Linux桌面缺乏理论基础

Linux桌面的东西基本都是模仿的，MAC和windows是最多的，就连Sun CDE这个垃圾，都有XFCE跟着跑。

[url=http://slicker.sourceforge.net/]Slicker[/url]这个东西倒是很新鲜，记得当时我写了很长一篇文章在他们的mailing list上，讲述桌面布局的一个想法。

我的观点是设计应该是软件编写人员的事情，而不是用户，也就是说默认的设置非常重要。因为，很多情况下，人不知道怎么样更舒服。比如，我就见过很多人默认用60Hz的屏幕刷新率，然后我帮他们调整后，他们还看不出来区别。但是让他们用100Hz一段时间，再设回60Hz，他们就受不了了，说还是100Hz的舒服。还有看录像，看了VCD的就不想看录像带，看了DVD的不会看VCD。刷新频率快了，像素提高了，人就会感到舒服，这个是普遍定律。

所以我们一定要重视理论的研究，只有在理论上突破，才有可能真正造就Linux自己的桌面，否则，我们就只能跟在Mac和Windows的后面。

附发表在slicker上的文章：
Hi guys,

I'm a fan of slickers. It's really a creative idea! Having seen the
screenshots, I've got some suggestions to give. Hope it would help:
(Forgive my poor English first :p.)

First, let me state my points on window manager.

a. Window manager is a tool to reduce users' mouse clicks and moves. The
ideal number of clicks and moves is ONE. :)
b. Window manager is a tool to organize windows. The ideal window
manager lets users pick and enter any window at any time.
c. Window manager is a tool to organize information (Clock, Computer,
Network, News, Website & etc). The ideal window manager lets users see
any information they want at any time.

Second, do some analysis on user's actions:

1. Moving mouse is harder than clicking it.
2. Moving mouse right and left are easier than up and down.
3. Moving mouse right is easier than left.
4. Moving mouse down is easier than up.
5. Single click is easier than double click.
6. Looking up is harder than looking down.
7. Looking left is harder to look right. (May be, try it)
8. Looking left and right is harder than looking down but easier than
looking up.
9. Looking is easier than moving or clicking.

So we can define actions points by listing all the actions in order of
easiness.
Action Points
Looking down 1
Looking right 2
Looking left 3
Looking up 4
Single Click 5
Double Click 6
Move mouse right 7
Move mouse left 8
Move mouse down 9
Move mouse up 10

Started from the default position: sight on %62 from bottom to top,
centre; mouse pointer at centre area, bottom-right.

We calculate points of each direction of looking plus mouse movement.
For convenience, we assume the user's sight is in the right centre of
the screen. Then we have diagrams of the screen.

25 14 23

11 0 9

21 10 19

Third, we need some information about users' eyesight and mouse
pointer's positions.
1. When users are typing or broswering, they usually put the mouse at
the bottom right corner (near to the scroll bar arrows). Or if they have
wheel mouse, they'll put there mouse in the bottom right of the centre
area.
2. The most comfortable position of the users' sight is about %62 from
bottom to the top and in the centre of the screen.
3. When users are trying to find something, they'll start from top-right
to bottom-right, then move left up and again.

Finally, here are some other points
1. If one basic user gives a single click and there is no any response
within a double click time, he will click it again.
2. Users will do the same action to do the same thing. For example, if
they use double click to open an application, they will also try to
double click on the icons else where, e.g. taskbar.

OK, make sure that these points are clear and make sense and let's go to
our design part.

1. Taskbar design.
Position:
Taskbar is the most important kard because switching between windows is
the most intensively used action for users. So we need to find the most
comfortable and easy-to-move-to place for it. We can see that the most
comfortable place will be right, bottom and left. Windows uses bottom,
not left. That is because users' eyesight will stay at bottom for a
little bit long time, so it's better to count the looking point more.
After considering, the best place for the task bar is bottom-centre.

Action design:
In order to reduce the clicks, when mouse moves over the card, the card
extracts immediately, until the mouse moves out of the card area. The
card will stay on when user clicks on the task list items.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------

2. Quick start buttons.
Position:
Quick start buttons is the second most important kard, because more than
80% tasks will be started from here. So we put it on the right centre,
because the eye sight won't take long on it and it's easier to move
mouse to the right. Or, if they are not many, they can be put just near
the taskbar.

Action design:
The card is hidden by default but can be set as stay on. When user moves
his mouse to the right, it shows the buttons in relatively big size for
users to click on it and after clicks, it'll stay on until user move out
of the card.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------
3. Start menu.
Position:
The Start menu is the third important kard, eye sight will stay a little
bit longer on it, and it needs more mouse movements, so it's good to
have it on the left centre.

Action design
The menu card will be hidden until user hits the left edge, without
clicking on it. After clicking, the menu card is hidden again.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------
4. Information kard.
The information kard only need looking, so we choose the lightest point
area, because the down is occupied by the taskbar, we choose the
bottom-right area for it.

Action design
Use normal actions.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
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For more detailed design, I think I need to draw some shots in actions.
Before that, hope you can have more ideas out of it. Thanks.

Conner Mo (http://www.linuxfans.org)