Re: ONE bad thing/look about KOffice 1.5 beta

faq
flatforty
contribute
subscribe
configure
search
rdf

main
parent
thread

Re: ONE bad thing/look about KOffice 1.5 beta
by ac on Wednesday 01/Feb/2006, @00:40

I also don't like this kind of interface. In particular I don't like the "Use This Template" button: not only is it hard to find on the page (usually thing like "OK/Accept" and "Cancel" are near the bottom of the window), but the wording completely confused me. Is a blank page a template? I guess from a programmers' point of view it is, but I don't think grandma will want to use any template just to write a short letter...

Related Links

·   Articles on KDE Office Suite
·   Also by ac
·   Contact author

The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whomever posted them.
( Reply )

Re: ONE bad thing/look about KOffice 1.5 beta
by Boudewijn Rempt on Wednesday 01/Feb/2006, @00:55

I'd say, use it for a while. Don't check Always use this template too soon. Don't forget it isn't just about templates; it's also a much nicer way of getting at your recently used documents. And check the custom document option, that one is very nice, too.

And, of course, we need much more and much better templates. If there's a template for "Birthday Card with Image of your choice" or "Cat Fancier's Newsletter" or "Seasonal Letter with Choice of Decorations", starting with templates will be much nicer.

And -- it's not just about KWord. With an application like KPresenter, the templates are already much more useful. Personally, I've set KSpread to use a blank spreadsheet, but then, I'm not doing spreadsheets for a job, and I can imagine that anyone who needs to monthly create a set of spreadsheets with reports would like to have those as templates on startup.

[ Reply To This | View ]

Re: ONE bad thing/look about KOffice 1.5 beta
by MamiyaOtaru on Wednesday 01/Feb/2006, @14:38

Agreed, I really don't like the new dialog. Opened up kword and had a big wth moment. I had to sit and stare for a moment before I knew what to do, and that's even after looking at the image posted earlier.

I didn't find it too bad once one knows where things are, but it gives a terrible first impression.

It's still messed up though. If I press file->new, why on earth would I want to open an existing document? That is what file->open or file->open recent is for. Yet, if I opened kword and selected an existing document from the initial dialog, once I press file->new it gives me a list of recent document. hurr? um.. *new*?

My preference: the new dialog should not have a recent files category. The opening dialog should have a choice to open an existing file or create a new. Choosing 'new' brings up the new dialog (without recent files of course) and choosing 'open existing' brings up a dialog with recent files and a way to browse to other ones.

Having the file->new dialog and the opening dialog be the same is rather ugly.

Once again I find a reason to detest "usability" studies. This new dialog seems to me the same as Gnome's reversed dialog button order. Some study said it was for the best, so something different than what everyone is used to is implemented. Studies be damned, the most usable thing is what people are used to.

This dialog, by being different, has already shot itself in the foot. Joe user isn't going to want to hear how he will get used to it and it will be marginally better when he does. Heck, *I* don't.

/downgrades

[ Reply To This | View ]

Re: ONE bad thing/look about KOffice 1.5 beta
by Sebastian Sauer on Wednesday 01/Feb/2006, @16:09

Yeah and we listen to what the users are saying. That was why it was changed in the first place and I guess it will change sooner or later again (just cause Software is a moving target and never is perfect :-)

[ Reply To This | View ]

Re: ONE bad thing/look about KOffice 1.5 beta
by Robert Knight on Thursday 02/Feb/2006, @07:41

> Studies be damned, the most usable thing is what people are used to.

Sadly progress will never be made if nobody attempts to break the mould occassionally. Microsoft obviously agree with this, hence the new Office 12 UI. The new startup dialog is not perfect or final, and I agree that we should make life easier for those who prefer not to use it.

>Joe user isn't going to want to hear how he will get used to it and it will be marginally better when he does.

You are not "Joe user", so I don't know how you can claim to represent their needs. I agree that the new dialog is not aesthetically pleasing at the moment (hopefully we can fix that for the final release).

> My preference: the new dialog should not have a recent files category.

The Recent Files section is actually very useful in practice, and is probably the most fundamental aspect of the new startup dialog.

[ Reply To This | View ]

The Fine Print: The previous comments are owned by whomever posted them.
( Reply )


		"That's something I don't know." -- David Faure
KDE®, "K Desktop Environment", "KDE Dot News", "got the dot?" and the KDE Logo® are trademarks or registered trademarks of KDE e.V. in the European Union, the United States and other countries. All other trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective owners. Comments are owned by the poster. The rest: Copyright © 2000-2008 KDE e.V. for The KDE Project. For further information or comments on this site, please contact the Webmaster.