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Posted to dev@openoffice.apache.org by Rory O'Farrell <of...@iol.ie> on 2012/09/13 10:34:17 UTC
Confusion between Macs and the rest of the world?
In most implementations of OpenOffice the configuration information is accessed through /Tools /Options. On a Mac, this information is accessible through Preferences. This other path causes great confusion for Mac users when the problem advisor does not notice the use of the different operating system.
Is there any reason why Macs use that path, and would it be possible to use the conventional /Tools /Options path on new builds, instead of, or as well as, the usual Preferences path on Macs?
--
Rory O'Farrell <of...@iol.ie>
Re: Confusion between Macs and the rest of the world?
Posted by Ian Lynch <ia...@gmail.com>.
On 13 September 2012 10:23, Jürgen Schmidt <jo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 9/13/12 10:48 AM, Rory O'Farrell wrote:
>> On Thu, 13 Sep 2012 10:44:46 +0200
>> Raphael Bircher <rb...@apache.org> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi
>>>
>>> Am 13.09.12 10:34, schrieb Rory O'Farrell:
>>>> In most implementations of OpenOffice the configuration information is accessed through /Tools /Options. On a Mac, this information is accessible through Preferences. This other path causes great confusion for Mac users when the problem advisor does not notice the use of the different operating system.
>>>>
>>>> Is there any reason why Macs use that path, and would it be possible to use the conventional /Tools /Options path on new builds, instead of, or as well as, the usual Preferences path on Macs?
>>>>
>>> Mac has UI Guide Lines who are much stronger then on many other Systems.
>>> One of this Guide line is to keep any settings in the Preferences. It's
>>> on the same places on any Mac Programm. You confuse all experianced Mac
>>> Users, if you change this.
>>>
>>> So a big -100 from my side.
>>>
>>> We should maybe create a Tutorial about the differences.
>>>
>>> Greetings Raphael
>>>
>> Thank you for the explanation, Raphael. Would it be a good idea to provide _as well_ the standard /Tools /Options? Then Mac users would have the best of both worlds!
>
> I don't think so but we can do better to explain such useful
> differentiation. Our goal should be to keep the UI simple or better to
> make it more intuitive.
+1 - Already menus have so many options it is difficult to find things.
In principle better to reduce lists and replace with graphical
dialogue boxes with context sensitive help.
> We have many features that are not easy to find
> yet and before we duplicate entries I would prefer to use the space for
> something else.
>
> In this specific case I think that Mac Users are aware of this
> difference and of course would expect it where it is now. See for
> example Firefox where it is done in the same way. We want to be a good
> citizen on the Mac platform and will integrate in the best way we can.
> There is still work to do.
>
> Juergen
--
Ian
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Re: Confusion between Macs and the rest of the world?
Posted by Jürgen Schmidt <jo...@gmail.com>.
On 9/13/12 10:48 AM, Rory O'Farrell wrote:
> On Thu, 13 Sep 2012 10:44:46 +0200
> Raphael Bircher <rb...@apache.org> wrote:
>
>> Hi
>>
>> Am 13.09.12 10:34, schrieb Rory O'Farrell:
>>> In most implementations of OpenOffice the configuration information is accessed through /Tools /Options. On a Mac, this information is accessible through Preferences. This other path causes great confusion for Mac users when the problem advisor does not notice the use of the different operating system.
>>>
>>> Is there any reason why Macs use that path, and would it be possible to use the conventional /Tools /Options path on new builds, instead of, or as well as, the usual Preferences path on Macs?
>>>
>> Mac has UI Guide Lines who are much stronger then on many other Systems.
>> One of this Guide line is to keep any settings in the Preferences. It's
>> on the same places on any Mac Programm. You confuse all experianced Mac
>> Users, if you change this.
>>
>> So a big -100 from my side.
>>
>> We should maybe create a Tutorial about the differences.
>>
>> Greetings Raphael
>>
> Thank you for the explanation, Raphael. Would it be a good idea to provide _as well_ the standard /Tools /Options? Then Mac users would have the best of both worlds!
I don't think so but we can do better to explain such useful
differentiation. Our goal should be to keep the UI simple or better to
make it more intuitive. We have many features that are not easy to find
yet and before we duplicate entries I would prefer to use the space for
something else.
In this specific case I think that Mac Users are aware of this
difference and of course would expect it where it is now. See for
example Firefox where it is done in the same way. We want to be a good
citizen on the Mac platform and will integrate in the best way we can.
There is still work to do.
Juergen
Re: Confusion between Macs and the rest of the world?
Posted by Raphael Bircher <rb...@apache.org>.
Am 13.09.12 10:48, schrieb Rory O'Farrell:
> On Thu, 13 Sep 2012 10:44:46 +0200
> Raphael Bircher <rb...@apache.org> wrote:
>
>> Hi
>>
>> Am 13.09.12 10:34, schrieb Rory O'Farrell:
>>> In most implementations of OpenOffice the configuration information is accessed through /Tools /Options. On a Mac, this information is accessible through Preferences. This other path causes great confusion for Mac users when the problem advisor does not notice the use of the different operating system.
>>>
>>> Is there any reason why Macs use that path, and would it be possible to use the conventional /Tools /Options path on new builds, instead of, or as well as, the usual Preferences path on Macs?
>>>
>> Mac has UI Guide Lines who are much stronger then on many other Systems.
>> One of this Guide line is to keep any settings in the Preferences. It's
>> on the same places on any Mac Programm. You confuse all experianced Mac
>> Users, if you change this.
>>
>> So a big -100 from my side.
>>
>> We should maybe create a Tutorial about the differences.
>>
>> Greetings Raphael
>>
> Thank you for the explanation, Raphael. Would it be a good idea to provide _as well_ the standard /Tools /Options? Then Mac users would have the best of both worlds!
>
If I'm not wrong you can do this with changing a option in the profile
Folder. But Enable both is not a good option for my point of view. And
this is not the only difference. There are also same different
shortcuts. A native Printing dialoge. A native Spellchecker, and same
other minor things. On Linux you have also same special features. In the
past we try to use OS Specific things, but avoid to have a compleet
different look and feel. A Thing that is not easy and get also harder in
future, I think.
Greetings Raphael
Re: Confusion between Macs and the rest of the world?
Posted by Rory O'Farrell <of...@iol.ie>.
On Thu, 13 Sep 2012 10:44:46 +0200
Raphael Bircher <rb...@apache.org> wrote:
> Hi
>
> Am 13.09.12 10:34, schrieb Rory O'Farrell:
> > In most implementations of OpenOffice the configuration information is accessed through /Tools /Options. On a Mac, this information is accessible through Preferences. This other path causes great confusion for Mac users when the problem advisor does not notice the use of the different operating system.
> >
> > Is there any reason why Macs use that path, and would it be possible to use the conventional /Tools /Options path on new builds, instead of, or as well as, the usual Preferences path on Macs?
> >
> Mac has UI Guide Lines who are much stronger then on many other Systems.
> One of this Guide line is to keep any settings in the Preferences. It's
> on the same places on any Mac Programm. You confuse all experianced Mac
> Users, if you change this.
>
> So a big -100 from my side.
>
> We should maybe create a Tutorial about the differences.
>
> Greetings Raphael
>
Thank you for the explanation, Raphael. Would it be a good idea to provide _as well_ the standard /Tools /Options? Then Mac users would have the best of both worlds!
--
Rory O'Farrell <of...@iol.ie>
Re: Confusion between Macs and the rest of the world?
Posted by Raphael Bircher <rb...@apache.org>.
Hi
Am 13.09.12 10:34, schrieb Rory O'Farrell:
> In most implementations of OpenOffice the configuration information is accessed through /Tools /Options. On a Mac, this information is accessible through Preferences. This other path causes great confusion for Mac users when the problem advisor does not notice the use of the different operating system.
>
> Is there any reason why Macs use that path, and would it be possible to use the conventional /Tools /Options path on new builds, instead of, or as well as, the usual Preferences path on Macs?
>
Mac has UI Guide Lines who are much stronger then on many other Systems.
One of this Guide line is to keep any settings in the Preferences. It's
on the same places on any Mac Programm. You confuse all experianced Mac
Users, if you change this.
So a big -100 from my side.
We should maybe create a Tutorial about the differences.
Greetings Raphael