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Gnome Shell Might Add Real Multiple Desktops
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Comments (11)
Yes, it is age and mental rigidity
I like the idea it's what I thought we were going to get with KDE4 (and which KDE3 scraped the surface of), but instead got less than what KDE3 had. I have two issues with GNOME shell ... the menu, which seems to done away with categories, thus making it more difficult to find your application, and the fact that the top panel cannot be set to auto hide. other than that it's really great on a netbook, and not bad at all on a full size laptop., if they add the ability to close a Desktop while there are open applications on it instead of having to m ove them to another desktop, it would be almost perfect.
Gnome Shell, at least to the extent I've played with it (not much for a reason) would make any non-Linux user run away really fast. It's a non-starter. It takes about an hour to navigate through and find anything on the menu. The current GNOME menu works well, and it works the way it is expected to work.
Personally, I think Ubuntu Netbook Edition is light years ahead of this. Even my wife, a dedicated Windows user who works on Linux from time to time, had to admit that Ubuntu is superior to Windows 7 on netbooks. She uses Ubuntu exclusively on the netbook (part of it is performance issues - Windows 7 is generally okay, but there are also a lot of times that you sit and wait, but mostly it is the very well designed interface).
Personally, I think Ubuntu Netbook Edition is light years ahead of this. Even my wife, a dedicated Windows user who works on Linux from time to time, had to admit that Ubuntu is superior to Windows 7 on netbooks. She uses Ubuntu exclusively on the netbook (part of it is performance issues - Windows 7 is generally okay, but there are also a lot of times that you sit and wait, but mostly it is the very well designed interface).
Will I finally be able to rename files in "Open File" and "Save File" dialogs?
In all seriousness, I find it will be easier to explain to Grandmama. She only uses like 3-5 programs, which will all be right there in the left pane of the overview. I tell her "click on Activities" then click on Firefox. Simple. How it is now: Click on "Applications" then click on "Internet" then click on Firefox.
In all seriousness, I find it will be easier to explain to Grandmama. She only uses like 3-5 programs, which will all be right there in the left pane of the overview. I tell her "click on Activities" then click on Firefox. Simple. How it is now: Click on "Applications" then click on "Internet" then click on Firefox.
I would be interested in seeing how well it integrates with compiz and Cairo-dock...
But as far as application menu simplicity is concerned,... you can (with the current Gnome) edit the menus to make it easier/quicker to get to your most commonly used apps, or even put them on the panel bar (or with docks like Cairo-dock, completely re-vamp your menu structure). The only real thing this adds, if you ask me, is being able to make each desktop unique... That's not something that a complete overhaul is worth,... to me, anyway. I do not even use desktop icons anymore. I've switched to a very tweaked Cairo-dock for menus, nautilus for folders, and only have 2-3 widgets on the screen (no pictures for a background either, just a 2 color gradient).
But as far as application menu simplicity is concerned,... you can (with the current Gnome) edit the menus to make it easier/quicker to get to your most commonly used apps, or even put them on the panel bar (or with docks like Cairo-dock, completely re-vamp your menu structure). The only real thing this adds, if you ask me, is being able to make each desktop unique... That's not something that a complete overhaul is worth,... to me, anyway. I do not even use desktop icons anymore. I've switched to a very tweaked Cairo-dock for menus, nautilus for folders, and only have 2-3 widgets on the screen (no pictures for a background either, just a 2 color gradient).
Quoting:I do not even use desktop icons anymore.
Me neither. A year a go I would have loved the ability to put different files on different desktops. But then I started using a tiling window manager. The only times I now see my desktop is right after booting.
lets see, push a 2 or 3 key combination and get my app or wiggle the rat to a very specific location and still hit a button once or twice.
I'll take hotkeys over icons
I'll take hotkeys over icons
Suggestions
Instead of adding multiple real desktops, I think Gnome needs to continue with their present direction of making the interface simpler, and removing extra features that only confuse users and make the software more difficult to use. For instance, any features that allow you to configure the way it looks ("themes") are unnecessary and will only confuse users. Take those out, and just adopt a single, standard theme.
Similarly, there's many extra gadgets that are only distracting and confusing to most users. For instance, the clock. No one really needs that. It takes up valuable screen space, adds clutter, and is confusing to interact with. Just take it out.
Remove any way of accessing the shell or any other command-line interface, because that'll just confuse people.
One extremely confusing thing is the program menu. There's too many programs in it, and this confuses users. Instead, just select a handful of programs that users need, such as a web browser and a music player, and put buttons for those on the screen in a convenient place, sort of like the iPhone, but without all the different apps. Don't allow users to use anything besides those programs, because it'll confuse them. Don't allow them to add any new programs either.
No more multitasking; that just confuses users. So if you want to listen to music, you click on the music player icon, and play some music. But you can't surf the web at the same time, because that might be confusing. You'll have to buy another computer to surf the web and listen to music at the same time.
They should also make a special Gnome version of Firefox that gets rid of tabs and separate windows. There should only be one window, viewing one website, and that's it. If you want to view a different website, you have to navigate away from the one you're currently viewing. Having multiple tabs and windows is too confusing for some users.
Finally, the filesystem on Gnome-enabled systems needs revamping. No more directories for users. All of a user's files should be in a single directory, and they shouldn't be allowed to create any subdirectories, because that's too confusing. People get confused when they download a file from the web, and then have to go looking for it. If all the files are in one directory, they won't have this problem.
By adopting these suggestions, I think that GNOME will best achieve its vision of a simple, easy-to-use, and non-confusing user interface that doesn't have a lot of extra features that do nothing but confuse and distract people.
Similarly, there's many extra gadgets that are only distracting and confusing to most users. For instance, the clock. No one really needs that. It takes up valuable screen space, adds clutter, and is confusing to interact with. Just take it out.
Remove any way of accessing the shell or any other command-line interface, because that'll just confuse people.
One extremely confusing thing is the program menu. There's too many programs in it, and this confuses users. Instead, just select a handful of programs that users need, such as a web browser and a music player, and put buttons for those on the screen in a convenient place, sort of like the iPhone, but without all the different apps. Don't allow users to use anything besides those programs, because it'll confuse them. Don't allow them to add any new programs either.
No more multitasking; that just confuses users. So if you want to listen to music, you click on the music player icon, and play some music. But you can't surf the web at the same time, because that might be confusing. You'll have to buy another computer to surf the web and listen to music at the same time.
They should also make a special Gnome version of Firefox that gets rid of tabs and separate windows. There should only be one window, viewing one website, and that's it. If you want to view a different website, you have to navigate away from the one you're currently viewing. Having multiple tabs and windows is too confusing for some users.
Finally, the filesystem on Gnome-enabled systems needs revamping. No more directories for users. All of a user's files should be in a single directory, and they shouldn't be allowed to create any subdirectories, because that's too confusing. People get confused when they download a file from the web, and then have to go looking for it. If all the files are in one directory, they won't have this problem.
By adopting these suggestions, I think that GNOME will best achieve its vision of a simple, easy-to-use, and non-confusing user interface that doesn't have a lot of extra features that do nothing but confuse and distract people.
be careful,
talking about removing features from a desktop because users can't possibly understand them sounds like what Microsoft loves to do.
talking about removing features from a desktop because users can't possibly understand them sounds like what Microsoft loves to do.
I do believe this is an attempt at humour. I hope so... please tell me it is. :/
I have to rate this thread as redundant*, because thread appeared earlier under the very same title for the same story with essentially the same advice. Don't believe me, well look at this link: http://lxer.com/module/forums/t/30645/ .
Please do not allow humor to spread in an uncontrolled fashion making it seem more like a disease to be avoided than the palliative it should be seen as easing the pains of life.
YBT
* Meaning been said previously by someone else (or even the same person) or "done that, been there" in the vernacular. [Putting the definition here, because so many times some slashdot moderators seem blissfully ignorant of its meaning.]
Please do not allow humor to spread in an uncontrolled fashion making it seem more like a disease to be avoided than the palliative it should be seen as easing the pains of life.
YBT
* Meaning been said previously by someone else (or even the same person) or "done that, been there" in the vernacular. [Putting the definition here, because so many times some slashdot moderators seem blissfully ignorant of its meaning.]
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Perhaps some people will love it. But try explaining how to use this to your Aunt Agatha. Or even, as we advance inexorably to Aunt Agatha status, try explaining to yourself!
We are moving to the time when it will be the minimalist DTEs for the more technical, and only xfce seems to be staying in one piece for the ordinary user, as with this, Gnome looks like its going down the KDE black hole.
Speaking as one who only just managed to get our very intelligent and capable secretary to think in terms of using virtual desktops on Gnome as it is. Another shocker the other day was when we were setting up a spreadsheet, and I had used an 'if' in it: surprised and a bit disconcerted: never used functions. But its not that people are stupid or incompetent at all, its just they do not think in these terms, and the trick is to acknowledge that, and help from that point of view.
After all, the first time I used lots of hand and power tools, I didn't have the background to understand what would work and what wouldn't. Its not too dissimilar.