[Panel-devel] The ALI: do we really need or want it?

[Björn Balazs]

Hi,

Janne, I totaly agree with your points and the 3 suggested areas and want - 
once again - to point your attention to 

http://wiki.openusability.org/kde-hci/index.php/KMenu

where we named these areas just a little different. 

When we did the Konqueror-Usability Tests (see Els Blog: 
http://www.kdedevelopers.org/blog/931) last year we found very strong 
evidence for users being not application centric - most of the users choose 
to start applications by klicking on documents at least sometimes. Therefore 
this approach has to be supported just as well as application launching.

But there is a second thing: There are just too many applications, documents 
(or content) and System Settings. And nobody - exept the individual user 
himself - knows what a user needs more or less frequently. Therefore we have 
to provide easy ways for the user to say: this is something I need more 
frequently (or less respective). Every user has his own approach on using a 
computer. These different menu-areas should only give a framework to the 
users. This framework has to be filled according to the very personal needs 
of the user. If I do not posses a digital camera, I do not need prominent 
access to it - if I do professional photography on the other hand even the 
second klick could be one klick too much for starting the appropriate 
application.

In our suggestion we have tryed to take both points into account. Equal rights 
for content, apps and settings - and individual adjustment of the frequency 
of use. The design itself is only a rough scetch - it is supposed to help you 
getting an impression not to interfere with any artworker.

I would just like to answer directly to one of your points, Janne:
> As you are propably thinking, having all the entries in
> Control Center crammed in here, would make the system quite messy and hard
> to use. That's why the number of configuration-entries would be trimmed.

That is exactly what we should not do (Remember the 
Linus-gnome-discussion ? :). We have to find an intelligent way to hide them 
the first place - but then allow just the same functionality a normal ALI 
would give - just three klicks further down. You should get there only in 
less then 5% of the tasks you want to fullfill anyhow. Every other task 
should be done before - not on start-up, but after you have spent some time 
with your computer. This is also something we tried to illustrate in the 
above mentioned wiki-link.

I also like to point out that we (OpenUsability.org) would like to conduct 
some usability-tests with any new approach which is considered to be 
integrated in KDE4 - to give you all early user-feedback on that idea.

Cheers,
Björn

P.S.: A short and only loosly related idea I had for quite some time now - 
even if that is sort of funny on a kDe mailing list: 

I would strongly argue for letting go of the desktop-metaphor. A modern 
computer (and with it KDE) - is much more than a desktop. It is your personal 
control center - being a telefon, your music box, your TV, your... well you 
all know much better by yourself. A desktop is something that is not an 
appropriate description for it. And KDE has to be more than a DESKTOP 
Environment - It has to Kontrol Dynamic Environments... Sticking to the 
Desktop-metaphor rather limits instead of inspires the users today. 33 years 
ago the Xerox Alto inspired users with that metaphor. Would you think that 
your Desktops allows you to change the volume of the stereo? My Grandma 
doesn't.

P.P.S.: And KDE is definitly not a boring Application Launcher ;)