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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Gnome usability test and a suggestion for KDE...
From:       Charles de Miramon <charles.de.miramon () libertysurf ! fr>
Date:       2001-07-22 14:14:59
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Hello,

I don't know if it is the right list to post this but here it goes...

I've read the Gnome Usability Test which I found rather interesting. I think 
that some remarks that have been made about Gnome could also apply to KDE. 
For example, Sun engineers have asked users to find a file and users had 
difficulty discovering the find utility buried in the menus. You could say 
the same thing for KDE (I'm running KDE 2.1.1 installed on a LM 8.0). 

But I don't think the answer is to put the find utility on the top-level of 
the K-menu. In my opinion, KDE has mimicked there too much MsWindows. I'm 
working in humanities where most of my collegues are totally hopeless with 
computers and I've discovered that most of them have difficulty 
distinguishing between data files and applications. The 
windows-start-here-button is difficult for them to understand because it 
mixes 3 different things 1) launching programs 2) operations with files (for 
example the list of the last opened files) 3) changing the settings of your 
computer. 
A desktop where these 3 things are clearly separated is, I think, easier to 
understand. I would suggest for the KDE desktop 4 buttons :
1) for launching applications and exiting the desktop 
2) for managing my files [Kfind, Konqui, lists of bookmarks and files]
3) for controlling the desktop [Kpersonalizer, Kcontrol, Mandrake Control 
Center] 
4) for finding help [Khelp center, Ktips, Mandrake Help]

You may answer that it is already more or less like that already. But 
computers-newbies think that if they find an icon in two different places it 
means that is is two different programs. Therefore, to be able to launch 
kcontrol by the kmenu (first level) and by the kicker is, in my opinion, bad 
UI because it is confusing.

Separating clearly between an application-centered way to enter the KDE 
desktop and a document-centered way is a good thing. When a hopeless 
computer-user wants to open a wordprocessor file, he will rather browse his 
directory until he founds the file and double-click on it, than fire a 
wordprocessor and use the file-open dialog.  KDE should accomodate for these 
kind of users if we want to be more mainstream. 

Comments....

Charles
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