What's up about Plasma-MID?
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Plasma and Netbooks Improving netbooks interfaces Artur Duque de Souza - MoRpHeUz July/2009, GCDS
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Today we have a lot of different netbooks out there but all of them fail to deliver a good user experience because the people behind netbooks tend to think as it being a small desktop or a big 'pocket computer'. Plasma-MID is all about this: deliver the desktop shell of the future (Plasma) and a custom experience without losing identity with the 'full version' of KDE. During my talk I'll show different concepts and ideas taken from various existing MID devices and where their interfaces failed to give the user an ideal experience. I'll also go through the most common use cases and show the results of research regarding linux, netbooks and what really matters to the end user. The current status of linux based netbooks and the current status of the Plasma-MID project will also be shown, with a live demo and explanations about the solutions for the problems we found during our research.
Transcript of What's up about Plasma-MID?
Plasma and NetbooksImproving netbooks interfacesArtur Duque de Souza - MoRpHeUzJuly/2009, GCDS
Agenda
• Introduction• Important bits
• Panels• Desktops• Virtual Desktops• Activities
• Conclusions
Who are we?
• Nokia research institute in Brazil - INdT• openBossa - FOSS stream at INdT• Collaborating with Qt Software / KDE:
• Qt Kinetic <- that’s us :-)• Qt Webkit• Plasma Netbook <- that’s us :-)• ItemViews-NG
About me...
• Open Source developer since 1997• Graduated at UNICAMP - Brazil• Worked for IBM (Linux Technology Center)• Works for INdT (openBossa stream)• Contributions: Canola2, MythTV, HLBR, EFL,Maemo, MPlayer, KDE, etc.
• Plasma developer
Sed
sed s/mid/netbook/
NPD Research
• Online survey: 600 people• 60% thought the netbook could perform as wellas notebook
• 65% of 18-24 year-olds were disappointed
18-24 year-old people are the people that most buynetbooks
Netbook vs Notebook
• Definition• Intel definition:
’’...netbooks are for media consumption andnotebooks for media creation...’’
Netbook vs Notebook
• Definition• Intel definition:
’’...netbooks are for media consumption andnotebooks for media creation...’’
Important bits
• Panels• Desktop• Activities and Virtual Desktops
The Panel
Why do I need a Panel?
Panels are the perfect place to show information thatthe user needs to see all the time
• Clock• Systray (Notification)• Taskbar• Application Launcher
Panels vs Wasted Pixels
Panels + window decorations can be a problem...
Table: Wasted Height (pixels)
Windows XP KDE GNOMEWindow Decorations 25 20 24
Panel 35 35 24Total 60 55 48
Panel’s Location
Where should I put my panel ?
Panel at the top
Figure: Top panel and window decorations
Figure: Top panel and no window decorations
Figure: Top panel with autohide on
Plasma Netbook panel
• Panel at the top• Simpler: less code, less overhead• Space is optimized• Special applets: new taskbar (show windowseffect), window handler
ShowWindows Effect As Taskbar
The Desktop
The first desktop concept...
...a new concept...
1995: Windows created a concept that everybodyfollowed...
...until KDE 4
KDE4 Desktop
• Items are real-world objects• Desktop being useful: plasmoids• It’s beautiful ;)
Netbook Remix andMoblin
Misuse of the desktop
Figure: Netbook remix: Just a launcher
Average User
• Average user uses the desktop as a launcher• Research with non-geek users: ’I use this waybecause that’s the only way I know’
• The discovery of KRunner
Search & Launch activity
• Uses all the power of KRunner• Complex queries: user can search for what hewants
• Predefined queries: applications, multimedia, etc.• Favourite Strip to save queries• DISCLAIMER: the interface is not ready, it will notbe a ’stretched KRunner’
Search & Launch Activity
Virtual Desktops & Activities
Virtual Desktops
• Well known for KDE/Gnome/X... users• When users discover virtual desktops they justlove it :)
• Moblin: Virtual Desktops == Zones
Activities
• Containers of widgets• Different set of widgets for each context: home,work, travel, etc.
• Activity tied to a Virtual Desktop: union of twogreat features
• Integration with Nepomuk!• Perfect for small devices
Newspaper activity
• Column centric layout• Simple concept for average user: it’s easy tounderstand
• It’s better to use the available space
Newspaper activity
Applications vsWidgets
When should we use one or another?
Plasma IDEAS
Plasma Ideas - Summary
• Aimed for the average user, not KDE hackers• Simpler Panel• Newspaper activity• SAL activity: Search and Launch
Social Desktop
It will help KDE community to get in touch.Specially average users
Qt Labs America
• Qt / KDE place in America, starting in Brazil• Promotion and mentoring of FOSS projects• Tech-days in universities• Working together with KDE
Acknowledgements
• Celeste• Aaron Seigo• Marco Martin• Nuno Pinheiro• KDE e.V.• Trolls• Plasma team and KDE community• Reviewers: Leo Franchi, Richmoore and Alex Spehr
Questions?
Artur de Souza (MoRpHeUz)[email protected]
[email protected]://blog.morpheuz.cc
Freenode #qt-kinetic #plasma
Thanks !
