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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: Window decorations
From:       "Jamethiel Knorth" <jamethknorth () hotmail ! com>
Date:       2004-06-16 5:55:00
Message-ID: BAY7-F119A9IFEWdKVY0001e2e4 () hotmail ! com
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>From: Jeff Marder <jeff.marder@gmail.com>
>Date: Mon, 14 Jun 2004 11:47:37 -0400
>
>On Mon, 14 Jun 2004 17:16:19 +0200, Leo Savernik <l.savernik@aon.at> wrote:
> >
> > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> > Hash: SHA1
> >
> > Am Montag 14 Juni 2004 07:15 schrieb Davide Ferrari:
> > > [...] why can't
> > > we simply put an empty space between maximize button and close button? 
>[...]
> >
> > Tremendously good compromise. Instead of switching, I'd like to see that 
>for
> > KDE 4.
> >
>
>Now that I've finally managed to pull my foot out of my mouth I'm
>curious to know why this was changed back in 1.9 to the current
>default.  Someone said there were good reasons, but no one ever
>elaborated on this.  It's important to know why it was changed so a
>mistake isn't made in changing it now.  I tried the 3 spaces between
>the max and close buttons.  Seems a little awkward to me.  I prefer
>"Mac-Classic-style" instead where the close button is on the left and
>the min/max buttons on the right.  Just my opinion though.

I quite agree with this. The widened spacing is awkward. Also, there really 
is no problem with the alternative. There is no logical grouping between 
close and maximize/minimize/restore. A user can know which end they need to 
go to before beginning the motion. It's not like you just think, "Hmmm, I 
need to do a window operation. Now, do I want to maximize, or close?"

This also means that maximize/restore and close both are in easy-access 
places, and that there is never any painful side-effect from missing the 
minimize/maximize/restore buttons.

All this system loses is the application icon. That is one of the least 
useful icons ever.

- It display what window is there, which is already noted in the title.
- It gives access to a menu, which has almost no option not already more 
easily accessible via buttons.
- The menu's special options are all power-user options (send to desktop, 
keep on top) and a power-user will get the menu more easily from the context 
menu on the title-bar.
- It adds color to the left-hand corner, which really does make the window 
look nicer.

The loss of an icon which grants almost nothing gives the benefits of 
avoiding an extremely irritating error and placing two commonly used buttons 
into easy-access areas.

The downside to the change is that the old style is better known. However, 
split layout is very easy to learn and is in no way hidden from the user. A 
single glance can state the difference, and the overall use can be 
completely learned, to the point of instinct, inside of two days of regular 
usage.

If we are going to be reorganizing defaults for usability reasons, that's 
one I would say we should change.

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