Here's an idea for a design of taskbar....
Group each program together like XP can do with lots of similar windows. Do that all the time, and make it so that when you click on the icon representing the program, up pops up the little menu.
When one of the program's windows flashes, that icon on the taskbar flashes on and off.
When the taskbar is full, you scroll side to side, but the react logo stays fixed or can scroll (user preference).
The react logo on the right is the new start menu.
Gives you a lot more room and seems neater to me. I don't know what others think, but I think this "bar" idea is what made RiscOS so good. Just my 2 pence though.
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Idea for taskbar design
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counting_pine
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To large taskbar.
Wow, that takes up 3 times as much place as my taskbar, I would never accept that enormous spaceconsuming taskbar. I agree the xp-style of grouping same programs under one space is good when a lot of windows is used, but that it will take so much extra space to do that is unacceptable, the idea is to save space not to waste it right? I need all workspace I can get and I use 1600x1200 on a 20" screen and I can't use less workspace then xp takes.
I am also thinking of buying an OQO1+ (http://www.oqo.com) and that has only 800x480 dots in resolution, with that taskbar there wouldn't be any work area left fot the software at all.
I am also thinking of buying an OQO1+ (http://www.oqo.com) and that has only 800x480 dots in resolution, with that taskbar there wouldn't be any work area left fot the software at all.
Well it was only an example.
Looking at it, you could make it work with 48x48 icons (I'm only saying 48x48 because that's the icons that are commonly available for programs).
The idea I think works well, or it did with RiscOS. You could have about 30 windows open, and it would just be neat and tidy at the bottom.
Perhaps 24x24 icons would be big enough for most people to click on, and that would make the taskbar about the same height as normal?
Looking at it, you could make it work with 48x48 icons (I'm only saying 48x48 because that's the icons that are commonly available for programs).
The idea I think works well, or it did with RiscOS. You could have about 30 windows open, and it would just be neat and tidy at the bottom.
Perhaps 24x24 icons would be big enough for most people to click on, and that would make the taskbar about the same height as normal?
Grouping apps is good.
Yes, I agree, grouping apps saves space, that is what I wanted to say too, XP works good in this way I think.
Why not make it optional?
If you like it you can put it on, if you hate it don't.
I think this should be the case with most options like themes and other graphical ooh and ahh things.
Maybe there should be an option during the install:
"Do you want to use the ReactOS light gui?" (Recommended for slower computers)
( )Yes
(X)No
(x) means selected by default
If you like it you can put it on, if you hate it don't.
I think this should be the case with most options like themes and other graphical ooh and ahh things.
Maybe there should be an option during the install:
"Do you want to use the ReactOS light gui?" (Recommended for slower computers)
( )Yes
(X)No
(x) means selected by default
The trouble with how XP does it is is just looks silly.
They're half-way there, but not quite.
If it was done by icons only, and you get your menu up, then that would be better.
Possibly even when the menu comes up of windows to open, there's an option (if the program supports it) of "New Window", so you can open up a new Firefox window just by clicking on the icon in the taskbar and selecting it.
And next to the list of all windows are arrows to indicate their state - Down arrow for minimized, Up arrow for maximized, normal window icon or something for "normal", etc, etc, then you have the "New window" at the top (or if the program gets clever, maybe "New Email", "Check Emails", etc, so they can have multiple choices that you can invoke off just the icon).
Only my thoughts, but I think 32x32 would probably be ample for the icons, it would be high-res enough that you could actually make out what they are, but would be small enough that the taskbar isn't too big (32x32 would make the taskbar the same height as standard windows "single height", but would be a lot clearer and you could have a lot more programs than "standard height").
Personally I have to run triple height, just to get all the windows in, because I hate XP's way of grouping them so much - idea is nice, the way they do it just isn't.
They're half-way there, but not quite.
If it was done by icons only, and you get your menu up, then that would be better.
Possibly even when the menu comes up of windows to open, there's an option (if the program supports it) of "New Window", so you can open up a new Firefox window just by clicking on the icon in the taskbar and selecting it.
And next to the list of all windows are arrows to indicate their state - Down arrow for minimized, Up arrow for maximized, normal window icon or something for "normal", etc, etc, then you have the "New window" at the top (or if the program gets clever, maybe "New Email", "Check Emails", etc, so they can have multiple choices that you can invoke off just the icon).
Only my thoughts, but I think 32x32 would probably be ample for the icons, it would be high-res enough that you could actually make out what they are, but would be small enough that the taskbar isn't too big (32x32 would make the taskbar the same height as standard windows "single height", but would be a lot clearer and you could have a lot more programs than "standard height").
Personally I have to run triple height, just to get all the windows in, because I hate XP's way of grouping them so much - idea is nice, the way they do it just isn't.
All you have is XP grouping with less information, which is worse. And programs change the text in the status bar, like music players. Hidding this text is not good. It is there for a reason. That is why it was designed like that in the first place. It just adds more clicks, more time, more effort.
The idea of new window, email etc would need a new callback/set of API. It would not be that simple for most apps. Though it is a good idea.
I would like to see a taskbar that grows when you move your mouse over it to show all the windows you can select (when there are too many), then shrinks when you move away/select a window, back to the normal size taskbar.
The idea of new window, email etc would need a new callback/set of API. It would not be that simple for most apps. Though it is a good idea.
I would like to see a taskbar that grows when you move your mouse over it to show all the windows you can select (when there are too many), then shrinks when you move away/select a window, back to the normal size taskbar.
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