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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: Sound KCM UI design
From:       Eric Ellsworth <whalesuit () softhome ! net>
Date:       2003-02-25 16:40:56
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> Well, I agree that's a problem, *but* I do not think it is wise to
> optimize the UI for  troubleshooting (beyond altering resource
> consumption via the slider, which I think has a real utility).

This is an excellent point, but here are two opposing concerns.
1) It's very difficult to eliminate options in KDE. They are often a 
compromise on some development issue, and when they're removed, the peace is 
broken.  Plus the tradition of KDE is to be maximally configurable.

2) While I agree with you that the sound system ought to "just work", there 
are still enough cases where it's problematic (note that my problem was on a 
recent version of Mandrake and a Dell)  that the configuration options to do 
this need to be readily at hand, and not pushed too far into advanced-dom.  
One option would be to build a sound troubleshooting wizard, but I don't 
think I've seen a broad enough range of problems to write the questions such 
a wizard would need to ask.

Any alternate ideas on how to make enough sound server config options 
available that people can fix a decent set of problems?

BTW, do you know enough KDE programming to rewrite the KCM once we decide on a 
UI?  Sure would be nice to have these efforts actually incorporated into 
KControl...

> 	---------------------
>
> 	| Embedded mixer here
> 	|--------------------
>
> 	[ Restore ]   [Restore default settings]
>
> Where the behaviour is :
>
> o Restore will restore to the settings before the dialog was opened.
>   User can play with the settings from what they usually have, then
>   click Restore to get back to what they really want
>
> o Restore default settings is a "factory reset" - the values are changed
>   to the "sane" settings as KDE is shipped, or whatever
> o quitting the dialog will save the given settings to be restored at
>   login (i.e. the settings are stick)
> Do you see a problem with this ?
I think you're onto something good here.
I notice that your setup eliminates the option to restore volume to its 
previous value.  As I think about this, I don't that's so bad, especially 
since it save you the embarrassment of blasting out your startup sound and 
login prompts at full volume.  OTOH, I wouldn't be surprised of some folks 
really disliked (on principle) having their volume reset on every login.  I 
suppose we can put this option:

> On login, restore volumes to  | Default volumes|
>                                               | Volumes from last session |
back in the advanced mixer options to solve that.

Here are my concerns:
a) Eliminate "Restore"factory defaults" - it should be handled by the Defaults 
button provided by KControl.
b) There are problems with clarity of meaning :
One is with embedded the mixer in KCM.  In general, a setting in a KCM is not 
applied until the user hits either Apply or OK.  In KMix, volume changes are 
applied immediately, like a stereo volume knob.  Which paradigm do we break?

Another is that I don't see the logical progression between browsing to a KCM 
for Volume and accepting changes and having your login volumes set to the 
values you chose.  Setting login volumes should be a distinct action.

Thoughts?

EE

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