From: Thomas H. <thu...@co...> - 2001-03-05 17:10:19
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"SANDFORT,PAT (HP-Boise,ex1)" wrote: > > > From a user ergonomics standpoint, I like the fact that > > the currrent gpr pops up a single window, through which > > I can handle most tasks. If I'm required to pop up a > > second window before I can print, that could slow me down. > > I agree - the Windoze side requires other action (with Properties), > and most people never even use it (because they don't know what > it is!). However, by the same token, if these users don't know what "Properties" are, can they be expected to know what "Resolution" and "N-up" are? My argument is precisely that this "Properties" window will rarely need to be accessed, as the majority of "clueless" printers just hit the "Print" button anyway. For the users who do need to access the properties (and who understand them), it doesn't seem overly burdensome to open this window. Even users who access the more advanced features of the printer with regularity can save these settings so that they rarely have to look at the "Properties" dialog. My belief is that the basic user interface shouldn't be burdened with infrequently used "advanced" items, but that they should be accessible nonetheless. I don't think this will really slow too many people down, but that's obviously subject to argument! If this two-window approach is adopted, it may make sense to move some of the items on the "Common Options" tab onto the main screen, since many of these items are frequently accessed (copy count, for instance). I think this would be a reasonable thing to do and may allay some concerns about two windows slowing users down. > > > I use gpr a lot, and have only a few pet peeves, the foremost > > being that, while it remembers setting for things like duplexing > > and tumbling, it doesn't remember that I usually print 2-up. > > That's easy to fix, though, unless others prefer it the way > > it currently works. > > I think customization to the degree of various sets of "settings" > would be nice. Then I could choose a default document type instead > of the same printer always having the same default settings. > I'm not sure I understand exactly what you mean. Are you suggesting that a few sets of settings should be "shipped" with the PPD or with GPr? For instance, each printer could automatically have presets for "default", "duplex" "2-up", etc. I think this would be a pretty good thing to have. Certainly, the non-printer specific items could be built-in to GPr, but the PPD-specific things would have to be somehow linked to the PPD. Actually, there are probably many ways that the presets/saved settings could be expanded and utilized. One idea Ben and I discussed awhile back was allowing the saved setting to be accessible from the command line. For instance, say you name a setting "2-up duplex" and associate with a LaserJet 8150 in GPr. Later, you could just type "lpr --someflag="2up duplex" myfile.ps" on the command line to utilize your presets. That's another good idea that was just never implemented (although there's no reason why we couldn't do it now). -- Thomas Hubbell CompuMetric Labs, Inc. thu...@co... |