally disagree.
> Back button in bottom toolbar is awesome, but it has not be always visible.
> I have a 4.2 screen and I want to use every single pixel for something
> useful, I don't want to have some commands always visible.
> If we need to have back button always visible is better to have
> hardware buttons.
> 
> I really love the bottom toolbar, but I understand can be frustrating
> for a new user. I don't have any idea on how to fix that, but please,
> please, don't lose 30 pixel on bottom to have commands always visible
> and if possible keep back button in an accesible position :-)

I for one like it a lot too as it is right now. It automatically comes in when 
the back button shows up, and hides if unused. love it. The one big issue tho 
is when the OSK is up. You need to dismiss the OSK (which can be tricky enough 
to make you hate the device if there's a fullscreen text area) and then you 
still have to pull in the toolbar up. That case sucks big times.

What I meant is, if we really need to change it to make it more visible, I'd 
be more willing to give up the little space at the bottom for a always visible 
toolbar, than the one-handed phone usage.

Br,
Michael