This debate is getting rather heated, and I'm getting quoted and rephrased a fair bit. Let me take this opportunity to clarify both what I actually think:
Unity is supposed to be considered 'application-centric'. In a truly application-centric system (see iPhones, for example) there is absolutely no immediate indication whether an app is running or not. If you want to do X, you click on the X launcher, and the app is presented. The user shouldn't have to care. This model isn't for everyone. Power-users who tend to have a large number of the same kind of window open (such as Terminals), and people coming from older versions of Windows both prefer a window-centric design. Unity currently has those little white arrows as a bow towards a window-centric model, but nothing more. Niklas, and a lot of other people who have made suggestions in other threads, seem to want to move Unity more towards a window-centric design, often because they fall into one of the use cases where that actually makes sense. I disagree with a window-centric model by default. Although I have no studies to quote here, it seems to be gospel among interface designers (ie Apple, Canonical Design Team) that an application-centric model is better for most. I'm fine with that, and anecdotal evidence supports it fairly strongly. So an app-centric model by default. However, many people do need or prefer a window-centric model. Niklas's current mockup is a good step in that direction (albeit with some problems) and I would be very interested in trying a working version of it. It is one potential way towards a window-centric Unity. In the end, I think we'll end up with a single option for this whole mess: App or Window model. App model by default, which is Unity more-or-less as it currently stands. Window model can be selected by anyone who actually wants/needs it. It still needs to go through a proper design process but again, Niklas's idea is a big step in the right direction. I hope that's a little clearer. It boils down to two things: 1) We need an interface for those who fall into one of the window-centric use cases. Unity as it stands is not that interface, leaving a lot of users out in the cold. 2) Moving the default Unity towards that interface is a bad idea, since that makes it harder for the rest (and majority) of users who deal better with an application-centric interface. Cheers, Evan _______________________________________________ Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~ayatana Post to : ayatana@lists.launchpad.net Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~ayatana More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
