unity-design team mailing list archive

[Adrian Maier <syraxes@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Sat, Feb 25, 2012 at 17:52, Jo-Erlend Schinstad
<joerlend.schinstad@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> On 25. feb. 2012 16:38, Adrian Maier wrote:
>>
>> There is a possibility to browse by categories. I know that you know this.
>> Perhaps you should explain why Windows' way of doing it is better?
>> Because they've found a way to add an improvement (search applications
>> by name)  without removing the traditional folder-based navigation of
>> "All Programs" .
>
> Yes, but you're still not explaining why that would be better.

I don't think it's possible to convince you about that.

>> It isn't missing. It works a little bit different than what you're used
>> to,
>> but it does exist.
>> Michael Hall was saying that the Dash is designed for searching , not
>> for browsing the applications.   This explains why it's not the
>> feature that i was looking for.
>>
>> But you are the one who told me that in order to get a classic-looking
>> apps menu  it's possible to load the gnome panel   !
>>
>> Therefore  :   in Unity itself there is no component designed/intended
>> to act as a category-based browser .
>
> We have that. Just used filters. The preferred way of launching stuff is not
> to browse for them, but to quickly launch them using either the list of
> frequent applications or to search. But browsing by category is certainly
> possible.

It's possible , but not comfortable .  Using the filters requires too
much clicking  (see below) .


>>>> The first step would be to see that the need for such a feature is at
>>>> least acknowledged.
>>>
>>> Then you have to be more convincing. So far, you've claimed that it is
>>> required, but I don't think you've explained why.  To me, it sounds as if
>>> you
>>> want to change the behavior because you're not used to it.
>>
>> Please enlighten me :  from your point of view the feature is already
>> there ,  or you want me to demonstrate why should it be introduced ?
>
> You open the applications lens and then choose the category you want. I
> don't really understand the problem, which is why I keep asking you for an
> explanation. But you don't provide any.


The problem is the high number of clicks needed to have the job done :
-  click on dash ,
-  click on "search applications" ,
-  click on "Filters"  ,
-  click on "Local Apps" ,
-  click on "Games" ,
-  click on "see more results"
After doing all those clicks I am finally getting the complete list of
Games.  Clicking 6 times for seeing all the installed Games is way too
much.

If I want to move to another category it's necessary to click 2 times :
- click on  "Games"  to unselect it
- click on  "Internet"

Therefore I tend to agree with the people who mentioned that the Dash
is designed for search , not for apps navigation in directory-style .
Navigation inside the Dash could be improved a bit if the changes
mentioned by Omar were implemented.



By the way :    i have also tried it "the Unity way " .
- press Super  , to open the dash
- type "games"
- it shows me only "Aisleriot Solitaire "

- if i type "game"
- it shows me 2 games :  "Aisleriot Solitaire " and "Freecell Solitaire"

Actually there are 2 more games installed : Mahjongg and Minesweeper.
Not impressed at all about these search results.  Hopefully this is
just a bug in the 12.04 beta .


>> The feature needs to exist before discussing whether it should be the
>> default  or not .
>>
>> But anyway I am not asking any changes of the defaults.
>>
> It isn't obvious what "the feature" means. This is the Unity Design list,
> though. It's perfectly possible to make all kinds of different third-party
> programs, but that doesn't really belong on this list, I think.

"the feature" =  navigate applications in a directory-style  in an
easy, comfortable  way .

By easy I mean :  no unnecessary clicks,    and possibility to go from
one category to another   with at most 1 click  (preferably 0 clicks :
mouse hover) .

It can be a classic apps menu ,    or can be an improved Dash ,   or
can be some new fancy-looking categories browser that allows easy
navigation .


This discussion belongs here,  because in principle a designer might
be curious to hear about specific aspects that makes some user(s)
unhappy .


>> Especially now after trying the
>> https://launchpad.net/classicmenu-indicator .  It provides me what I
>> was missing , and it's not even necessary to use the gnome panel.
>> Hopefully this package will be available in the real repositories
>> someday    (now it's in ppa).
>
> I personally think that's not the right place for it, since it doesn't
> indicate anything.

It indicates that I no longer intend to spend too much energy with
discussing on this topic .

>From my point of view the issue is solved :   now I am aware about
several possibilities that will allow me to happily use Unity without
cursing every 5 minutes .



-- 
Adrian M