Personally, I'm quite happy BibDesk has stayed far, far away from the "Delicious Generation" look of apps coming out these days which have a pretty facade, but then have serious usability and functionality problems. (see: Papers) When a better UI improves functionality or workflow, I'm all for it, but when I need to get things done, BibDesk is the most valuable application I use.
-A On Jun 13, 2007, at 10:42 AM, Michael McCracken wrote: > Hi, > > Indeed the developers of Papers have done a great job with their app, > especially with the UI. I have a lot of respect for the effort and > taste > it takes to make a well designed UI. The ADA rules actually did spell > out the weighting of aesthetics, it was as follows: > >> BEST MAC OS X SCIENTIFIC COMPUTING SOLUTION >> >> * - 10% PLATFORM INNOVATION >> * - 15% USER EXPERIENCE >> * - 15% TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION >> * - 30% PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION >> * - 10% USE OF OPEN SOURCE >> * - 10% AUTOMATION >> * - 10% SHARING AND INTEGRATION > > Interesting, to say the least. > > About your comments re: BibDesk's present UI - I've heard a few > comments recently > that BibDesk is either getting old or was never all that pretty. > I actually think it's aging well, but there certainly are a few spots > where we're using less current UI elements, and a few places where > a redesign would be nice (I'm thinking of the publication edit > window). > > The changes you suggest require programming more than design (although > no small amount of design) and developer time is really short. > > My suggestion to BibDesk users who would like to see it clean up a bit > for the modern OS X era is to either dig into the code themselves, or > try and find a student who needs a project to show off and convince > them > to help out - kind of like a small-scale google summer of code. If > you know > a CS undergrad who's a real Apple fanboy and wants to work there, > tell them we've got tons of fancy UI ideas they could work on to show > off their chops :) > > On the other hand, if you're just talking about graphic elements and > icons, > that just costs money, and there's already a donation process at > sourceforge you could use to donate for new icons. > > Thanks, > -mike > > > On Jun 13, 2007, at 10:15 AM, P Kishor wrote: > >> Hi Michael, >> >> Just 20 seconds before I got your email, I got done checking the >> awards page, and saw Papers on that (congratulations to them). >> >> I haven't tried Papers recently, but I did try it a while back. It >> was >> very buggy, but it was well designed. >> >> I believe BibDesk is a more robust and capable product, but my sense >> is that the Apple Design Awards place quite a bit of weight on >> aesthetics and looks, and not just on capabilities. >> >> I am not going to shoot down Papers for its capabilities because I >> don't know where it stands right now, but it was a good looking app. >> If they have improved its capabilities, they have made a fine app. >> >> BibDesk is a damn fine product for its capabilities, but IMO, it >> could >> be improved greatly in the direction of the kind of aesthetics that >> modern Cocoa products have come to embrace -- see Coda, Delicious >> Library, CSSEdit, etc. These folks have spent a huge amount of effort >> on the icons and art work. This is where BibDesk could improve. >> Unfortunately, while I can appreciate good art, I am unable to create >> it. If some of our users are inclined that way, and want to help out, >> it would be great. Or, perhaps some designer like Jon Hicks >> (hicksdesign.com) who supports open source might want to help out. >> >> In the meantime, I continue to use BibDesk as my one and only bib >> solution. >> >> On 6/13/07, Michael McCracken <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>> Hi, we submitted BibDesk for an apple design award this year, and >>> since I didn't make >>> it to WWDC to hear in person, I just found out this morning that we >>> didn't win it. >>> (Although I understand they tell you ahead of time if you win) >>> >>> The category we entered was "best mac os x scientific computing >>> product" and >>> Papers from mekentosj.com won in that category. >>> >>> It's strange because I thought it was a weird category for a >>> bibliographic app, >>> but I guess at least this meant I picked that right. >>> >>> Cheers, >>> -mike >>> >>> >>> -------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> - >>> ---- >>> This SF.net email is sponsored by DB2 Express >>> Download DB2 Express C - the FREE version of DB2 express and take >>> control of your XML. No limits. Just data. Click to get it now. >>> http://sourceforge.net/powerbar/db2/ >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Bibdesk-users mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/bibdesk-users >>> >> >> >> -- >> Puneet Kishor http://punkish.eidesis.org/ >> Nelson Inst. for Env. Studies, UW-Madison http://www.nelson.wisc.edu/ >> Open Source Geospatial Foundation http://www.osgeo.org/education/ >> --------------------------------------------------------------------- >> collaborate, communicate, compete >> ===================================================================== >> >> --------------------------------------------------------------------- >> - >> --- >> This SF.net email is sponsored by DB2 Express >> Download DB2 Express C - the FREE version of DB2 express and take >> control of your XML. No limits. Just data. Click to get it now. >> http://sourceforge.net/powerbar/db2/ >> _______________________________________________ >> Bibdesk-users mailing list >> [email protected] >> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/bibdesk-users > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > --- > This SF.net email is sponsored by DB2 Express > Download DB2 Express C - the FREE version of DB2 express and take > control of your XML. No limits. Just data. Click to get it now. > http://sourceforge.net/powerbar/db2/ > _______________________________________________ > Bibdesk-users mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/bibdesk-users > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This SF.net email is sponsored by DB2 Express Download DB2 Express C - the FREE version of DB2 express and take control of your XML. No limits. Just data. 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