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Contributor yzarc on Gnome

title-bar / caption are waste of space  
Written by yzarc the 15 Nov 09 at 12:39. New
since they appeared, long time ago, they hold more or less the same features.

Let's see two examples:
Google-chrome, they improved it with the tab-bar and everyone loved it.
UNR, they get rid of it and put the caption and controllers in an applet (windows-picker) saving lots of space.

The gnome title-bar is poor in features and ugly too. It's allways in the way of who tried to make gnome look fancy. Think, do you really look at the caption, or you just use it to close or move the windows? If I wanna know which window is the firefox one, the last place I look is the caption.
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Solution #1: Improve windows-picker solution.
Written by yzarc the 15 Nov 09 at 12:39.
give it more features:
1- show min/restore commands.
2- permit to the app to add gadgets like progress bar, tab-bar, multimedia commands.
3- make it fit with the gtk theme and touching the windows to give the illusion it's part of the window.
4- add launchers.
5- window "menu mode", the window is no maximized but stay attached to the panel, like the calendar.
6- group / ungroup windows.
7- tile windows command.
8- show desktop applet.
9- places applet.
44
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Solution #2: permit app to use its space
Written by yzarc the 15 Nov 09 at 12:47.
make it more flexible permitting apps to use it as they need.
tab-bar for browsers, art and commands for media players,avatar, status, last msg of a IM windows, etc. no just title and min/max buttons.

look at this example from "clever windows" mockup, the title bar belong to the app, is useful and beautiful, holds interesting informations, is no more just an useless strip.




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Solution #3: Make window managers more sensitive.
Written by Lachu the 15 Nov 09 at 15:45.
Already window managers have designed to not disappoint users. It will force designers to add caption bar, caption buttons, etc. We should fix window border size to 2/4 pixels to each edge. Also, we need to make whole space not contained in active window interactive - by clicking on other window, we don't bring it on first front, but menu with possible actions should appear.
Use cases:
1) Alex would to move window. He only click on destination position and select move there. Alex can also click on window border or white space at screen, go to mode submenu and select move.
2) We had window maximized. It takes whole screen plus borders. Alex can click on border and select window list > gedit(for example). She can also select desktop from window list or click minimize window.

It will brinks better way to integrate with user(more natural, flexible, faster). Additional features is we don't waste space and there always possibility to use mouse(today we must use keyboard in some cases or move window on whole screen).

We should display windows title, when cursor leaves active window or alt key is pressed.

Add a comment or propose a solution >>

[gnome3.0] multiply windows lists and new capability for the them  
Written by yzarc the 28 Nov 08 at 17:59. New
make possible to have more than 1 windows list placed on the panels showing different contents. some windows are shows in a windows list other in a different windows list.

you will can decide witch windows list to use by bragging a windows or the its representative icon on a windows list to another windows list.

the gnome should remember the last windows list a program was docked (if you want).

all this have no sense without the fact that you will also can change the behavior for each one of your windows lists. you will can decide to show only the icons (small, normal, big sized),miniatures, titles, one menu that condenses all the windows assigned to this list in a single icon.

it will open lots of possibilities to the users organize their desktops. I can tell what I would do if I had this feature:
1- put the programs that I use in background in a list of only icons (system tray but I will not depend anymore of the application's capabilities).
2-nautilus windows would be all in the same list windows showing their titles.
3-the rest of the program I would place on an only big-icon window list, since I find easier to distinguish shapes and color than words.
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Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #16038
Written by yzarc the 28 Nov 08 at 17:59.
Ubuntu Brainstorm was updated in January 2009. Since the idea #16038 was submitted before this update, its rationale and solution are not separated. Please vote accordingly, and if you have the necessary rights, please separate the rationale from the solution. Thanks!

See the 2 comments or propose a solution (latest comment the 29 Nov 08 at 11:09) >>