Re: galf once more: application launch feedback

[Seth Nickell <snickell stanford edu>]

> I agree.  I think that notifying when the computer is busy provides those two
> things though.  If the user clicks a program and it's large enough to not pop
> up immediately, then cpu will probably go over the (user-defined) limit.  When
> this happens, the hourglass will show until the program is loaded and the cpu
> is back down.  This doesn't just apply to programs starting though.  Anytime a
> costly operation is started the hourglass will popup and the user will know that
> the computer is doing stuff.  It's interesting that you generalized a and b so
> much because xalf or galf will only handle a very specific case that fit under
> that list, namely application launch feedback.

And when their Apache web server receives 1000 requests/sec their mouse
cursor in GNOME will change. And on a multi-user system when one user
starts using 90% CPU, everyone's mouse cursor will change. etc. Windows
uses context specific "hourglass" cursors for everything except
application launches. So it informs you when an application is
processing, but you only have the hourglass cursor in that application
(I refer to the combo pointer/hourglass right now). It would suck if
running your raytracing program for 2 hours meant you had an hourglass
that whole time.

-Seth