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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: Sound KCM UI design
From:       Eric Ellsworth <whalesuit () softhome ! net>
Date:       2003-02-26 21:24:45
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Now I think we're getting to the substance of a couple things:

A) What happens to sound on logout/next login
I think there are two reasonable paradigms:
1) Everytime you log in, sound level is set to a "default" level.  This is the 
current default.  As this depends on your speakers and your soundcard, users 
may well need to be able to set this default level.  If they are going to set 
it, our KCM should make it clear to them that this is what they're setting.  
Doubly so if that button is right next to the mixer.

2) Sound level stays as it was set just before I logged out.  This is what 
happens if the box Sound Server->Mixer-> "Load volumes on login" is unchecked
This latter behavior duplicates a physical volume knob on a stereo or a 
walkman.  Both John and Manuel seem to be making cases against this way of 
doing things, but let me offer a case for it:
	- A stereo's volume knob is an interface people feel comfortable with.  Nice 
and predictable - you adjust it, it stays wherever you last set it.

As I understand it, you both want to eliminate this option altogether.  I 
don't have a huge problem with that, but I do expect that some people will 
holler.

Let's say for a minute we are going to keep this option, and go back to how it 
works.  How about the combo box:

On login, adjust volumes to 	| the levels when I was last logged in |
						| the same levels on every login         |

Note the semantic issue of "setting" settings vs. "setting" volumes.  How 
about using adjust for current changes to volumes, and set for settings?

Underneath the combo box this is a button:
	| Set current levels when I login |
This button will be greyed out if the combo box is set to "the levels when I 
last logged in", and enable otherwise.

B) Who should be able to set sound

> >  And don't get me started with multiple X sessions (which I do and
> >  some do too, to provide a quick'n dirty way of viewing media and
> >  stuff.
> But this has nothing to do with what we're talking about - there is no
> way to set two levels of sound when you run multiple X sessions on a
> single computer; therefore, no possible solution can handle this.

What if the activating the session activated the sound settings?

> I was not proposing that their be only one set of mixer settings, shared
> between all sessions, and settable by anybody. Instead, there should be
> per-user settings, set at login.

Manuel's point about the per-user-thing is an interesting one.
 - Should all users be able to set volume?
I'd say if you're looking at the monitor and typing on the keyboard of the 
machine, you ought to be able to control volume.
- What about multiple X sessions?
Well, if the sessions correspond to different users (a la XP), then the volume 
settings should to be per-session, and hence be loaded every time the session 
is activated.  If the sesssions belong to the same user, the settings should 
only be accessible from one session, presumably the first. 

Cheers,

Eric

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