Version: (using KDE 4.3.3) Installed from: Ubuntu Packages Users unfamiliar with KDE have a hard time grasping how the terrific Device Notifier plasmoid is to be operated. I suggest three changes which address most of the complaints: 1) Do not show the title text at the top of the list ("Chosen Devices" in Hebrew). Just show a list of devices. Users try to click that title text, especially when there are no devices shown in the plasmoid. In the case of no mounted devices, the text "No Devices" can be shown. 2) Instead of a popup window asking what to do when the user clicks on a device, provide a submenu that lists possible actions (open in Dolphin, download with Digikam, etc) 3) Move the "safely disconnect device" option from it's independent icon to the submenu in suggestion 2 and include a clear text description. Users do not understand that the icon is the safe disconnect button. Thanks.
(In reply to comment #0) > Version: (using KDE 4.3.3) > Installed from: Ubuntu Packages > > Users unfamiliar with KDE have a hard time grasping how the terrific Device > Notifier plasmoid is to be operated. I suggest three changes which address most > of the complaints: > > 1) Do not show the title text at the top of the list ("Chosen Devices" in > Hebrew). Just show a list of devices. Users try to click that title text, > especially when there are no devices shown in the plasmoid. In the case of no > mounted devices, the text "No Devices" can be shown. "No devices" is shown in such case in 4.4 > > 2) Instead of a popup window asking what to do when the user clicks on a > device, provide a submenu that lists possible actions (open in Dolphin, > download with Digikam, etc) Done in 4.4 > > 3) Move the "safely disconnect device" option from it's independent icon to the > submenu in suggestion 2 and include a clear text description. Users do not > understand that the icon is the safe disconnect button. No, the "mount/unmount" option should be reachable immediately, without having to look thru a list of action; in 4.4 a tooltip explain what the button is there for. > > Thanks.
Actually, it is my experience that users don't understand what the mount/unmount icon is for. My brother, for instance, told me that unmounting a device was no longer necessary after using the device notifier simply because he didn't see an option to do that.
> "No devices" is shown in such case in 4.4 Terrific! > Done in 4.4 Even better! > No, the "mount/unmount" option should be reachable immediately, without > having to look thru a list of action; in 4.4 a tooltip explain what the > button is there for. I disagree completely. Users do not wait for tooltips to appear. In fact, there is no indication that the icon part of the line is any different than the rest of the line, and users accidentally unmount their media when they mean to open it. I will change the title of the bug to reflect the concentration on this issue, please consider reopening to discuss. Thank you.
> > No, the "mount/unmount" option should be reachable immediately, without > > having to look thru a list of action; in 4.4 a tooltip explain what the > > button is there for. > > I disagree completely. Users do not wait for tooltips to appear. In fact, there > is no indication that the icon part of the line is any different than the rest > of the line, Once more, among the changes which will be introduced in 4.4, there is a complete symmetry between mounted and unmounted state, if the media is unmounted then a button will appear to allow mounting; if the media is mounted then a button will appear to allow unmounting. You also have feedback on hovering and on clicking on the button, so that it's clear that is not a mere decoration. > and users accidentally unmount their media when they mean to open > it. I don't see how anybody could assume that pushing the eject button on a cd player would play the cd. imho this should also apply in this case. Please have a look at the screencast in http://aseigo.blogspot.com/2009/10/device-notifier-work-for-44.html to have an idea of how the notifier will look like in 4.4. Regards. --J
>> and users accidentally unmount their media when they mean to open >> it. >> > I don't see how anybody could assume that pushing the eject button > on a cd player would play the cd. imho this should also apply in > this case. > The eject button is usually clearly labeled and near the loading tray. Neither is the case with the plasmoid, even as shown in Aaron's screencast. I understand your reasoning for keeping the button outside the options, visible even when the submenu is closed. However, the button needs either a much more descriptive icon, or visible text (not tooltip). The "mount" icon looks better, it is descriptive at least. But the unmount button is problematic. Non-technical users just don't make the association that you and I do with the graphic on CD player eject buttons.
The eject button is too minuscule. I'm not the only user returning to KDE only to fumble in the dark until noticing the tiny eject button, after failing to find any appropriate actions via right-clicking and other means. Mouse-over doesn't help much for these reasons: 1. Users shouldn't have to mouse over at random 2. If the button is too small to even notice, let alone accidentally mouse over, how can anyone find it? 3. Not all computers are fast enough to show mouse-overs before the mouse pointer has moved on 4. Having to wait rather than getting what should intuitively be there via right-click is counterintuitive