** Description changed:
Binary package hint: compiz
The default Alt+Tab switcher ("Application Switcher") in Ubuntu/compiz
is badly designed from a usability point of view, and differs from the
alt-tab in metacity. Since the application swticher is a default feature
and fundamental feature of the desktop, I think this issue is important.
In metacity: when you alt+tab, previews of all windows are shown at
once, if necessary organised into multiple rows and shrunk to fit them
all on screen. The window previews stay in a fixed position, and as you
press Tab the highlight moves from one to the next. Because the windows
stay still and the selection moves it is easy to spot the window you are
moving to and to judge how far you are from it, and know when you have
arrived at it. Also, you immediately understand how many windows there
are, can quickly see how many windows of a given application there are,
and can easily see when your selection has moved past the last window
and back to the first. Basically, it works very well and should be taken
as an example of the correct behaviour.
In compiz:
1. Only three window previews appear on screen at once, regardless of
how many windows there are. This makes it impossible to see how many
windows you have open, or how many windows of a given app, without
cycling through them all and counting. And it means you don't easily
know when you have cycled back to the first window, you have to
recognise it when it comes around again.
2. The selection stays still, while the windows move. This makes it
difficult to find the window you want with your eyes, because they are
moving. It promotes a slow mode of use where you press tab, wait for the
next window preview to focus, look at it and decide what it is, then
either release alt or press tab again. (As opposed to just finding the
window you want with your eyes becuase they are all on screen, then
quickly pressing tab the right number of times to move the selection to
it.)
In both aspects compiz should be changed to match metacity.
A further improvement, Alt-Tab has two use cases.
- 1. The user is trying to find a window and switch to it. In this case the
window previews and window highlighting are useful.
- 2. The user knows which window is the previous one, and just wants to switch
to that. e.g. when switching repeatedly between two windows by just pressing
alt+tab quickly. In this case the window previews and highlights serve no
purpose except to make the screen flash in a disturbing way, especially if
either or both of the windows are maximised.
+ 1. The user is searching for a window to switch to. In this case the window
previews and window highlighting are useful.
+ 2. The user knows which window is the previous one, and just wants to switch
to that by pressing Alt+Tab once, for example when switching repeatedly between
two windows by just pressing alt+tab quickly. In this case the window previews
and highlights serve no purpose except to make the screen flash in a disturbing
way, especially if either or both of the windows are maximised.
There should be a brief delay before drawing the window previews and
highlights. If alt is still held after half a second, say, they will be
drawn. This would allow very quick switching to the previous window
without the screen flashing.
--
Compiz default Application Switcher (Alt+Tab) is difficult to use
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/220227
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