Dashboard usability

--On May 4, 2005 6:54:25 PM -0700 hjongtriview.nl wrote:

> I suspect this isn't the best solution. If I need a calculator, I want to
> display it next to whatever document I'm working on, instead of having it
> take over the entire screen. When application windows are side-by-side,
> switching between them is a simple matter of clicking in the window you
> want to work in. With Dashboard, you need to mouse to the Dock, or press
> a key. The same goes for things like Translator, Stickies, iTunes and
> more.

I haven't done extensive usage of Dashboard yet, but I do have a calculator
(PCalc - from the maker of DragThing) running all the time, and StickyBrain
running all the time. For most of my usage a dashboard widget would be
awesome. Usually when I want a calculator I want to bring to the front,
type in some other numbers from a application window that I can see, get
the result and paste that back into another window.

Same for StickyBrain. I want to search for a sticky, copy some info from
it, paste it into some other app. Or I'm checking off a todo item. I
don't really work back and forth between two windows very often (at least
with calculations or sticky notes).

PCalc spends 99% of it's time on my machine as a hidden app. StickyBrain
not hidden so much, but mainly because the sticky notes windowshade and are
easy to get out of the way. I have them both set to launch at login because
when I need them I don't want to watch an icon bounce around while it
launches. Dashboard widgets don't suffer from that

I'd love both apps to add a dashboard widget -- with the full app still
available for the few occasions I do need to work back and forth (or a
detachable widget).

On 4 May 2005, at 19:54 :25, hjongtriview.nl wrote:
> I suspect this isn't the best solution. If I need a calculator, I
> want to display it next
> to whatever document I'm working on, instead of having it take over
> the entire screen.

No, the calculator does not take over the entire screen, and your
documents are still visible. The dashboard LAYER takes over the
entire screen, but that layers is transparent.

> When application windows are side-by-side, switching between them
> is a simple matter of
> clicking in the window you want to work in. With Dashboard, you
> need to mouse to the Dock,
> or press a key.

No you don't. Clicking in any empty area (or a window in the
'background') of the screen hides the Dashboard layer.


--
"Don't be nice. It's Creepy." Tendo Akane

hjongtriview.nl said:

>If I need a calculator, I want to display it next
>to whatever document I'm working on, instead of having it take over the
>entire screen.


Which is possible with Apple's Widgets. Here is a tip on how to do it:

<http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20050422172929402&query=dashb
oard>



Randy B. Singer
Co-Author of: The Macintosh Bible (4th, 5th and 6th editions)

Routine OS X Maintenance and Generic Troubleshooting
http://www.macattorney.com/ts.html

On May 5, 2005, at 4:10 PM, Randy B. Singer wrote:

> Which is possible with Apple's Widgets. Here is a tip on how to do
> it:
>
> <http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?
> story=20050422172929402&query=dashb
> oard>

Or if you don't want to bother with the command line, there's this
from today's Macworld/Maccentral:

http://www.mesadynamics.com/amnesty.htm

Though, as the Macworld notes, it's still beta so there's a fairly
long list of "issues".

At 6:54 PM -0700 5/4/05, hjongtriview.nl wrote:
>I suspect this isn't the best solution. If I need a calculator, I
>want to display it next
>to whatever document I'm working on, instead of having it take over
>the entire screen.

I've been thinking about how I use dashboard over the last day or
two. I've pitched the clock, and moved all the other widgets to the
edges of the screen. This way I figure I'll still be able to see the
screen when I have the dashboard up, but I won't have to do any
rearranging.

(Put another way -- I'm trying how to make the tool fit me instead of
having me fit the tool..)

Nick

Someone else has already commented on the nonsensical behavior of the
calculator that allows you to do a calculation - but not see the
result when you click on the application window where you want to use
it. But at least you can "copy" and "paste" the result.

But what is the logical justification for having windows that can only be
seen when Dashboard is active? I mean, didn't we arrive at the
Multi-Finder about 15 years ago?

I just don't understand the arrogance that allows Apple to justify
violating their own rules in virtually every application they create.
The inconsistency is outrageous. Worse, it undermines their efforts
to bring new users to the Mac. You might as well have 15 different
companies writing this stuff. So where's the advantage of one
platform engineered by one company? It smells like an engineering
organization that isn't being managed.


Nick Pappas