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Re: Windicators

 

>
> Hi Mitja


On Mon, Feb 21, 2011 at 20:16, Mitja Pagon <mitja.pagon@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Still I fail to see what actual problem(s) windicators are meant solve or
> in what way are they supposed to better UX. To me it seem like it's a
> solution in of search of a problem to solve.
>

The initial note ( http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/333 ) says:

*But why limit indicators to the panel? Let’s make it possible for
> applications to use indicators themselves, for all the things that
> indicators are good at:
> * Conveying a particular state, such as whether or not the application is
> connected,
> * Providing a handle for the indicator menu, to modify that state*


Also, as MPT pointed out a few times, these status menus are shortcuts.
You're correct in that you ask again, what Windicators are actually there
for, and i see your point: it is not yet obvious ;)

I think the best way to look at it would be like this:
Every ordinary Desktop application has at least one status it might be
interested in conveying, either persistently or at least consistently. And
to make that possible, it is easy to imagine window-lived indicator menus.
Then, there'd even be the possibility of interacting with the state or
manipulating it via the status menu "contained" in that indicator.

I liked thoughts of collapsing the Windicators onto the system indicators
when a Window is maximized, but considering the trend towards single
document interfaces, i'd say Windicators could make a lot of sense
especially on full screen Windows, if they were designed to appear
Wingpanel-style and transparent above content.

References