Bug 250806

Version:           unspecified (using KDE 4.5.0) 
OS:                Linux

This is an idea I've been thinking about for a while, on how I feel the next generation of the KDE taskbar should look. I created three mock-up screenshots, using pictures I got off the Internet and I did a cut and paste job to create them, so please excuse how horrible they look.

While a lot of people like the Windows 7 "SuperBar", there are things about it that I don't like. For example, it's cool that the text was removed from the taskbar, but it's not cool that it forces all applications to be grouped, whether you want them to be or not. My idea removes the text labels from running applications, but ends up being BETTER than the Windows 7 Super Bar.

Figure A: Three instances of Firefox are open. There are no text labels. Notice also that the three Firefox Winodws are not grouped, unless I want them to be.

Figure B: This is what it looks like when three instances of an application (again the example is Firefox) are grouped. This can happen because the taskbar got full, or because I explicitly told it to do so. A number appears on the icon, telling you how many instances are there, and clicking on it allows you to select specific instances.

Figure C: Three Firefox windows are open, but not grouped. Instead, I (hypothetically) used the "tabbed windows" feature of KWin, which changes how the tabbed applications appear on the taskbar. I could have put icons for three different applications there, but I was lazy so I used Firefox icons yet again. Each of the three icons in the rectangle are separate Firefox windows but could have been any three applications, or however many windows you want tabbed.

I think this idea is the best way to go. It's better than simply ripping off Windows 7 and cloning the superbar (which I pray KDE never does, because KDE can do better) and offers the best mix of old and new.

Basically, the only real difference is removing the text labels, and changing the way it looks when windows are tabbed.

Reproducible: Always