Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!iuvax!purdue!haven!udel!princeton!phoenix!bskendig
From: bskendig@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Brian Kendig)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: _Launch 2.0 Suggestions
Message-ID: <13077@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>
Date: 18 Jan 90 23:57:21 GMT
References: <1881@mrsvr.UUCP> <1990Jan17.174433.4896@smsc.sony.com> <13040@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> <1990Jan18.152648.6192@smsc.sony.com>
Reply-To: bskendig@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Brian Kendig)
Organization: Systems Engineering, NASA Space Station Freedom Project
Lines: 59

In article <1990Jan18.152648.6192@smsc.sony.com> dce@Sony.COM (David Elliott) writes:
>In article <13040@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> bskendig@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Brian Kendig) writes:
>>...  Maybe he should implement a `zoom' effect such as the
>>one in the Finder?
>
>To me, zooming is ugly.  I turn it off in the Finder, and when I see X
>window managers with it, I very quickly look for a way to turn it off.
>BTW, have people seen the INIT called SpiNit?  Kind of cute, in a weird
>sort of way.

I happen to really like the zooming effect.  I can't *stand* SpiNit.
Each to his own, I suppose.

>Enhancing the icon in some way or another, just as the Finder does
>when you double-click on an icon, is useful without being annoying.
>Zooming is a good idea, as long as it can be turned off.

The Finder doesn't enhance the icon at all when you double-click on it.

Although I'm strongly pro-zooming, perhaps having zooming be an option
might be the best route to take.

>>>It would also be nice if _Launch had a mode in which it did an
>>>auto-"Set Aside" after it runs.  It could either do this by
>>>selecting the menu item in MF 6.1b[79], or by hiding its window
>>>when it isn't in the foreground, and maybe supplying a small
>>>button to bring it to the foreground (a la PowerStation).
>>
>>Now *there* I disagree.  The dock is relatively unobtrusive; why have
>>to fish for it in the Apple menu every time you want it?
>
>Obtrusiveness is a personal thing.  On my 14" monitor, it's
>unobtrusive.  On a toaster Mac, it takes up enough room to make a
>difference.  Note that I'm using _Launch 1.2, which is a 2x10 or 10x2
>window.  I don't recall whether or not earlier versions were this
>size.

I'm using the same version, on a `toaster' Mac, with MultiFinder 6.1.
If nothing could cover up the _Launch window, *then* it would be
obtrusive.  As it is, I cover the window up all the time - such as
now, with my terminal program.  When I want to bring it to the
foreground, I simply move my mouse to the lower left-hand corner of
the screen and click; the window will be activated and brought to the
front automagtically, without having to worry about the Apple menu or
On Cue or PowerStation or Application Menu.

>In any case, as with single clicks, I'd like to see the auto-"Set
>Aside" be an option.

If you really feel that stringly about it, then okay, but I still
don't see the big deal between only seeing the edges of a window
hidden behind other windows, and not seeing the window at all...

     << Brian >>
-- 
| Brian S. Kendig      \ Macintosh |   Engineering,   | bskendig             |
| Computer Engineering |\ Thought  |  USS Enterprise  | @phoenix.Princeton.EDU
| Princeton University |_\ Police  | -= NCC-1701-D =- | @PUCC.BITNET         |
|   Systems Engineering, NASA Space Station Freedom / General Electric WP3   |