Rockbox Development > Feature Ideas
user interface suggestions
dumbo777:
The good news is that Rockbox has added many features and one can do many things with this application.
The bad news from a user interface perspective is that users must do many things to play songs. The current user interface has become so cluttered that nothing is intuitive, which raises a very high bar for the user manual to clearly explain things that the current manual does not meet.
Rather than making the user manual even longer to explain everything clearly, I recommend a radical simplification of the user interface so that it is far easier to just playback songs via track, album, genre, or other simple tag. Place all other functions behind the appropriate menu that a user can avoid to just play songs.
A typical user interface test is to hand a device to a profient tech user who is unfamiliar with your device, and see if they can figure out how to do simple things without reading a manual. I love the intent and performance of rockbox, but the current user interface fails this basic test.
If Rockbox is content with the current number of users and new users are not a priority, then there is no need to do this, but this would be vey helpful in attracting new users.
thanks for considering this.
gevaerts:
--- Quote from: dumbo777 on March 23, 2011, 12:20:14 PM ---The current user interface has become so cluttered that nothing is intuitive,
--- End quote ---
That's of course because nothing is intuitive.
--- Quote ---Rather than making the user manual even longer to explain everything clearly, I recommend a radical simplification of the user interface so that it is far easier to just playback songs via track, album, genre, or other simple tag. Place all other functions behind the appropriate menu that a user can avoid to just play songs.
--- End quote ---
This would mean making the database the primary interface. A majority of developers don't use the database at all. You'll have a very hard time convincing people that this is anything other than a regression.
--- Quote ---A typical user interface test is to hand a device to a profient tech user who is unfamiliar with your device, and see if they can figure out how to do simple things without reading a manual. I love the intent and performance of rockbox, but the current user interface fails this basic test.
--- End quote ---
Does it? I don't remember having to read the manual to play audio when I started using rockbox.
--- Quote ---If Rockbox is content with the current number of users and new users are not a priority, then there is no need to do this, but this would be vey helpful in attracting new users.
--- End quote ---
Basically most developers don't care much about the number of users. We want rockbox to be something we enjoy using. If other people like it too, that's a bonus.
--- Quote ---thanks for considering this.
--- End quote ---
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I know what I said above may sound a bit harsh, and I don't want to make you feel unwelcome, but I also don't want to mislead you about what I perceive the project to be about.
AlexP:
The current interface is somewhat cluttered, but purely because there are so many options. If you feel that the manual is lacking, then please supply us with patches to make it better. We spend a lot of time on it, and feel that it is pretty good compared to most projects - however it could always be better. Rather than just saying it is bad, how about helping make it better?
The database will not become the default user interface. A large majority of developers don't use it, and not forcing people to use a database type system is what many people like about Rockbox. If have my music organised how I like it thanks :)
I also managed to play music without the manual. What does sometimes confuse people is the freedom; we sometimes get questions such as where to put the music because people are so used to being forced into doing what manufacturer X thinks they should do.
Anyway, of course improving things would be nice, but hiding everything away and forcing the database on people isn't the answer.
Llorean:
--- Quote ---Rather than making the user manual even longer to explain everything clearly, I recommend a radical simplification of the user interface so that it is far easier to just playback songs via track, album, genre, or other simple tag. Place all other functions behind the appropriate menu that a user can avoid to just play songs.
--- End quote ---
I'm curious what things aren't behind menus that are making it have overwhelmingly too many options. If you start the player, you'll find the choice to browse the file browser or database, either of which leads to your songs. You'll also find options to get to the menus where the settings are. Isn't this having the remainder of options behind appropriate menus?
It's not like the player starts into a huge list of every possible setting.
bluebrother:
--- Quote from: Llorean on March 23, 2011, 01:47:17 PM ---I'm curious what things aren't behind menus that are making it have overwhelmingly too many options. If you start the player, you'll find the choice to browse the file browser or database, either of which leads to your songs. You'll also find options to get to the menus where the settings are. Isn't this having the remainder of options behind appropriate menus?
It's not like the player starts into a huge list of every possible setting.
--- End quote ---
That's exactly what I though when I read this thread. Oh, and we had some "simplification" in the past: the player did start up in the file browser, so you can immediately navigate the the correct folder and play the file you want. I don't see any way to make this simpler. But since people want a main menu Rockbox now starts in the main menu, not the file browser anymore. You can set the file browser as startup screen though.
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