http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/80/
The OP feels that there are too many options in Preferences and Administration and that some of them should be merged. Here are some of his suggestions:
From my perspective, I couldn't agree more. KDE seems to have already taken steps in this direction with KDE 4; with their new Control Panel, they've consolidated KDE's seemingly-endless array options into a bunch of smaller, more concise categories and it makes a big difference. It's less cluttered, easier to navigate, and more user-friendly to beginners.- Merge 'Screensaver', 'Screen Resolution' and 'Screens and Graphics'.
- Merge 'Network', 'Network Proxy' and 'Network Tools'.
- Merge 'Update Manager, Synaptic Package Manager, Software Sources'.
- Merge 'Encryption and Keyrings', 'Authorizations', 'Keyring Manager'.
I'd like to see Linux Mint follow KDE's lead in some respect since it aims to be usable "out of the box" for everyone and I believe that the controls play a significant part in that experience. A clear distinction should be drawn between Administration and Preferences. If such a distinction cannot be reached, then maybe the items could be reorganized in a more efficient manner. Some of the items, as outlined above in the OP's ideas, could be merged.
If nothing else, I'd at least like to see some items placed under a different category in the Control Panel. Why is "Screen Resolution" not under Look and Feel, for example, and why is "Network Tools" not under "Internet and Network"? Why isn't the "Storage Device Manager" under "Hardware"? Why isn't "Language Support" under the "Personal" category? The "System" category seems to be a little too generic for my taste, so maybe there could be a "Tools" or "Utilities" category to fit items like the Mint tools and APTonCD.
