Re: ONE bad thing/look about KOffice 1.5 beta

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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

Related Links

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

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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 :-)

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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.

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