On Mon, Feb 27, 2012 at 03:12, Josh Strawbridge <holyknightjos...@gmail.com> wrote: > On Sun, Feb 26, 2012 at 11:38 AM, Jo-Erlend Schinstad > <joerlend.schins...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> On 26. feb. 2012 17:55, Josh Strawbridge wrote: >>> >>> >>> >>> when reading through this i thought the premise was more along the lines >>> that the user doesn't know what is installed or can't remember what it was >>> they used before but know they have installed. >>> >>> while the software center is good for checking what you've installed with >>> it (it doesn't show that i've got blender, mypaint, or world of warcraft >>> installed since i wanted newer versions than were available in the software >>> center) it doesn't let you launch applications. >> >> >> That's a bug. Of course you should be able to run installed applications. >> And it should display applications regardless of the archive it came from. >> >> >>> aside from that, my first thought is that it is for installing and >>> uninstalling stuff not for simply checking out what i have on my computer. >>> not everyone is going to think to open up a program in order to easily see >>> what they've got already installed. i never even thought about using the >>> software center for that until i read it here. my inclination is to go to >>> the dash and try to check out what i already have through there. >>> >>> to me this thread seems mostly about the way some of us want a much more >>> mouse friendly way to browse and launch something what the dash currently >>> offers. >>> to be honest i think this is mostly an issue of the arrangement of things >>> in the dash rather than how the dash works. the dash can do both searching >>> and browsing but the search experience got a lot more love and development >>> than the browsing experience did. >> >> >> Yes, and once you consider the number of web applications you've used >> during the past few years, it will become apparent that browsing isn't >> really going to be a suitable way of browsing your software for long. It is >> possible, but as the number of browser-apps keep growing, it will become >> less feasible. >> >> >>> >>> i posted what i think is a decent explanation, with visual aids, about >>> this in the "some impressions about the current status of unity" thread. i'd >>> link to the post but i can't get the public archive to load right now in >>> order to do that. >> >> >> I saw your mockup and it looked quite nice. I think it makes browsing a >> little too dominant, however. It should be phased out entirely over time. >> When I started using the web, we used web directories to navigate. Then we >> started using bookmarks in the browser, and these were organized in folders. >> Later, we got search engines that replaced the web directories, but the >> bookmarks didn't change. But then Firefox' began to use the Awesomebar. >> Since then, I haven't used hierarchical bookmarks. So for me, the web is >> not entirely non-hierarchical. The same should happen with the desktop. >> >> -- >> Jo-Erlend Schinstad >> > > i don't see how not being able to launch apps from the software center is a > bug. the dash is for launching what you've got the software center is for > installing/removing. > > web apps are all well and good if you've got an internet connection or if > they're downloaded and can be used when you don't have a connection but > rarely use any web apps. i don't find them as enjoyable as my traditional > applications. > that said it's quite easy to make launchers for web apps you may wonder > what's the point but it can make it that much easier to get to web based > applications and it makes it feel more integrated into your system. > it also enables people you let use your computer find the apps you use > instead of them wondering where your programs are. > chrome makes it very easy. you just go to the tools menu and click "create > application shortcuts..." and it gives you the option of putting the > launcher in your applications menu, on the desktop, or both. > if you pick applications menu it shows up in the dash search. for instance > if you use chromium and install angry birds from the chrome web store you > can make a launcher for angry birds but the launcher really just runs the > command "chromium-browser --app=http://chrome.angrybirds.com/"; > > your experience with the web and awesome bar is nice but you still have the > ability to browse through your bookmarks just as well as you always have. > browsing hasn't been phased out at all in that situation. it's just they've > added an option to quickly get to what you know you want. which is what the > dash search does. > it still doesn't help you with just a look through your bookmarks which is > what browsing is for. > > if you're anything like me, using the awesome bar for too long will cause > you to have a lot of favorites you've forgotten about. > some you may still want to keep, others you'll probably just get rid off. > without some way of sorting those files while browsing through them > eventually the number of items just becomes too messy to look through > efficiently. > browsing with categories helps this situation a lot. though i wouldn't want > sub-categories with applications since that tends to over complicate things. > when unity hit the browsing experience took a big hit and got more > complicated than it should have. > > searching is a great way to find what you know you want. it's not a great > way to simply look through what you've got. > any public machine is going to need to be easily browsed and expecting > people to open up a program to look through what we've got is ridiculous. > > i don't see how my > suggestion https://lists.launchpad.net/unity-design/msg08197.html makes > browsing any more or less dominant that it is now.
Perhaps the idea is to avoid make browsing too pleasant , for fear that too many users would tend to prefer it instead of adapting to the search approach ? :D > the dash already looks like a way to browse things even if it is more > pleasant to use the keyboard in it. The layout suggested by Josh looks very nice . Is it possible to write a new lens with the suggested layout (without changing anything in Unity) ? I mean : when writing a new lens is it possible to fully control the visual representation , or only provide the contents ? -- Adrian -- Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~unity-design Post to : unity-design@lists.launchpad.net Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~unity-design More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
