Usability Review of OpenMoko GTK+ Applications

[Tim Newsom]

I like how android deals with this problem. Different types of software have different runtime expectations. Services last the longest, etc. From my very limited experience it seems that applications 'go to sleep' and are cached if the do not have focus. Later, when the system needs resources it reclaims memory from a dormant process (killing it). The hard part about that is you can't depend on the program existing at any point other than when your looking at it.
I call it the schrodinger programming paradigm.

--Tim

-----Original Message-----
From: Esben Damgaard <ebbe at skummer.com>
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2008 8:20 AM
To: openmoko-devel <openmoko-devel at lists.openmoko.org>
Subject: Re: Usability Review of OpenMoko GTK+ Applications

/snip
I like the idea of being able to see if the program is already running
in the application list. Though I'd still like the idea of having a list
of all running programs. This could be an application of it self.

But for some more hardcore stuff: You shouldn't have to close programs.
This is not good usability. Instead give the option, but if we run out
of ram, the OS should close the oldest program. But then a program
should be able to say to the OS that the program is meant to be running
for a long time.. Or maybe this is a bad idea..

But it is an idea all the same. Any thoughts on this from someone else?


Esben Damgaard