How about an option in the custom settings for install in hotsync?
-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Hartman [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Friday, January 07, 2000 10:10
To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]'
Subject: RE: 3.5 BUG - Launcher forgets app's category when loading in POS E
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bob Ebert [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
>
> At 6:08 PM +0100 6-01-00, Richard Hartman wrote:
> >Why not give the user the option to stop this himself?
>
> In general, Palm philosophy is to give the user fewer options.
>
> No, I'm serious! Keep reading.
>
> Whenever the proposal comes up to add a user option, we ask
> ourselves "how
> will most people set this option?" Usually, it's clear that
> almost every
> user will want it one way. (Or at least we feel it's clear.) So, we
> implement only that way.
>
> The result is you only have to write one set of code, and the user
> interface is much simpler, and people don't have to figure
> out what a bunch
> of settings are for, and there aren't so many prefs panels.
> Less is more,
> in this case. Less code = fewer bugs, faster time to
> market, smaller ROM,
> quicker updates, less testing, better performance, longer
> battery life,
> etc. (But, don't tell Microsoft -- they still think Windows
> on handhelds
> is a good idea!)
>
> In this case, if the user doesn't like where an application
> gets filed,
> they can simply re-file it. Loading applications is not
> something the vast
> majority of users do very often. (I realize it's a LOT more
> common for the
> users on this mailing list -- we are all power users after
> all, but then,
> we probably all use 3rd party app launchers that have other features
> anyway.)
>
> Anyway, that's just how we thought of it, it's not
> necessarily 'right'. :-)
>
I have to agree ... in this case you didn't get it "right".
"Right" was the way it was -- it got dumped in Unfiled, and
the use could put it where he wanted afterwards.
What you didn't consider is twofold:
1) finding the @#$@& thing -- right now I always know
where to look to find a newly loaded app (simpler
is better, right? less confusing to the user?)
2) configuring out unwanted categories -- you are making
me do extra work to remove categories that I never
wanted in the first place.
Basically, when you evaluated "how will most users
set this option" I think you miscalculated, big time.
Most users will -not- want to do housecleaning every
time an app creates a new category for itself.
But to your first premise, I agree -- simpler is better.
Unfortunately, simpler is what you had >before< this new
concept reared it's ugly head. Since you are bringing this
new concept in, you need to smooth off the rough edges.
Your work is only half done so far.
--
-Richard M. Hartman
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
186,000 mi./sec ... not just a good idea, it's the LAW!
