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Ubuntu 14.04 Brings Back Menus In Application Windows
sfcrazy writes "Canonical is bringing back menu integration with application windows. In 14.04 there will be an option for users to enable menus in application windows. That's a huge u-turn from Mark's stand on Global Menus which upset a lot of Ubuntu users."
..or maybe they still work fine yet don't fit your personal aesthetic.
They probably do work fine but the problem is that "work fine" is usually just "works whatever way you are already used to" and that leads to systems that are not user friendly, of course the inverse of that is also often true. Remember going from command line to GUI? From physical keyboard to touch keyboard? The original systems still have their place which is why it is nice that they still exist so you can choose to use them (command line in ubuntu for example or desktop in windows 8) but there are always groups who will resist change because they dont see a benefit in even having the option to use the new way even if they never use it.
There's been a disturbing trend in tech lately to sacrifice even the most basic functionality in favor of "fresh", glitzy interfaces, a trend I certainly won't miss when it has passed. I think we're all familiar with one very obvious example, you may very well be looking at it right now...
iOS 7? Yes actually and while that is a change for the sake of change it got rid of a lot of pointless elements while adding a few gimmicky animations and such, yes it was a change to a "fresh" and slightly more glitzy interface but overall I prefer it to the earlier versions even though naturally the change did take some getting used to and was less efficient initially because it was different as is the way with all change.
I'm all for software or gadgets looking good, or even completely different from earlier versions of the same basic idea, as long as it doesn't sacrifice basic functionality or usability for aesthetic reasons.
Thats why I like that windows 8.1 got rid of all that glass crap everywhere and i dont really touch any metro stuff since none of the applications i use have metro versions and i have always used windows in the same way i use my mac so i dont need the start menu on windows or the launchpad on osx. Overall that one was a fairly positive change, only real issue was that search is now the windows key+s rather than just the windows key and a lot of the stuff that was a pain to get to before can now be easily accessed by right-clicking the start button and i sometimes forget that and search instead.
I think I've broken the Slashdot code! 'Insightful' must mean, 'agrees with my prejudices'.