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List:       kde-core-devel
Subject:    Re: kdesktop wait cursor
From:       Matthias Elter <elter () trolltech ! com>
Date:       2001-05-09 12:01:40
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On Wed, May 09, 2001 at 11:18:12AM +0200, F@lk Brettschneider wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> Torsten Rahn wrote:
> > 
> > On Tuesday 08 May 2001 08:12, Scott Manson wrote:
> > > > But let me play devils advocate here
> > > > Linux is a multi-tasking OS so starting an application the
> > > > box/machine/desktop is not really in a "busy" state I can
> > > > start a konsole and then start kmail or other program. If the mouse icon
> > > > turns to a busy icon; that to me means that the machine is busy and I have
> > > > to wait till the OS is ready for more input.
> > 
> > This is the most stupid reason I hear over and over again from some people.
> > Hey, you can paint it in a _different_ way so that the "busy"-symbol looks
> > like a pointer with the busy-symbol right next to it. All Windows-users
> > I met so far have no problem to recognize that they can still click as
> > long as that pointer is visible and that the computer does some
> > "heavy stuff" in the background.
> > 
> > > The busy cursor seems to be a recurring topic. The last three times it was
> > > discussed it wasn't a good idea and I don't think anything has
> > > changed since.
> > 
> > Oh, yes. Something did change. We implemented the best solution
> > we had in mind that was *not* a busy-cursor. Unfortunately it turned
> > out that the current solution does not work for too many people.
> > If you look at newbies who have never used KDE you very
> > probably will notice that most users either don't notice the tiny animation
> > or that they only notice it by accident. While having no taskbar it isn't
> > even possible to get _any_ launch-feedback.
> This is very true. The current GUI approach for application launching is
> not very intuitive for many users.
> That's why I second Torsten Rahn. 
> The visual launch-feedback of the taskbar should be moved to the mouse
> cursor where it will be noticed by all users, immediately and in an easy
> way.
> The mouse cursor could stay as an arrow but with the animated launch
> symbol, additionally.


Agreed. I'm in favour of the busy cursor approach.

Matthias 

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