*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
CC BY 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/>
