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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: [KDE Usability] On the future of the menubar
From:       Allan Sandfeld Jensen <kde () carewolf ! com>
Date:       2010-04-13 17:14:47
Message-ID: 201004131914.48025.kde () carewolf ! com
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On Tuesday 13 April 2010, Anne Wilson wrote:
> On Tuesday 13 April 2010 16:02:28 Dotan Cohen wrote:
> > Microsoft did this with the Internet Explorer 7 menubar. I think that
> > the hidden menubar was displayed when the user pressed Ctrl. You can
> > google for people's opinions of that implementation!
> 
> There is one important difference.  If you have to press Ctrl, you need to
> know that.  If it appears from a mouse-over you will probably stumble upon
> it by accident sooner or later, even if no-one told you.  I've found
> things by accident like that more than once.
> 
This was my thought. I know from my old amiga days that not everyone 
discovered that the right mouse button would show a menu-bar. Something that 
pops up when you move over a titlebar on the other hand would be noticed, and 
it is even likely someone looking for a menubar would instinctively move the 
pointer there and discover it.

I can see the point that in many applications the menu-bar is unnecessary and 
just wasting precious vertical space, but I am also afraid that by letting the 
it go, we remove a lot of options and is moving to a more locked in, our way 
or no way interface. An icon in the toolbar would make it available, but I 
personally don't feel a generic (Start) button that opens up a lot of varied 
options is that intuitive to use.

Would it in a HIG be possible to separate between different applictions 
paradigms?
A multi document or editable document interface should show always show a 
menubar (like koffice,kwrite)
A non-editable single document interface could hide a menubar given good 
enough toolbars, but probably should show it. (image viewers, okular)
A limited navigation oriented interface should hide the menubar (system 
settings, netbook interfaces)
An unlimited navigation interface could hide the manubar given good enough 
toolbars, but probably shouldn't (rekonq,konqueror)


`Allan
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