unity-design team mailing list archive

[Mark Shuttleworth <mark@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On 29/06/10 07:19, Conscious User wrote:
>> I think that makes two of two implementations that nicely illustrate the 
>> concern that CSD is harmful for workspace consistency.
>>     
> I have to agree on this one. Visual inconsistency is one of the oldest
> complaints against Songbird.
>   

I think there's a difference between cases where the application takes
all matter into its own hands, and cases where the application
implements CSD inside a desktop-wide framework.

As you can see, ignoring CSD isn't stopping popular apps from embracing
elements of it - inconsistently. My view is that making CSD systemic
isn't going to worsen the situation, and likely makes it substantially
better.

Songbird and Chrome are innovating because the desktop environments are
not. In part, the desktop environments are not innovating because (a)
Windows and MacOS are too entrenched, and (b) Linux folks can't agree on
a direction, and views are vociferous across the spectrum.

The direction we have taken with Unity and the netbook interface will, I
hope, address some of the issues that have driven the unilateral
movement by Songbird, Chrome and others. In other words, by making the
window system / desktop environment layout more efficient in the way
those app developers care about, we reduce the pressure for them to do
things that are radically different, and hence inconsistent.

What do they care about?

Efficiency. Both Chrome and Songbird have tried to eliminate wasted
vertical space, in different ways. Songbird by putting the menu in the
window title bar, Chrome, by moving the menu to a much less vertically
intrusive form factor. Chrome has gone further, putting tabs into the
titlebar area too.

In 10.10, we'll take a big step forward in the netbook edition, by
moving the menu into the top panel and combining it with the titlebar
for maximised windows. The next challenge will be for us to be smarter
about tabs, so I think we'll do a bunch of exploration work for 11.04 in
that regard. If we can *nail* those things, we'll have the most
efficient use of vertical space, and can reasonably expect Chrome and
Songbird to embrace it.

Mark

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