Synchronisisng multiple locations

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IW3HMH
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Re: Synchronisisng multiple locations

Post by IW3HMH »

Well, coming back to the path of a constructive discussion :)

Terry has his own reasons on his side, you have some reasons on your one.

Log4om is a software made for hams, and this is clear. It's the evolution of 2 years of work and suggestions from users.
We have users with lack of view, users that cannot see some colours, users that have 4 monitor stacked one on top of the other and users that works with Log4OM with an ASUS EEPC with something like 800x600 screen resolution.

What i'm trying to say is that every solution (that doesn't pretend to be the best one) it's an accurate work listening user needs (mainly on the main user interface), to avoid cluttering the interface too much and providing a fast way to move between screen and informations.

If you try to fit all informations in the screen you posted, that is nice, keeping the Log4OM main screen size requirements you will find the center area pretty ugly. I have moved away from this restriction with a large use of tabbed screens, easily switchable with Function Keys, and this seems to work.

The line behind every choice, please take note of that is:

If you have a lot of monitor space, you can detach a lot of screens all around, and have all informations spreaded on the screen with all informations at your disposal
If you have a single, maybe small, monitor you should have ONE but READABLE information, and if you need you can switch to ANOTHER, but STILL READABLE information screen


This is my concept of usability. If you have a 1600 x 1200 it's obvious you could obtain some more informations in the same screen, but you can detach panels and use them.
This is something i'm taking into account for new release, but mobile panels it's not on my style.

Placing 3 (or 2) stacked panels in the center of the screen will compress the informations too much, with the need to SCROLL to see some BASIC informations (cluster is several columns long, and all those columns are useful). The most important space in the user interface, for grids, is the horizontal space and your solution, nice at a first view, doesn't allow grids to be useable.

Well, a solution exists, reducing fonts, but Log4OM is already using small fonts (and i apologize for that, to some old guys that wants to have a better interface for them) because the space is the most precious thing we have.

We will soon start a user poll to check what is the minimum user resolution for each one, checking if our initial requirements in minimum size are still needed or we can move to a bigger size.

73
Daniele IW3HMH
Daniele Pistollato - IW3HMH
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yt9tp
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Re: Synchronisisng multiple locations

Post by yt9tp »

I guess you misunderstood my suggestion. I did not ask to set interface as I like it. I suggested that you step up from mostly fixed user interface design that by definition has to make lots of compromises and turn to dynamic interface that will allow more flexible user interface that may be customized for various usage needs, thus, became more readable, easier to understand and use. And most important, that would cut compromises to a minimum. That also means there is no need to pool users what screen resolution they use as interface should be customized for any reasonable resolution.

Check out how complex software interfaces like those produced by Adobe or Corel or other vendors are solved. They invested lot of money to find solutions and there is a lot to learn from them.
YT9TP, op. Pedja, QTH Uzice, Serbia, http://www.yt9tp.iz.rs
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IW3HMH
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Re: Synchronisisng multiple locations

Post by IW3HMH »

I agree on your last statement, and sometimes they will produce good piece of software.
Unfortunately (or luckily) in our hobby we have a very very wide range of skills and ages. I personally work with a laptop at 1920x resolution (FULL HD). Fonts are really small, but i don't have troubles reading them.
In my "ideal software" the monitor is FULL HD, and almost everything fits a single screen, but when you see what users are using, and visual troubles of the Old Man we have in our user base you should agree we need to have a "useable" interface, with relatively big fonts and readable from everyone.

Another thing is usually the most complex and beautiful results requires expensive third party components that probably don't worth the expense, at our level

Have a nice day
73
Daniele
Daniele Pistollato - IW3HMH
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