unity-design team mailing list archive

[nick rundy <nrundy@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I can see your point :) I hate clutter too, but I think the Launcher is a different beast. Here's why:

different people use computers differently. One user right-clicks to select copy, another selects Edit > Copy from the app menu. I think there needs to be a couple ways of achieving the same thing when ever possible. Being able to click a launcher icon and gain immediate access to an attached USB thumb drive is a useful feature. But a user could open Nautilus and then click the thumb drive in the Side Pane. A little more work, but then there are less items appearing in the Launcher. But here's why I think that argument is not strong enough:  by default the launcher is set to auto-hide, it has the ability to scroll and manage lots & lots of icons by design, and it already serves as the "repository" or "bowl" where opened things are corraled. The Launcher was designed to be filled up with stuff. It was designed as the interface tray that holds what users have opened.

If a setting gives users the choice of hiding such things without screwing up the code, then I guess that's up to the developers. My understanding though is that putting settings in like that can sometimes be a real headache and mess with the code in undesirable ways. So I think the current default of showing mounted devices is the best move and IMHO very useful & consistent. 

  

> Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2011 04:39:17 +0930
> From: david@xxxxxxxxxx
> To: nrundy@xxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [Ayatana] Comments on the Device & User Menu specs
> 
> sorry I used a bad example.
> 
> At the moment my USB device is mounted, I have no use for it sitting in the launcher, but I may save something to it via libreoffice.
> 
> If I do go to it I usually go through my home folder or search for a file on the dash.
> 
> I also have a second hard drive mounted for my torrents, if I unmount the drive my torrent program stops running however I have no need to see the drive itself mounted on my launcher.
> 
> Both my usb drive and second hard drive are mounted, but I haven't clicked on the launcher icons once, I would prefer the option to hide them, I'd also like to get rid of the workspace switcher icon as well.
> 
> I might see if I can do something like what happened with re-sizing the launcher (https://bugs.launchpad.net/unity/+bug/713087)
> 
> - ikt
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "nick rundy" <nrundy@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: david@xxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Wednesday, 3 August, 2011 4:03:19 AM
> Subject: RE: [Ayatana] Comments on the Device & User Menu specs
> 
> 
> when the device is mounted, doesn't this mean you want to use it? If you are done using it, then unmount it and the icon disappears. 
> 
> The launcher being able to scroll is awesome and it allows for the space to be able to display mounted devices. Everything I open is represented in the Launcher. It's consistent and allows users to always know where to look for things. 
> 
> 
> > Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2011 03:00:19 +0930 
> > From: david@xxxxxxxxxx 
> > To: nrundy@xxxxxxxxxxx; ayatana@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
> > Subject: Re: [Ayatana] Comments on the Device & User Menu specs 
> > 
> > Would it be possible to have: 
> > 
> > Power users > show mounted icons on launcher 
> > 
> > Like the old: gnome > show mounted devices on desktop 
> > 
> > ? 
> > 
> > I prefer having neither showing as I usually only access my device once after I plug it in, and it can appear poorly organised if there are 4+ devices mounted showing in the launcher. 
> > 
> > - ikt 
> > 
> > 
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "nick rundy" <nrundy@xxxxxxxxxxx> 
> > To: mark@xxxxxxxxxx, ayatana@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
> > Sent: Wednesday, 3 August, 2011 12:45:53 AM 
> > Subject: Re: [Ayatana] Comments on the Device & User Menu specs 
> > 
> > > 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.