unity-design team mailing list archive

[nick rundy <nrundy@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> We might drop the launcher visibility of mounted drives, based on user > testing.
NO!

I PREY this doesn't happen. I LOVE having mounted devices show up in the Launcher. I also love having an icon show on the Desktop. The desktop icon always reminds me I have something mounted when I close my windows. And I routinely access the launcher icon of mounted devices.
I complained to Microsoft that Windows 7 does not show an icon for attached USB thumb drives in the Taskbar =)  Having mounted devices show up in the Launcher is one of the things that gave it a big PLUS over Windows in my evaluation of the two OSs.
> > http://pad.lv/815077 was reported about the lack of a Restart button.> > It appears as though the spec is that Restart will only be shown if> > restart-required updates have not been applied. A typical user will> > want to restart to Windows or OS X. A fair number of developers have> > another Ubuntu install or Linux distribution they would like to reboot> > to use. Requiring users to log out before they restart seems to make a> > common usecase more frustrating. If the desire is to reduce menu> > option clutter, I suggest keeping the option as Shut Down (or Power> > Off might be a good descriptive alternative). And then use a pop-up> > like Gnome Shell to allow Restart, Shutdown (automatic after 60> > seconds), or Cancel. See http://i.imgur.com/lLPoL.png
I really hope common sense is used here. One of the biggest reasons I dumped gnome3-shell for Unity was because of the crazy design Gnome used in the "session menu." They make it so complicated to shutdown and restart the computer. IMHO Gnome-3 has made a lot of horrible design choices. Their design of the Session Menu is but one example. If it wasn't for Unity, I would have surely left the Gnome environment for KDE or some as yet undiscovered desktop.
The # 1 way I shutdown and restart the computer (which are commands I use regularly) is via keyboard shortcut. On Ubuntu 10.04 I hit:  super + S, up-arrow, enter. I use this command multiple times a day. It is quick and very fast, requiring little effort. In addition, one of the first things I do when installing Ubuntu is DISABLE the Shutdown Confirmation Dialog Prompt (gconf-editor > apps > indicator-session > suppress_logout_restart_shutdown) that asks me to verify the command I just selected. When I select Shutdown, it infuriates me to have a dialog pop up asking me if I want to do what I just said to do.
Adding a popup window in order to shutdown and restart just makes the process more complicated and requires more effort. It also creates the appearance of more activity, which is less calming. I believe the "classic" setup is best. The "Session Menu" should contain explicit options for Log Out, Suspend, Restart, and Shutdown that can be accessed quickly from keyboard shortcut. If space is needed or clutter needs to be controlled, the last things to touch should be: Log Out, Suspend, Restart, and Shutdown. These should be the core/foundation commands for this menu.
Requiring a popup would kill this functionality. The exception I could see would be if a keyboard shortcut (e.g., super + S) is all that is needed to bring up the popup menu. Then the user could hit: Super + S and the popup menu would "instantly appear" and the user could then use the arrow-key + Enter to select his choice. But I'm reluctant to see more popups and prefer the Ubuntu 10.04 designed Session Menu. Popups get tiring. The way the Session Menu exists in Ubuntu 10.04 strikes users as more integrated and "stable." It is a good design. Hopefully 11.10 will start using it again.

> > I very much like having System Settings at the top of the system menu> > and the Lock/Sleep/Power options at the buttom. I also like the> > Software Updates status incorporated into the system menu.
I was overjoyed to see screenshots of Oneiric showing Shut Down as being the last item in the Session Menu again. This makes use of keyboard shortcuts to control the session a LOT easier to use.
these aren't just minor issues to me. these functions are critical to how I use my computer and why I choose to use the OS I did.







> Date: Tue, 2 Aug 2011 09:17:00 +0100
> From: mark@xxxxxxxxxx
> To: jbicha@xxxxxxxxxx
> CC: ayatana@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [Ayatana] Comments on the Device & User Menu specs
> 
> 
> Hi Jeremy, thanks for your mail.
> 
> On 02/08/11 00:35, Jeremy Bicha wrote:
> > Since I help out on the Documentation Team, I value clear user
> > interface terminology so that users, powerusers, and maybe even
> > developers can use the same, understandable language. The old session
> > menu name became unclear when System Settings was added to it, but I
> > have to say that "device menu" is an even worse name. I strongly
> > prefer calling this menu the "system menu" since the items here are
> > generally system actions or configurations. Also, it's parallel to the
> > power menu having a power settings button and the sound menu having a
> > sound settings button.
> 
> +1 from me. I'd like to hear MPT's opinion on this, but if he raises no 
> objections consider that an approval to move forward. If he does, I'll 
> be glad to resolve it one way or the other.
> 
> > http://pad.lv/815077 was reported about the lack of a Restart button.
> > It appears as though the spec is that Restart will only be shown if
> > restart-required updates have not been applied. A typical user will
> > want to restart to Windows or OS X. A fair number of developers have
> > another Ubuntu install or Linux distribution they would like to reboot
> > to use. Requiring users to log out before they restart seems to make a
> > common usecase more frustrating. If the desire is to reduce menu
> > option clutter, I suggest keeping the option as Shut Down (or Power
> > Off might be a good descriptive alternative). And then use a pop-up
> > like Gnome Shell to allow Restart, Shutdown (automatic after 60
> > seconds), or Cancel. See http://i.imgur.com/lLPoL.png
> 
> +1 also.
> 
> 
> > Login Items (Startup Applications) has only a very narrow, power user
> > use case especially in its current condition. I have never used it for
> > anything useful. For power users, it's easily findable in the Dash.
> 
> Agreed.
> 
> > Since Bluetooth has its own menu, it definitely should not be in the
> > system menu. Many computers don't have bluetooth support anyway.
> > Honestly, I strongly question the need to have direct links here to
> > individual panels of System Settings. The most common options (Power,
> > Bluetooth, Sound, etc.) already are consistently at the bottom of
> > their respective menus. Displays also should just work for most
> > people; for others, set once and then always work.
> 
> Bluetooth will either move to the new menu, or stay special-cased on the 
> panel, not both.
> 
> 
> > Devices sounds like it should also include the ability to unmount
> > removable drives, but perhaps this is a conflict with the Places Lens
> > thing.
> 
> We might drop the launcher visibility of mounted drives, based on user 
> testing.
> 
> > I very much like having System Settings at the top of the system menu
> > and the Lock/Sleep/Power options at the buttom. I also like the
> > Software Updates status incorporated into the system menu.
> 
> Thanks :-)
> 
> Mark
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~ayatana
> Post to     : ayatana@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~ayatana
> More help   : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp