Re: Proposed: evolution

[guenther <guenther rudersport de>]

> > If I have 5 different "Web Browsers"
> 
> This is one of the worst use cases, there's no reason to design for
> people wanting 5 browsers on their system at the same time.  Choice in
> browsers is great, and there's nothing wrong with having (and designing
> for) more than one.  But 5 web browsers?  5 applications which provide
> the exact same fundamental functionality?

Nitpicking. Does it get any better, lowering it to 3 apps sharing the
very same generic name and icon? Mozilla/Epiphany, Opera, Konqueror.

There are users out there, who actually have a need for those cases.
Here they are called "web designer". ;-)


> So then you have your 3rd part apps installed like Firefox and the like.
> These applications show up as "Firefox Web Browser", while the standard
> GNOME application remain "Web Browser".  It's the idea that this web
> browser is the _GNOME_ web browser, it doesn't need to flash it's
> project name to get people to use it.  It's supposed to be the best app
> of its type and most integrated with our desktop.  When another app
> comes along (like the "Flux Capacitor Web Browser") that is better and
> the community votes it's inclusion we would remove the existing app and
> replace it with the new one.  So the "Flux Capacitor Web Browser" now
> takes the name of "Web Browser", signifying the default and hopefully
> best experience app available to GNOME.

But users don't want to use the best application. They do want to use
the very same application, they used before and are used to.

Just because there is a better application for any particular purpose
won't make the "previously best" app vanish entirely. The odd are good,
that both apps will end up in the users menu.

Running "generic branded app" after an system upgrade will result in
another application, not inheriting all settings and data in the worst
case. [1]  Switching to another "best solution for a given task" will
need the data to be imported -- which can be a major pain -- if you
don't want your users to start from scratch.

Now, back to the user. As he is used to run "generic branded app", there
is *no* way at all to tell, which app he used previously. The very same
app he wants to use and knows...

Unfortunately, that app now is called "funky-name generic-brand", as it
is not part of the official GNOME D&DP but sure was updated by the
distro...


Don't get me wrong, please: I'm not against generic brands, but I do
think they should come with the actual apps name.

The above are just some thoughts on the implications of "switching the
best app for a given task".


Evolution {Groupware Suite,Mail,Calendar,Address Book,Tasks} seems to be
the best thing to me.

...guenther


[1] If there ever will be a better PIM solution, do you expect it to
automatically import all Evolution data and settings? Will those data
(which can easily take a lot of space) be doubled or will the imported
data be deleted?


-- 
char *t="\10pse\0r\0dtu\0  ghno\x4e\xc8\x79\xf4\xab\x51\x8a\x10\xf4\xf4\xc4";
main(){ char h,m=h=*t++,*x=t+2*h,c,i,l=*x,s=0; for (i=0;i<l;i++){ i%8? c<<=1:
(c=*++x); c&128 && (s+=h); if (!(h>>=1)||!t[s+h]){ putchar(t[s]);h=m;s=0; }}}