Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Usability Notes

First impressions, usability issues, weird ideas or annoying things I've found using Precise.

Desktop

• Seems that there is no way to switch desktops while dragging a file.

Notification Area

Ok. I keep losing emails and IM just because I fail to notice that the icon changes color. There are some scripts that make the icon blink, they are annoying, but perhaps...

• New email or broadcast alert: the icon blinks once, and stops.
• New IM: the icon blinks for about 30 seconds or a minute, then stops.

I still think that IM and chats need a differential treatment. The fact that you can hide Empathy forces you to relay on this notification if you where not present at the moment of the notify-os. There is also an old but still pretty nice water effect on notification using Compiz http://forum.compiz.org/viewtopic.php?t=2191

Unity

• When you drag a file over a launcher, and you hover over it for a second, the app should gain focus (switching workspace if necessary). Also, any child window should spread. - https://bugs.launchpad.net/ayatana-design/+bug/727903

• Every lens has its own search box. Not sure if this is by design, but when switching from lens to lens, the search string should be preserved — https://bugs.launchpad.net/hundredpapercuts/+bug/1051755

• Minimized windows are kept attached to a workspace. That seems not necesary, since cleary the app is not in a workspace (its minimized) - https://bugs.launchpad.net/hundredpapercuts/+bug/1077190 -- I'm still having second toughts about this.

• The settings for "Default applications" seems a bit hidden inside the "Details" window.

• There is an annoying delay the first time you use Unity or the ALT+TAB switcher.

• The overlapping progress indicator on the launcher is nice, but is not visible enough. Perhaps both the border and the indicator should be solid white.

• Sometimes tooltips did not show. Already reported - seems fixed!

• When you select "quit" from the launcher, the app should *always* quit, not just hide when it has the option - https://bugs.launchpad.net/hundredpapercuts/+bug/1059909

Compiz

• The "wiggle" effect for attention is not showy enough, and worse, "wiggles" a couple of times and then stops.

• When switching in-app windows (alt+|), sometimes the windows got swapped on the list find a way to reproduce it

• As shift+alt+up spreads windows, shift+alt+down should show all workspace (along with super+s). ^quantal

• Spread windows (super+w) should show the windows on all workspaces.
• Compiz Grid treats all resized windows like maximized windows. That brings some oddities, for example, if you drag a "put right" window to the left, the window did not restores to their original size; if you do the "drag down" gesture (like maximized), the window restores.

• Some problems with windows sizes and their position on the workspace - https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/compiz/+bug/1038785

• Active window indicator on the "spread" (super+w) mode is not showy enough - https://bugs.launchpad.net/hundredpapercuts/+bug/1053379 ^{fixed on quantal}

• Modal windows focus and workspace assignaion - https://bugs.launchpad.net/hundredpapercuts/+bug/391479

  • Modal windows should open on their parent's viewport.
  • Modal windows should not steal focus if parents were not focused.
  • Unfocused modal windows should fire an alert on the launcher.

  • All windows of the same app should try to share the same desktop - https://bugs.launchpad.net/hundredpapercuts/+bug/391479/comments/10

Nautilus

• Using split window (F3) there is no indication which window is the active - https://bugs.launchpad.net/hundredpapercuts/+bug/1052481

Ubuntu Software Center

• When you activate a software source while tring to install a software. The progress indicator kicks in, then stops, and for a long time nothing seems to happen. If you keep waiting eventually the software info page autorefresh.

Trackpad (Synaptics Clickpad)

• Buttons not working.^quantal

• Vertical and horizontal resolution uneven.

• No edgemtion while dragging objects (update: this works, but seems very slow).

Apps

• On a I5 Arrendale, Gwibber is unnusable — https://bugs.launchpad.net/hundredpapercuts/+bug/828593

• Brasero behaves very bad creating DVD projects.

Changes/Improvements on 12.10

• Shift+alt+up is not longer mapped as "spread windows".
• By default, only running applications have color backgrounds on the Launcher, (which is good).
• Synaptics clickpad works a lot better out-of-the-box.