Hi,
On Thu, Feb 02, 2012 at 08:39:17AM +0200, Alex V. Koval wrote:
>
> Hi All,
>
> At first BIG thanks for authors for creating such an excellent product!
>
> I would like to share my 1-week experience here, because I think it
> is relevant for authours to understand what/how novices think. My
> impressions
> are fresh now, but the more I became used to, the less I will notice
> the small but important differencies which novice users need.
>
> What I explain is neigher critics, neither wishes to implement. It
> is as-is, just the impressions of new user, and please do your own
> judgement
> and conclusions if anything from said below is important for you
> and strategically for i3.
>
> Things I've noticed:
>
> 1) There are no good explation of stacking mode in the video screencast
> and docs.
I found the documentation pretty easy to follow and understand,
but then again never used stacking mode.
>
> 2) "Resize" section of default config file is too complicated. I've come
> with much better solution for me, it is very easy to remember:
+1, but on the other hand, resizing for me has always involved
the mouse.
>
> # resize
> bindsym Mod4+Mod1+Left resize shrink right 3 px or 3 ppt
> bindsym Mod4+Mod1+Right resize grow right 3 px or 3 ppt
> bindsym Mod4+Mod1+Control+Right resize shrink left 3 px or 3 ppt
> bindsym Mod4+Mod1+Control+Left resize grow left 3 px or 3 ppt
> bindsym Mod4+Mod1+Up resize shrink down 3 px or 3 ppt
> bindsym Mod4+Mod1+Down resize grow down 3 px or 3 ppt
> bindsym Mod4+Mod1+Control+Down resize shrink up 3 px or 3 ppt
> bindsym Mod4+Mod1+Control+Up resize grow up 3 px or 3 ppt
>
> P.S. May be I just don't get the defaule resize mode. I've tried
> it a few times and later just disabled it because were unable to learn
> it fast.
>
> 3) [minor issue ]Modkey + jkl - difficult to re-learn after xmonad,
> awesome and others which have assigned different meanings for those keys
> by default
I also come from 3 years of using xmonad, but the ModKey+jkl;?
is there as well enabled by default (see bellow).
You can cycle windows wih ``vi'' like bindings.
The only thing which is weird is because ModKey+h is bind
to horiz split.
Maybe here we can enable a default ``vi'' window splitting as
well ? (binding ModKey+s for horiz and ModKey+v for vertical
-- though I think I had to replace other modifier as it was
already taken).
This the key word here is default configuration, by default
I mean the simplest configuration file you can have -- if
for instance I delete my configuration file, i3 should
assume implicit values as explained in the manual.
>
> 4) [minor] I can not find the shortcut for Alt-Tab. Simple, this
> should be ability
> to cycle windows on current desktop. Most of newcoming users would feel
> bad without it.
+1, at first was pressing this pretty intensive, it seems I
never realized until ``now'' how much I used that.
>
> 5) [minor] Floating mode for the whole desktop. Let me explain.
> Tiling & stacking
> are very good for hard work, where all space is occupied
> by different windows. But there are situations when I don't need
> this. Sometimes I want to see my nice background and a few floating
> windows over it. It would be good to have such a mode for desktop,
> as a fallback for a typical user to normal work.
I think floating should be ``enabled'' before window/container
creation -- let's say I want this workspace to have floating
mode switch to that then all windows in that workspace can be
smartly sized placed.
>
> The other argument: I use to put very nice background on my desktop,
> and would never see it if I always work in tiling.
>
> It is also _very_ important IMO if we would ever have floating
> mode for desktop, it should support 'smart' window placement. I've
> explained
> what I mean in this video: http://youtu.be/eS-mchtzJsg but generally it
> means
> the following: place window in biggest onuccupied space on current screen.
>
> 6) *Always* pressing Modkey+H, Modkey+V before every next program open is
> overkill. I think more smart would be to cycle this. Why? Because now
> every
> next window open always have bigger ratio X*Y where it is comfortable to
> work
> with apps in square. So, what I mean, exactly, I think it would be helpful
> if:
> 6.1. Mod+enter - opens terminal on full screen
> 6.2. Mod+enter - opens terminal split vertically
> 6.3. Mod+enter (without Modkey+v) opens new terminal split horizontally
>
> etc... Because I always tend to do it this way. I don't see big necessity
> to open tall narrow terminals.
I also vote on this, but I have to say that after some
time, I find it more normal/natural this way, as you arrange
your layout as you may seem fit -- but of course having a
default ``smart'' spiral layout sounds great, the issue for
me here would be to keep this layout after windows/containers
are destroyed not having to do it all over again.
>
> 6.4. Next one should open horizontally.
>
> Looks like we come up to somehow called 'spiral' layout, but its
> smarter because
> when you switch to other window, it would continue splitting this way.
You have consistent behaviour which we humans seem to value
and care.
>
> 7) Its very pity that dmenu does not remember previous choice. It
> would be great
> to improve this part of dmenu.
Unfortunately suckless-tools is another project.
>
> 8) Until there are serious bugs remain, like dying tray applications (
> http://bugs.i3wm.org/report/ticket/550) it would be diffcult to advertize
> i3. I am upset that such great window manager still don't get great
> public attention (like I don't see it in Google Trends), but may be
> its not a right time. When everything will be very stable, I will
> try publish an article about it in habr (21523 readers) for russian
> speaking ppl.
Never had this issue, and it seems stable enough to go
from a 3 year xmonad productive configuration in just
a day pretty nice.
>
> Again, please don't treat this as critics, no way! You have created
> one of the greatest products around, and I hope that my first impressions
> will tell you something about new users mind :)
I do feel the same way, great job!
>
> Best Regards,
>
> --
> Alex V. Koval
>
--
m3s0n dot 3 dot 14 at gmail dot com
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