Re: User interface suggestions

[Alan <alan ufies org>]

>> Perhaps we could have a floating menu/toolbar that has a list of the
>> frequently used items, and perhaps another for recently used?  This would
>> generate greater speed savings than the previous suggestions. 
> 
> Only if you knew that an item was going to be on that menu before you
> looked at it/moved the mouse over to it (which people often do
> simultaneously, meaning an even greater time penalty if the thing you're
> looking for turns out not to be there).  
> 
> I'm only guessing, but I wouldn't be surprised if the time you spent
> looking for "fairly-recently/frequently" used items (which you weren't
> sure were on the list or not until you read it) outweighed any benefit.

Fitts Law basically says "the easiest place to get your cursor to is the place
where it already is" (or something like that).  I don't really like the idea of
menus changing on me, but what about a right click on desktop (or middle, or
something) that brings up a dynamic list of the most recently (or most often
) used items.  It wouldn't then be changing the "real" menu structures, so if
someone still wanted to move to program xyz then can navigate through the
heirarchy, but they just right click and move their mouse down to the program
they want.  Perhaps even a 'lock' button on the menu to prevent further changes.

The problem with this idea of course is that other programs (gmc, nautilus (?),
efm, whatever) grab control of the "main desktop window", so having a
gnome-defined "recent" button would either have to be modifier+mouse|key, or in
a predefined place on the screen (which defeats fitts law).

My main point is that if possible, make the menu appear right where the mouse
pointer is.  I think one menu scheme was a circuler system where you had 4
choices in a circle around the cursor.  Each of those 4 options when selected
would create 4 other options in the same 4 quadrent circle around it.  This
allowed you to find options quickly through a system such as "move cursor
up/left, up/right, down/right to get to program xyz".  Since you're not
*clicking* on something, but simply moving in a direction, it's faster.  Within
fewer clicks you can access many options 4*4*4... and so on.

At this point I'm not advocating this menu system for gnome, just rambling :)  

alan

-- 
Alan Bailward -=><=- <alan ufies org> -=><=-http://arcterex.net
Gary Hart:  living proof that you *can* screw your brains out.