Comment 9 for bug 811777
Revision history for this message
| Matty Lamb (mooosepurchases) wrote Re: "Show Percentage Remaining" is more useful than "Show Time Remaining" | #9 |
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(Get the code!)
Here are several reasons why "percent remaining" is a useful statistic:
--Power consumption varies, making "time remaining" less accurate. Yes, if we can improve the estimate, then by all means, we should do so, but that doesn't change the fact that percent remaining is more precise and accurate. It can also be more useful when the user is going to switch to a different sort of task, as it will drain the battery at a different rate.
--The battery percentage is FAR more important to users who are concerned about managing battery health.
===Batteries have to be stored at the proper charge level (which is impossible to deduce from "time remaining" since as the battery's overall capacity decreases, this statistic will change, while the percentage will not).
===To maintain battery health, it is necessary to start charging the battery at a particular percentage (for batteries where "memory" is an issue, a full discharge is recommended. For Lithium ion batteries, which are the standard for laptops, it's around 10-20 percent).
--Some users prefer "percent remaining (to charge)" to "time remaining (to charge)." When possible, good interfaces accommodate user preference. This alone is sufficient reason to give the user more options.
The current design makes this statistic less accessible and limits user choice. Currently, when you click on the battery icon, it displays the time remaining (time to charge), gives you the option of putting this info in the menu bar, and does NOT display the percentage. This is a poor design because:
it decreases user control over what statistics are being displayed (giving the user options is BETTER)
it makes the other statistic (percent remaining) harder to find. One has to either look at battery statistics (which doesn't display percentage when battery is charging), power system settings, or use the terminal.
Additionally, both statistics are most useful when used in conjunction with the other, so user experience can be improved by making both accessible regardless of preference.
A better design is to give the user the option to display EITHER the time remaining OR the percentage, and displaying the other statistic when you click on the battery icon. This would increase customization make both statistics accessible, resulting in a better user experience.