Amarok 2 Mockup

[Max Howell]

Rich wrote:
> Max Howell wrote:
>>> Is top-right filter field meant to filter the playlist? Cause it's not so 
>>> clear right now.
>> Yes, and I forgot to add the grey text saying "Playlist Filter" so that 
>> would have helped. But also eventually I'd like to propose that filter 
>> filters everything all at once. Collection, other browsers, playlist, 
>> maybe even highlighting in the context browser.
> 
> hilighting in the context browser could be a nice addition for all 
> filters, but having a single filter for all places would be bad. or did 
> you mean the upper filter becomes "global" filter and other filters stay 
> in place ? if so, it could be pretty confusing if something is entered 
> in two filter fields.

Explain bad. I think it's good, with a possible downside for power users 
who like multiple separate filters. It's good in my mind as you reduce 
the immediate impact of all the separate filters everywhere. And it's 
good because in my layout it looks like the top right filter should 
search everything.

> i suppose "group by", age filter and other stuff from the collection 
> browser is just not included for now, not suggested for removal, right ?

Group by is still there. Age filter has always seemed a waste of space 
to me, and adds complexity for the benefit of 1% of users.

> playing track marking was pretty hard to notice at first - and it seems 
> that it takes already precious horizontal space in the playlist.

I'm not proposing any playing track marker, but frankly you can't judge 
this from a screenshot anyway as you'd notice immediately as soon as you 
double clicked the track and it appeared where your eyes are. And it's 
only 7px which is an acceptable loss of space.

> i don't like the main toolbar - but not because of the look or 
> something, but because it takes so much space without giving any 
> functionality or information in those spaces.

Indeed it has some wasted space, but only because I found it hard to 
fill. But also crowding toolbars, as is the KDE way, makes them look 
more complex and less appealing. I don't think it's a bad thing to have 
an spaced out main toolbar, as it's a key part of what people first 
identify with when they see the app.

> overall i am slightly surprised that i like such a layout ;)
> 
> hmm, about that main toolbar... i think i understood why i would prefer 
> it being at the bottom - my taskbar is at the bottom, so whenever i 
> switch to amarok my cursor is already near all the main controls. if it 
> was at the top, that would require moving across whole desktop.

I've thought for 2 years or so that the toolbar should be at the top. 
People read a new UI from top to bottom, if they don't find play/pause 
etc. at the beginning they don't recognise a media player and find the 
UI immediately worrying. I've tested this on real people who find amarok 
more satisfying with a top toolbar than bottom.