My new desktop idea for ubuntu - Top Bar
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Basically the idea is to have a compact "sidebar" tyle thing on the top of the desktop, and it could be set to reserve the edge so windows would not go on top of it. It woiuld have a clock, callender, a and a picture....so basically the kind of simple stuff you'd expect on a sidebar. The main thing would be a dock-like bar within this bar. The main menu would alow you to choose between different things you want displayed. Once you choose one, the main menu would go away (you could go back to it with a single click) and would be replaced by whatever app you chose. It would just go in the same area. Having this would really help reduce the number of windows you need. You wouldn't need a seperate window just to write messages. Although it may seem very minimalistic (and in some way it is), I think it would be a nice feature and would keep things more compact. There can always be dropdown menus if more space is needed. Now To illustrate all this I made this with photoshop. I know it's very rough, but it gives oyu an idea. It could always look different too with different skins and such.
So if you haven't, go ahead and view it now.
As you can see, it should make everything much more organized. You wouldn't have any more folders all over the desktop. You just go to the main menu there shown in the picture, and select "folders", and then in that same area would be a dock-like bar with all your folders, and if more room is needed, there's always arrows. And just like the folders, there's a dock for applications. Then there's a button for music, which would show everything you need and have the controls you need, and a system monitor to show CPU usage, RAM usage, etc. I haven't had time to make an illustration for all of these, but I did make one for messenger.
So what I'd like now is for you all to say what you think of this. Again, the idea is to have everything you need for your desktop right up there, and then the larger area is reserved for windows. The bottom bar would just be for windows management and could still have a normal main menu like that of windows. If enough people would be interested in having this, I'll try to find someone who could write the program, and then I could design the default skin.
I like it. I hope you can find the people you need to make this a reality.
Have you posted this on the Ubuntu forums yet? That seems like the logical place to look.
I like it. I hope you can find the people you need to make this a reality.
Have you posted this on the Ubuntu forums yet? That seems like the logical place to look.
thriteenthmonke
I will...but there's so many seperate forums on the ubuntu forums site...I wouldn't know where to put this one....
This got locked before I could post in OT.:P It's a good idea, I wouldn't call it the most original idea but it is good. It seams like the side bar mixed with the start menu (Or mac bar?) plus other things. Question about the messenger thing, that's something like AIM right? If so then where do you see what the other people said? maybe make it so the "write message here" part is where you see their stuff. Then cut the message option part in half horizontally. On the top half would be small icons for bold, color etc. The bottom half would pull down when you click it and there is where you type your stuff. If you click something else and deselect it it'll slide back up but keep what you typed. Also make an option that will slide the whole thing out giving you more room to type and read other people's messages.VacantPsalm
Oh yeah. That sounds good. You don't need all that space to write a message. It would be best toreserve that space for viewing other messages. There could be tabs for viewing messages from people in different conversations. The whole idea with this is that that same space will be used for everything.
Btw your description of this is quite accurate. It is really a combination of existing things. You're right that it is not terribly original, but for me at least...I think it'd be very nice to have.
This got locked before I could post in OT.:P It's a good idea, I wouldn't call it the most original idea but it is good. It seams like the side bar mixed with the start menu (Or mac bar?) plus other things. Question about the messenger thing, that's something like AIM right? If so then where do you see what the other people said? maybe make it so the "write message here" part is where you see their stuff. Then cut the message option part in half horizontally. On the top half would be small icons for bold, color etc. The bottom half would pull down when you click it and there is where you type your stuff. If you click something else and deselect it it'll slide back up but keep what you typed. Also make an option that will slide the whole thing out giving you more room to type and read other people's messages.VacantPsalm
I like this too.
Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't mac have some app's like this you look into there applications to help speed up your idea. i personally would use something like this.
and sorry can some one fill me in I've never heard of ubuntu what is it?
Poster_11
Ubuntu is a linux-based opperating system. It's really very good. There are quite a few things about it that make it better than windows in many ways. I've used Macs, XP, vista, and ubuntu....and ubuntu is my favorite one to use, though right now there are one or two tings that I can only do on windows. One nice thing about ubuntu is that it is open source like firefox, and completely free. It has programs that can easily replace a lot of the programs you'd pay for in windows, and it is very easy to get help with it because there is a large community forum. It also runs very nicely, and it can look any way you want...plus there's a lot of eye candy for it. It's just very customizable.
And you may be thinking about the mac dock....that just has shortcuts to apps and folders. Nothing major really. It does help to organize a bit though and it can autohide. My idea here would have the option to display docks in that space, but that's only part of it.
Remember, not so original =/= bad. Not even close. I'm not in anyway putting this down when I say that.(Chocolate wasn't original, peanut butter wasn't original. But Recces?:o) I personally love the side bar and think it would be neat if it became the focus of attention instead of just a trinket. Another suggestion would be to make it so you can minimize anything, such as the clock or picture viewer or whatever. If you're going to be searching through folders with it there's going to be times when you want to see more. it would be useful if you could clear up space and give more room to the file searcher. All it would do it turn the gadget into a thin bar and clicking it would bring it back.Oh yeah. That sounds good. You don't need all that space to write a message. It would be best toreserve that space for viewing other messages. There could be tabs for viewing messages from people in different conversations. The whole idea with this is that that same space will be used for everything.
Btw your description of this is quite accurate. It is really a combination of existing things. You're right that it is not terribly original, but for me at least...I think it'd be very nice to have.
Rukaru
[QUOTE="Rukaru"]Remember, not so original =/= bad. Not even close. I'm not in anyway putting this down when I say that.(Chocolate wasn't original, peanut butter wasn't original. But Recces?:o) I personally love the side bar and think it would be neat if it became the focus of attention instead of just a trinket. Another suggestion would be to make it so you can minimize anything, such as the clock or picture viewer or whatever. If you're going to be searching through folders with it there's going to be times when you want to see more. it would be useful if you could clear up space and give more room to the file searcher. All it would do it turn the gadget into a thin bar and clicking it would bring it back.Oh yeah. That sounds good. You don't need all that space to write a message. It would be best toreserve that space for viewing other messages. There could be tabs for viewing messages from people in different conversations. The whole idea with this is that that same space will be used for everything.
Btw your description of this is quite accurate. It is really a combination of existing things. You're right that it is not terribly original, but for me at least...I think it'd be very nice to have.
VacantPsalm
That would definitely be good. That kind of thing really depends on how far the writer is willing to go. It could take a very, very long time to have it polished. Even some of the popular simple docks on ubuntu are not completely polished. If this is ever made, features like what you described would probably come later.
Yea, that's the thing with trying something this big, it's going to be a lot of work. What you might want to do is just get the pure basics out to people. Then once you have a little more support keep adding things as it goes. And try to set it up so people can make add ons / gadgets for it.That would definitely be good. That kind of thing really depends on how far the writer is willing to go. It could take a very, very long time to have it polished. Even some of the popular simple docks on ubuntu are not completely polished. If this is ever made, features like what you described would probably come later.
Rukaru
[QUOTE="Rukaru"]Yea, that's the thing with trying something this big, it's going to be a lot of work. What you might want to do is just get the pure basics out to people. Then once you have a little more support keep adding things as it goes. And try to set it up so people can make add ons / gadgets for it.That would definitely be good. That kind of thing really depends on how far the writer is willing to go. It could take a very, very long time to have it polished. Even some of the popular simple docks on ubuntu are not completely polished. If this is ever made, features like what you described would probably come later.
VacantPsalm
Exactly. My plan is to work closely with the person writing it. As this person would really be making it, he/she would be credited as the creator, so that is an incentive. I don't really care about credit for myself...I just want it made. So anyway, I'll let this person know what I'm planning and that person can decide what to work on first. it will probably just be released first as a nice looking sidebar with matching gadgets. it probably wouldn't even have the main bar until later. Anyway, If you or anyone here has any ideas, feel free to let me know. Keep in mind that space really isn't too much of a problem since there's always scrolling, though scrolling should not be necessary very often.
[QUOTE="VacantPsalm"]This got locked before I could post in OT.:P It's a good idea, I wouldn't call it the most original idea but it is good. It seams like the side bar mixed with the start menu (Or mac bar?) plus other things. Question about the messenger thing, that's something like AIM right? If so then where do you see what the other people said? maybe make it so the "write message here" part is where you see their stuff. Then cut the message option part in half horizontally. On the top half would be small icons for bold, color etc. The bottom half would pull down when you click it and there is where you type your stuff. If you click something else and deselect it it'll slide back up but keep what you typed. Also make an option that will slide the whole thing out giving you more room to type and read other people's messages.thriteenthmonke
I like this too.
I'm working on making this with photoshop. It'll just be an illustration of course..like what I already posted.
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