Re: [Usability]Re: Notification area (was: Music player UI)

[Jeff Waugh <jdub perkypants org>]

<quote who="Sean Middleditch">

> > Seeing what your CPU is doing, at a glance, can be incredibly important.
> 
> Depending on your technical experience, sure.  But does it belong on the
> panel?

Where would you suggest is a better place for it? Nowhere is more visually
accessible than the panel.

> Yes, right, 'notification area'.  Terminology always has been my weak
> point. ;-)  I don't have access to a Mac, how does it handle the volume
> control?  (In comparison to Windows/GNOME)

Mac OS X basically has menus where we have applets. The volume menu has a
slider in it. As you pop down the menu, your mouse movements are handed off
to the slider, so you needn't take your finger off the button until you're
finished. Very fast, very sensible.

Windows has a system tray applet that you can double-click for the main
volume control window, or click once for a small main volume window with a
mute checkbox. It's a very small icon, away from the edge of the screen, and
it requires multiple click operations to change the volume.

(Personally, I think we ought to shift towards the menu-based applet/nicon
idea implemented in Mac OS X. I have an email about this somewhere...)

> The notification area also kinda sucks for notification.  A little icon
> on your panel changing is completely not noticable.  If the balloon
> popups were used (those are still part of the spec, no?) it might be a
> lot better; I haven't seen an app that uses those yet tho.

They're not implemented yet, but they're part of the deal.

> If applets *are* the way to go for controlling apps from the panel, then

                                     ^ what does this mean?

> maybe something like quicklounge for applets would be a good idea. 

Come on dude, the panel itself is 'like quicklounge for applets'.

> (I.e., a panel on a panel).  Then you could "group" applets together,
> and management of panel space gets a lot easier.

Adding further modality and hierarchy makes it easier?

> Well, if the notification area is *only* for notification, then something
> for monitoring status of *apps* (not permanent panel fixtures, a.k.a.
> applets) should be thought up.  It makes sense to me at least that the
> notification area could serve both purposes.

What does 'monitoring status of *apps*' mean? When I want to monitor the
status of an application, I look at it.

- Jeff

-- 
                   "Socks for the foot menu!" - Liam Quin