bad usability using global menu when tiling windows
Affects | Status | Importance | Assigned to | Milestone | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ayatana Design |
New
|
Undecided
|
Unassigned | ||
Unity |
Incomplete
|
Wishlist
|
Unassigned | ||
unity (Ubuntu) |
Incomplete
|
Wishlist
|
Unassigned |
Bug Description
Binary package hint: unity
The new unity interface lets you tile the windows of certain applications. You drag one application to the side and it will take up 1/2 of the screen space. Do the same thing on the other side and you get two applications next to each other. This is useful if you want to interact between the applications, for example drag and drop stuff between the applications.
However, when tiling the applications, the menu bar of the active app is displayed in the global menu. If two instances of the same application are open, you just don't know which instance is active. Furthermore, it is a nuisance and unintuitive to move away from your application to the global menu if you want to control the application. Therefore, the implementation of the global menu impedes on the usability of the tiling feature - copied from windows 7.
My suggestion: Use the global menu only, if the active application is maximized. This helps save screen space - the main purpose of the global menu. Don't use the global menu, if the active application isn't maximized in particular if the apps are tiled next to each other. Use "local" menus or conventional menus in this instance.
ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
Package: unity 3.8.10-0ubuntu2
ProcVersionSign
Uname: Linux 2.6.38-8-generic i686
Architecture: i386
CompizPlugins: [core,bailer,
CompositorRunning: compiz
DRM.card0.DP.1:
status: disconnected
enabled: disabled
dpms: Off
modes:
edid-base64:
DRM.card0.DP.2:
status: disconnected
enabled: disabled
dpms: Off
modes:
edid-base64:
DRM.card0.DP.3:
status: disconnected
enabled: disabled
dpms: Off
modes:
edid-base64:
DRM.card0.HDMI.A.1:
status: disconnected
enabled: disabled
dpms: Off
modes:
edid-base64:
DRM.card0.HDMI.A.2:
status: disconnected
enabled: disabled
dpms: Off
modes:
edid-base64:
DRM.card0.LVDS.1:
status: connected
enabled: enabled
dpms: On
modes: 1366x768
edid-base64: AP/////
DRM.card0.VGA.1:
status: disconnected
enabled: disabled
dpms: Off
modes:
edid-base64:
Date: Fri Apr 22 21:22:18 2011
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: natty
DistroVariant: ubuntu
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
GraphicsCard:
Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:2a42] (rev 07) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
Subsystem: Acer Incorporated [ALI] Device [1025:029b]
Subsystem: Acer Incorporated [ALI] Device [1025:029b]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Beta i386 (20110330)
InstallationMedia_: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Beta i386 (20110330)
InstallationMed
MachineType: Acer Aspire 1810TZ
ProcEnviron:
LANGUAGE=en_US:en
LANG=en_IE.utf8
LC_MESSAGES=
SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=
ProcVersionSign
ProcVersionSign
Renderer: Unknown
SourcePackage: unity
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 08/31/2010
dmi.bios.vendor: INSYDE
dmi.bios.version: v1.3314
dmi.board.
dmi.board.name: JM11-MS
dmi.board.vendor: Acer
dmi.board.version: Base Board Version
dmi.chassis.type: 1
dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacturer
dmi.chassis.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnINSYDE:
dmi.product.name: Aspire 1810TZ
dmi.product.
dmi.sys.vendor: Acer
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.4+
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.23-1ubuntu6
version.
version.
version.
version.
version.
version.
version.
Changed in unity: | |
status: | New → Incomplete |
Changed in unity (Ubuntu): | |
status: | Confirmed → Incomplete |
Changed in unity: | |
importance: | Undecided → Wishlist |
Changed in unity (Ubuntu): | |
importance: | Undecided → Wishlist |
This is a serious issue imho. There has to be an option to disable the global menu for windows which are not maximized. It's awful that one
a) can not have the focus following the mouse,
b) has therefore first to click on the window if one wants to access its menu and
c) has to move back to the top of the screen to get there.
In the worst case one has to move from the current window, which might reside in the top left part of the screen, to the lower right part to click the other window, and then has to move back the whole way to get to the menu one initally wanted to open.