This is a follow up from my former e-mail. Gnome shell is getting rid of application categories completely:
http://worldofgnome.org/gnome-shell-gets-its-first-facelift/ I hope there isn't any such plans to Unity... I'll migrate my whole family to Unity after the next upgrade. I still hope that Unity, more specifically the Application Lens, can better support browsing by categories in the future. best, Paulo 2012/6/12 pjssi...@gmail.com <pjssi...@gmail.com>: > I will use the opportunity to point out one of the major problems in > the Dash, IMHO. IN my home I am the only one using unity, my two sons > and my wife use Gnome and The Dash is the reason. > > Let me explain. I thin the Dash is very good to find applications and > documents by searching. It is great to type two letters and get the > application you want, much faster than using the mouse. I love it and > I have already starting using such work flow with gnome-do under the > "old" Gnome 2 days. > > Why do I use Unity and the rest of the family doesn't? The reason is > that I am very different from the rest of the family. I am computer > literate, using computers for programming since I was 10 years old (I > am 39 now). I am a computer scientist. I am a typist, so I feel very > comfortable to use the keyboard instead of the mouse. I know all the > applications that are installed in our computers, so I know what to > search easily. In short I prefer to search rather the to browse > applications. > > But my two sons are young. 9 and 5 years old. They don't use the > keyboard to type and the youngest is illiterate. For them it is much > more natural to browse the installed applications, specially the > "Games" and "Educational" section. Right now the Dash is not good for > this. First when you click it, it defaults to search. Even if you > always move to the applications lens first, the Dash does not learn > this behavior and starts again in the Home lens in the next time. It > would be nice to be able to select the default lens in dash (or make > it learn your preference, which would be much nicer). > > OK, I can teach my sons to open the application lens (I did the > similar thing in gnome shell). > > Now the next pitfall, the application lens does not show the > applications categories by default, you have to open it (and even if > you always do, the lens will forget it once you log out and we do log > out in my place where we have one computer with two heads for four > people). So there are already two clicks before they can see the > categories. Now the categories in the application lens are not > exclusive, they behave like tags. So if you look at the education > section and after that want to take a break and play a game, you have > to first "un-select" the education category and only then select > games. Once again extra clicks. Another problem that generate extra > mouse clicks is that if the desired game is not in the first row of > the installed games, you need an extra click to expand all results. > This option is also forgotten once you log out. > > I am sorry, but the above work flow is very convoluted and complicated > to explain to a five year old. Let me recall it: "Click application > lens", "Open the category browser", "Select your category (maybe you > want to un-select an old category)", "Expand results", and, finally, > find the game you want! > > I do believe that the Dash and in particular the application lens > should better accommodate browsing for applications. Here are my > specific suggestions: > > 1) The Dash should learn that you usually prefer a specific lens and > open it as default. > > 2) The application lens should have the categories open by default. > > 3) The application lens should show all the results by default if the > option to *not* show installable applications is set. > > 3.5) If it is not possible to have the defaults in 2 or 3, the > application lens should recall its state between sessions. Then I > could do a first set up for my kids and then give then a better system > for their workflow. > > 4) The categories should work exclusively to allow easier browsing. If > you are browsing it is much more likely that you are looking at a > specific category than a group of two or more. > > best, > > Paulo > > 2012/6/12 shane lee <shaneym...@gmail.com>: >> I use Dash in the same way. >> Basic searching for what I want, no using of filters so the dash is >> really wasted for me. >> >> Since results from things like the video lens open up in a browser, I >> don't bother with that and just start off from the browser which is >> usually open anyway. >> >> For all it's bells and whistles, I use Dash EXACTLY the same way as I >> use KDE's Kickoff menu or the Windows start menu, both of which have >> remained unchanged for years. >> >> On 12 June 2012 09:35, Thorsten Wilms <t...@freenet.de> wrote: >>> On 06/12/2012 02:09 AM, Contempo wrote: >>>> >>>> http://i47.tinypic.com/xnynw9.png >>> >>> >>>> - The circles on the right indicate the Applications page where you >>>> are, like Android or iOs, but scroll down. >>> >>> >>> If a user really does scan more results that fit on one page, paging should >>> be of advantage, as I see no reason, why seeing part of the previous page >>> would help. >>> >>> Though for search-based access, I suspect that somewhere above 9 results, >>> showing any further matches does more to crowd the screen, less to help the >>> user. >>> >>> >>>> - The 3 rows of lens applications would be eliminated. ('Recent >>>> Applications' by now would have no better use than the left-launcher. >>>> Why 'Installed Applications' are hidden? by showing all of those icons >>>> you can get a better view of what is in the system. 'Applications to >>>> download' is redundant with the action that meets Ubuntu Software >>>> Center, which performs the function of recommending applications) >>>> >>>> - The lens Applications replace the home. (The home is divided in >>>> three rows, the most recent elements are found in the left-launcher or >>>> lenses) >>>> >>>> - The window control buttons removed. (The Ubuntu button opens and >>>> closes the dash, full screen always keeps your attention) >>>> >>>> - Categories filters removed. (More options for subdivision >>>> applications only brings more complexity, to this is the search and >>>> quick scroll with circles) >>> >>> >>> Personally, I use the Dash exclusively for search-based access to files, >>> folders and applications. No switching to specific lenses, no using Filters. >>> If I would want to limit results to one lense, it should be possible by text >>> entry or at least with a click close to where my pointer will be (which is >>> not the bottom of the Dash!). >>> >>> The exception where I could see myself using Filters is for music, but it's >>> questionable if those needs aren't better served by a specialized interface. >>> >>> Do others on the list use the Dash differently? >>> >>> Much more important: has Canonical's user testing led to any insight >>> regarding the depth and frequency of use of the Dash's current features? >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Thorsten Wilms >>> >>> thorwil's design for free software: >>> http://thorwil.wordpress.com/ >>> >>> -- >>> 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 >> >> -- >> 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 > > > > -- > Paulo José da Silva e Silva > Professor Associado, Dep. de Ciência da Computação > (Associate Professor, Computer Science Dept.) > Universidade de São Paulo - Brazil > > e-mail: pjssi...@ime.usp.br Web: http://www.ime.usp.br/~pjssilva -- Paulo José da Silva e Silva Professor Associado, Dep. de Ciência da Computação (Associate Professor, Computer Science Dept.) Universidade de São Paulo - Brazil e-mail: pjssi...@ime.usp.br Web: http://www.ime.usp.br/~pjssilva -- 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
