unity-design team mailing list archive

[Thibaut Brandscheid <randaltor@xxxxxx>]

*Part I - UX pre Quantal Quetzal*

Some days ago an Idea came up to my mind, lets
write<https://plus.google.com/111583136332687352922/posts/VticguT1jZy>about
the current status of default Ubuntu before quantal and compare it
with the final release in some months.

★                bad
★★             works not as excepted
★★★          it does what it is for
★★★★       great application
★★★★★    freaking awesome, Chuck Norris would be proud

IMHO - the current status of the bits and bites

*Mail:*
Mails are one of the most used communication system world wide and there
for very important. The current status in Ubuntu is: it works, but it's not
where it should be. A lot of mailing tasks fell heavy and rough. To receive
mails you have to open Thunderbird, mails are sorted by default 'newest at
bottom', the address book opens up in a pop-up, adding a link takes two
steps (insert button → link)...
The mail app should be a first class citizen, but it's not.
★★★

*Dash:*
I recognized that I don't use the Dash much. It's not because I don't want
to use it, it's because the Dash is often too limited for my tasks. The
application lens works fine for me but for other mouse-only-users I talked
with it's a nightmare (too cluttered). For my work I have to name some
files and dictionaries along a fixed naming rule, the file lens can't
differentiate between them → I can't search for the file I want → file lens
is mostly useless to me (sometimes I would like to open the containing
directory of an file or open it with another application). The music lens
doesn't work correct, when opening an album playing starts not at the first
track ('available for purchase' category bugs me too). I tested the video
lens and came to the conclusion, it doesn't work for me neither. The speed
is not where it should be (improved in 12.04 a lot) and the design feels
still alien compared to the rest of the system. The Dash UI can't compete
with other modern UI e.g. Android. Overall the Dash is a nice idea with
much room for improvements.
★★

*Gwibber:*
It displays tweets, the performance is bad (even on my high-end-system
scrolling laggs a bit), but it fulfills its purpose - no keyboard shortcuts.
★★★

*File manager:*
Nautilus is a very powerful tool with a lot of "hidden" cool features. It
didn't change/improve much the last years. I have some quirks here and
there but mostly it just works - the current design is suboptimal.
★★★★
*
Software-Center:*
It does mostly what it is for. Fuzzy search is not always as accurate as I
would like to see it. Apps for purchase is an unsorted mess. The 'History'
is almost useless for an average user (it should have an 'application'
category that lets the user chronically see the last applications *he
installed* - don't show packages at all). The design is okay.
★★★

*Indicators:*
Indicators are like the Dash, a bit too minimalistic and a bit to cluttered
(will improve in 12.10) - overall they work as expected.
★★★

*Launcher:*
Feels sometimes a bit chunky and not as elegant as it could be. Creating a
launch for an application that is not supported by default is nearly
impossible for an average user (a rare case I admit it). Overall the
Launcher is great.
★★★★

*Desktop:*
The desktop is maybe the most neglected visible peace of software in Ubuntu
for the last years. The only thing that works as expected is that you can
right click the desktop and change the wallpaper easily - the rest is more
or less a catastrophe. File stacking is still possible (bug report is from
2006 #40872), different sized launcher icons, no grid line, new files are
sometimes created half under the launcher, its not possible to have easily
a wallpaper sideshow of your photos (a must have).
★★

*Firefox:*
★★★★

*LibreOffice:*
★★★

*System-Settings:*
Great with some room for improvements.
★★★★

---------------------
*Average Stars - 3,2:*
★★★

'it does what it is for'
describes good where I see Ubuntu right now.

I didn't mention the HUD because it is too new and not feature complete.

*For Ubuntu to become the best OS the core apps need to improve
(Thunderbird, LibreOffice, Dash).*


:)

Thibaut


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