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Re: Desktop as a widget space.

 

Do you remember Docky's
docklets<http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-946RxcbSjwg/TmiKsPLUpGI/AAAAAAAASMU/L-RNwovLmIk/s1600/Docky-Ubuntu-Unity-Launcher-Alternatives.jpg>?
I am sure I'm not he only one who loved them. They could do anything a
widget is for.

2012/5/29 balint777@xxxxxxxxx <balint777@xxxxxxxxx>

> Sorry Sunil Singh Rana, I posted my mail again to the wrong address...
>
> Widgets mainly are for displaying basic information like mail, weather
> data, news feed, facebook notifications, etc without having to open a full
> destop program. In my opinion there is no relevant difference in
> Microsoft's Tiles-concept, the widgets, or therse badges with counters and
> progressbars (like in the iPhone's home or the Unity launcher). Each serve
> the same purpose: displaying live and immediate data.
> I think rather than implementing widgets, we should extend the launcher
> api, with more widgets/controls/or whatever they are called. Enabling the
> application to display more sophisticated immediate data (Eg. a weather
> launcher-icon could benefit from dynamically changeing its icon to a cloud,
> or a sun, display temperature in the counter, also with units. A Facebook
> launcher-icon could display tiny icons near its couner, indicating what
> kind of event happened. And so on, and so forth...).
> With further extending the launcher api we could reach much better
> functionality then with widgets, or even tiles. At least as I see.
>
> sincerelly Csonka Bálint
>
> 2012/5/29 balint777@xxxxxxxxx <balint777@xxxxxxxxx>
>
> Widgets mainly are for displaying basic information like mail, weather
>> data, news feed, facebook notifications, etc without having to open a full
>> destop program. In my opinion there is no relevant difference in
>> Microsoft's Tiles-concept, the widgets, or therse badges with counters and
>> progressbars (like in the iPhone's home or the Unity launcher). Each serve
>> the same purpose: displaying live and immediate data.
>> I think rather than implementing widgets, we should extend the launcher
>> api, with more widgets/controls/or whatever they are called. Enabling the
>> application to display more sophisticated immediate data (Eg. a weather
>> launcher-icon could benefit from dynamically changeing its icon to a cloud,
>> or a sun, display temperature in the counter, also with units. A Facebook
>> launcher-icon could display tiny icons near its couner, indicating what
>> kind of event happened. And so on, and so forth...).
>> With further extending the launcher api we could reach much better
>> functionality then with widgets, or even tiles.
>>
>>
>> 2012/5/29 Sunil Singh Rana <sunil.rana@xxxxxxxxx>
>>
>>>
>>> widgets in
>>>
>>> On Tue, May 29, 2012 at 4:21 PM, Thorsten Wilms <t_w_@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 05/29/2012 03:30 AM, Sunil Singh Rana wrote:
>>>>
>>>>  *Why not be make Desktop a widget space.* Widgets that are locked or
>>>>>
>>>>> unlocked (to manage them) by some key combination, or a dedicated mouse
>>>>> gesture. We could also put a lens on Dash called Desktop which would
>>>>> look like a desktop and will allow us to manage all our widgets.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> How about asking "why?" before asking "why not?"
>>>>
>>> I agree. I guess for the same reason we display some information under
>>> the glass sheet, as I mentioned earlier. It gives a sneak peek into the
>>> updated information, without having to move my mouse and click somewhere.
>>>
>>> *Does it appeal to the user? I think it is not very hard to find some
>>> data from Google Play to check the number of installs of 'beautiful
>>> widgets' ( 100,000 < installs < 500,000). Beautiful widgets are free to
>>> download. If we go for HD widgets which costs some 2 dollar per install has
>>> the number of installs in the same range. Data shows that widgets do appeal
>>> to the user.*
>>>
>>> In android widgets have been a huge success. In fact, widgets have given
>>> android a lot of advantage against Iphone. I keep reading, widgets as often
>>> requested feature by Iphone Users, in the upcoming version of iOS.
>>>
>>> But anyway, regarding why not:
>>>> - Users have to become aware of the widget functionality somehow
>>>> (otherwise there can be no benefit, only cost)
>>>> - It adds a potentially hard to understand distinction between windows
>>>> of normal applications and widgets. After figuring out how to manage
>>>> windows, users are expected to also figure out how to manage widgets?
>>>> - Cost of yet another key combo and/or gesture
>>>> - Widgets will need some visibility and stacking behavior that has to
>>>> be specified, implemented, tested and documented. The desktop as it is now,
>>>> with just the addition of widgets. would mean that any application window
>>>> would always be above any widget ...
>>>>
>>>
>>> I get your point and agree that it poses risks.
>>>
>>>>
>>>> A lot of cost and risk. What are the potential benefits, the
>>>> opportunity?
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> If I could, I would have the Google Plus, Agenda, Mail, Facebook,
>>> twitter, weather widgets on my desktop.  Together, it has the potential to
>>> save several clicks.
>>>
>>>>
>>>> What job is there for a "widget", that can't be fulfilled with an
>>>> indicator or a small application (perhaps with a custom window appearance)?
>>>
>>>
>>> Well, I roughly answered that. :)
>>>
>>> I wouldn't like to go to KDE for the widgets only.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Thorsten Wilms
>>>>
>>>> thorwil's design for free software:
>>>> http://thorwil.wordpress.com/
>>>>
>>>> --
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>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> सुनील राणा
>>>
>>> "Unselfishness is more paying only people have not the patience to
>>> practice it."
>>>
>>> " 'I love you' is a wrong sentence as where, there exist 'I' and 'you'
>>> love can not. Love is an attribute of the absolute."
>>>
>>> --
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>>> Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~unity-design
>>> More help   : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> *Csonka Bálint* @913
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> *Csonka Bálint* @913
>
>


-- 
*Csonka Bálint* @913

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