Mandrakelinux Default Desktop Discussion

[arctic]

okay, here is my new proposal for a business desktop (having kate in taskbar), the home-user would have an additional folder on top and kate replaced by multimedia-player.

Edited August 28, 2004 by arctic

[arctic]

well, the transparency can indeed redirect the focus of the user from the taskbar to the windows he uses, but we have to keep in mind that for the average user, the taskbar is the center or fundament of their desktop. everything is accessible from there, thus it must be highly visible and easy to navigate. although i do like transparency, i don't think that it helps most people to get a fast access to the icons, apps, window-tabs they search. this is also the reason why imho the icons on the desktop should be in a good contrast to the desktop-wallpaper. if we have dull/soft-colored icons, they will be hardly visible on a soft-colored background of some similar color. so, we do have to work with contrasting techniques.... well that is my opinion. :P

 

here is a new layout i made for the "business" desktop. (just think of the home-user desktop with one extra folder for music on top of screen and kate in taskbar replaced with e.g. xmms, noatun or some jukebox...)

 

http://mandrakeusers.org/index.php?act=Att...ype=post&id=989

[Darkelve]

Very nice arctic.

 

One thing: I would put the 'bookmarks' and 'OpenOffice group' icons next to the KDE menu since they are all icons that function in the same kind of way (that is, open up a menu). Plus it will look more consistent that way, I think.

 

Personally, I would put the 'show desktop' icon on the far right, but perhaps that is just a matter of taste.

Edited August 26, 2004 by Darkelve

[arctic]

One thing: I would put the 'bookmarks' and 'OpenOffice group' icons next to the KDE menu since they are all icons that function in the same kind of way (that is, open up a menu). Plus it will look more consistent that way, I think.

agreed. :)

 

yes, after some thinking i am also coming to the conclusion that the "show desktop" button should be placed next to the pager. it would make more sense.

[mousematt]

*Looks at DarkElve's and artic's new mockups - compares to Mandrake's original...*

 

Now we're really getting somewhere - more importantly - we are justifying these changes step by step. Arctic could I please have a copy of your Galaxy Wallpaper; I'd like to base my next business desktop design example on your current set up.

[pmpatrick]

I may not know much about graphic arts but I know what I like and I really dislike the default mdk desktop from a "look" standpoint. It just looks amateurish. Both custom kde and gnome splash screens are horrendous for starters and the wallpaper looks washed out. They really need to hire a good graphic artist to spruce up their look IMHO.

Edited August 27, 2004 by pmpatrick

[arctic]

Arctic could I please have a copy of your Galaxy Wallpaper

yupp.

 

i am currently thinking of an alternative splash. i will show my results once i have a really good idea.

[Darkelve]

Okay, arctic, I tried my 'home' desktop with your Nuvola icons. I really like those...

 

I added Video/Audio/Documents/Download folders as well...

 

On the taskbar: K menu - Home Folder - Konqueror - Kmail - AmaroK - Kaffeine - Kopete - Help - Show desktop ; 2 virtual desktops ; panel space ; multimedia control (meant to control amaroK and Kaffeine); Klipper and KAmix; clock.

 

On the desktop: obvious, configuration center leads to KDE's Control Center

 

 

See:

http://mandrakeusers.org/index.php?act=Att...ype=post&id=991

 

Color scheme is Keramik White; Window decoration still PlastiK.

 

Oh yeah... the 'startup notification/switch user' button is still ugly, and I would still prefer renaming the 'K' button into a button saying 'menu' ... what else is new :)

Edited August 27, 2004 by Darkelve

[Darkelve]

Okay, here is my 'home desktop' attempt.

Edited August 28, 2004 by spinynorman

[Yuyo]

okay, here is a new preview-version testing nuvola icons and some of your suggestions. i do think this looks better now. i also added some additional folders to the /home folder and added a link to the different folders in the kicker. notice that the temp folder was hidden.

i am still unhappy with the window decoration. the coloring of the mandrake theme is very difficult. most color combinations look dull, dark or too bright and i must say now, the best thing would be to  use plastic or other decoration instead of the galaxy theme. sorry, but the coloring makes galaxy unusable. :unsure:

 

http://mandrakeusers.org/index.php?act=Att...ype=post&id=951

 

what about the background? darker, lighter, other color, other picture? no picture at all? any suggestions?  B)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

OK, I took your suggestions for the background and used #506294 and combined with #1D2D36 to create this:

 

http://www.mialug.org/downloads/images/dis...ts/Mandrake.png

 

http://www.mialug.org/downloads/images/dis...s/Mandrake1.png

 

http://www.mialug.org/downloads/images/dis...s/Mandrake2.png

 

The only thing I would change in the above shots is the size of the deskstop icons. They should be smaller for general consumption, although I like them fine that way.

 

Specific suggestions:

 

*Improve Mandrake's Control Center, particularly the Internet configuration center and the font installer leave a lot to be desired.

 

*Make Noia the Default Iconset.

 

*Provide better backgrounds. I emailed Mandrake offering a free set of backgrounds with pictures that a professional photographer friend of mine had taken. Mandrake never got back to me. If anybody has a way of reaching mandrake, let me know through my site: http://www.porcel.net

 

*Make Plastik or .NET default Style

 

*Make Plastik or MDK square default window style.

 

*Make fonts bigger all around. The first thing I always do is go to KDE's Control Center so that the fonts become legible.

 

*Place dictionary and desktop access applet on Panel by default.

 

*Default Icons should be: Desktop Access, Home, Browser, Email, IM, Application Button that provides access to the Office suite.

 

*Provide by default some of the very useful KDE service-menus available at kde-look.org

 

*Beyond looks, test, test, test, test, test, test, test the heck out of the release. There should be no obvious bugs.

 

I love Mandrake. These are all just friendly suggestions.

[arctic]

yuyo:

nice to see some other suggestions. but i have to say, that the desktop you designed is filled with too much stuff. it might be your favourite, but think of what the average user or average business needs. i don't think that noia is a good selection for a business desktop, it looks too cute for business imho, although i do like noia and had it for a long time as default. :D

you might also notice that the noia set is far from complete and you do have some gnome-icons on the desktop, which somehow harms the consistent overall look. also, if you want to use a transparent taskbar, why do you use such a dark background color, that leaves the e.g. clock unusable? i think that one still can be improved a lot. ;)

and yes, you are right. the network/internet-part of mcc could be made more clear, more user friendly. some things are irritating.

 

darkelve:

looks much better now. but i am asking myself since several days if there should be a specific download folder on the desktop or in /home directory. there are pros and cons: pros: all downloaded data can be stored in a central folder, thus making administration of it quite easy. cons: in business, few people are allowed to download some stuff. and once people download stuff, they almost instantly save it in the final-destination folder (pictures, music,...) thus ignoring such a folder. but this kind of folder can be useful if using a download manager. but these usually use their own folders... difficult task to decide something here, i guess... :unsure:

 

and: prullenbak is the funniest name i ever saw/heard/read for a dustbin :lol:

[Darkelve]

...

 

and: prullenbak is the funniest name i ever saw/heard/read for a dustbin :lol:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Hey, I didn't invent the word... litterally translated it means 'junk bin' :D

 

I put the 'downloads' folder there since FireFox insists on downloading it to /home/user by default... and THAT is a mess... so first thing I do after an installation, is create a folder 'downloads' and instruct FireFox to use that. I still believe it has merit, although you are right this will mean more user interaction moving things around.

 

Remember our discussion about 'data sources'? Well, according to this principle, you could instruct files (or the program could try to do it itself in a 'smart' way) to automatically be downloaded in a certain folder depending on the filetype; e.g. .mp3 files go to the /home/user/audio folder and .avi files go to /home/user/video

[Yuyo]

yuyo:

nice to see some other suggestions. but i have to say, that the desktop you designed is filled with too much stuff. it might be your favourite, but think of what the average user or average business needs. i don't think that noia is a good selection for a business desktop, it looks too cute for business imho, although i do like noia and had it for a long time as default. :D

 

Sorry I didn't make myself very clear. I didn't want to completely redesign my desktop or to suggest that anything like it be used by default.

Lazyness got the best of me. :)

 

I did want to suggest the provided color scheme for the desktop as default as well as the other suggestions I already made in writing. I find Noia very complete and very usable, but I'll take yoru word for it about the missing icons.

[arctic]

Remember our discussion about 'data sources'? Well, according to this principle, you could instruct files (or the program could try to do it itself in a 'smart' way) to automatically be downloaded in a certain folder depending on the filetype; e.g. .mp3 files go to the /home/user/audio folder and .avi files go to /home/user/video

yupp, i remember, but i doubt that mandrake would rewrite the scripts of all programs in order to manage downloads that way. although i would appreciate it. :D

 

yuyo: i forgot to mention:color for window deco is nice but maybe a bit too dark for the buttons. :)

Edited August 27, 2004 by arctic

[Darkelve]

Remember our discussion about 'data sources'? Well, according to this principle, you could instruct files (or the program could try to do it itself in a 'smart' way) to automatically be downloaded in a certain folder depending on the filetype; e.g. .mp3 files go to the /home/user/audio folder and .avi files go to /home/user/video

yupp, i remember, but i doubt that mandrake would rewrite the scripts of all programs in order to manage downloads that way. although i would appreciate it. :D

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Well, I was kind of thinking/dreaming of a kind of 'framework' (I think that's the word) that all programs could use to make decisions and perform actions like that.

 

This isn't really 100% on-topic, but I think that a lot of things still require too much needless user interaction. E.g.:

 

- the example about downloading I just gave

- the sending of a file to a friend; but in KDE's next release, there will be a feature so you are able to send a file from Konqueror to one of your IM contacts in Kopete!

- the installation of wallpapers: fire up a browser, go to KDE-look.org, hunt for wallpapers, download them and save them in a folder, fire up the control center and change background; with a kind of plug-in in the control center which can automatically download wallpapers from, say, KDE-look.org, you just have to browse, select one and click on 'apply'. See, much less steps necessary.

 

I find these kind of things sooooo interesting :)