[Idea] UX improments by dock

[yaoweizhen]

I am a web developer, have used Linux as desktop for 10 years. Browser, terminal and editor are my major applications I use. Because of just couple applications, I grab all of them to the bottom panel, it can be seen and opened easily. Every day I just click these shortcuts and start to work. When gnome3 came out, I like you guys switch to Cinnamon. In my head, I always think the GUI of Windows 95 is good enough for me. The so-called modern desktop is so complicated. They said it is user-friendly but hard to use.

Here, I am going to talk about the traditional bottom panel. It is organized to start menu, launcher panel, window list panel etc. I have used Mac OS X some years, it is recognized best UX in the world. The dock is mainly different to Windows. For experience and understanding is dock saves space and duplication, even clean UI. For example, when opening an application from the launcher(shortcut), the active item is tiled to the next panel. If there are more actives, the display of each of them will be cut because of space limitation. Let's see the dock, the launcher will be indicated when an application is opened, it is very clear to see which one is active, the windows list could be unnecessary.

I uploaded my desktop screenshot. It is installed Cairo-dock, The bottom panel was moved to the top and adjusted a little bit, the clock was moved to the middle, still need the system tray and start menu, the left side is the dock, it is short and only preferred applications with icons looks nice.

Hope dock can be adopted to Cinnamon core.

http://www.glx-dock.org

Thank you.

Mike

[CaptainKirksChair]

I use Cairo-Dock as well on this iMac. Here's the desktop.


The photo is just one of a set of 49 that rotates each minute. I have them for some cars as well. Whatever I feel like seeing that day.

Cairo-Dock works very well for me. I use the Alu theme because I like the way it looks. It would be good to be a part of core but the install is pretty quick and I have a script I run after every install that just gets my system back to where I want.

[MintBean]

Nothing new is required. It already exists.

Until recently I used Cairo Dock, then I found a better solution - the 'Icing Task Manager' applet. This gives the kind of functionality discussed in the OP, and IMO along with the 'intelligently hide panel' option is the best solution.

[JosephM]

There is also this though I haven't tested it lately to be sure it's still working: https://cinnamon-spices.linuxmint.com/e ... ns/view/35

[yaoweizhen]

I know it's nothing new, you can install on your own and works well. I do not mean must use Cairo-dock, whatever the implement is. The point is if it is better way why not replace the old way?

[sadi]

One of the various possible solutions could be;
- making use of the available different configuration for individual Cinnamon panels (.panel-top/bottom/left/right), for example, top panel (with little or no transparency) without any window list, etc., and the left, right or bottom panel as a dock (e.g. with full transparency)
- adding Gnome Dash / Unity Launcher-like features to app launchers - e.g. using launcher icons to indicate any open windows as well.