Bug 194314

Version:            (using Devel)
OS:                Linux
Installed from:    Compiled sources

In 4.2 and earlier the menu (kickoff) had only two levels: major categories of applications then the applications themselves.  So for example  Internet->Kmail.

With 4.3 a new (sub-category) level has been added to several menus.  For example Internet->Communications->Kmail

I have noticed that I now spend considerably more time locating applications and that many subcategories only contain 1 or 2 applications anyway - meaning more clicks for the same work.  (Actually I found myself using the search a lot and adding lots of things to my favoutites list - thus moving away from using the manus at all.)

Adding to this is the awkwardness of navigating many levels of the standard launcher (back and forward navigation is not very user friendly in thie beast).  Lancelot at least permits multiple columns of the kickoff menu to be presented together but, IMHO, more than two columns looks too busy.  Again things get too hard to find.

Personally I am happy with just 2 levels of menu.  I ask for a return to that in this wish.

I understand there will be those that install lots of programs and want more levels however.  Perhaps a more acceptable (but more complex) solution is to provide an option to collapse all kickoff menus to a user specified number of levels.  Or perhaps the number of levels used should somehow be determined by the number of application in each category.  This is still a second-best option IMO for the reason below.

Remember that puting any application in a sub-category makes it more distant to the user.  If firefox is installed in Internet->firefox and konqueror in Internet->web->konqeror it appears as though firefox is given priority: it is easier/quicker to find and launch.  So there may be a net negative impact for those applications that are "more thoughtfully" classified.