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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: Observations on the new KWord startup dialog
From:       Charles de Miramon <cmiramon () kde-france ! org>
Date:       2003-05-26 21:50:10
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Le Lundi 26 Mai 2003 22:28, Thomas Zander a écrit :
>
> Ok, quick scetch attached that might not be the end-all, but should at
> the very least prove to solve more problems then most ideas I have seen
> so far.

My problem with you design is it is more or less a widget to choose a template 
than anything else.
A startup dialog is something I see each time I launch KWord, it shouldn't get 
in my way and give me the options I use the most so that in one or two clicks 
I can start working.

If you watch how a 'non geek' user works with its wordprocessor, you'll see 
that he uses it for three or four different tasks e.g : write a letter, a 
paper, a memo etc... These tasks can change from user to user. But having the 
possibility to choose the labels template in a startup dialog, a template I 
use once every two years or a fax template when I don't even have a fax 
machine on my computer is not very elegant and very confusing for a beginner. 
That is why I think the startup menu should IMHO be task oriented with the 
possibility of configuring the tasks to adapt for each user.


You must also understand that for 'dummies' the Wordprocessor is the only 
application that they will master and that they won't use the best tool for 
each little job. For example, I've found that one of my best friends who is a 
heavy user of MsWord on Mac when he needs to copy a file to a floppy will 
open it in MsWord and do Save as.. on the floppy. He doesn't know how to use 
the Finder and he doesn't need it. I think KWord UI should adapt to this kind 
of users (and therefore have a good way to choose, search and organize your 
word documents) but I know you disagree with me on this point.

But I agree that we shouldn't embed KFind. I've just tried to us it and it is 
still so slow and clumsy compared to grep :-( 
Daniel Naber's DesktopDig is the future with it's google-like interface and 
looks much nicer :
http://www.danielnaber.de/desktopdig/art/search.png

Cheers,
Charles
-- 
cmiramon@kde-france.org
http://www.kde-france.org

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