Two ideas, waiting for comments ?

Hello

I got two ideas and I've already developed two small apps with minimal features so far. And without fancy graphics yet. I want comments if you like them or not ?

* CxInstaller:
I got this idea toying with KDE 4 and those "widgets" and "gadgets" on other platforms. Also people have been commenting lately Workbench and comparing it to other platforms and saying it's outdated. But it's possible to make Workbench better with commodities. And every Amigan should know how to install them. But there's many ex-Amiga users coming back to the platform after using Winblows and Linux several years and they might have forgotten many Amiga related things. So I thought to make a small app that lists some of the most useful commodities and other small apps that will make Workbench usage better. It's like those "widget/gadget" installers on other platforms. User checks the checkbox and then presses the "Apply" button to automaticly install them. If the commodity was delivered with AOS4 then CxInstaller will simply move that commodity from Utilities/Commodities to WBStartup. If it's something in os4depot then it will be downloaded, unpacked and the executable will be copied to WBStartup. Uninstalling will either move a commodity back to Utilities/Commodities or simply delete it from WBStartup.

(Edit: picture removed)

* QuickStart "menu":
Winblows start menu and taskbar have been the most copied Winblows features on Amiga. I read an article of Winblows 7 and it looks they're replacing their traditional taskbar with icon dock style implementation. ([sarcasm]So waiting long enough Winblows is coming to our direction and Amiga (and also the Dock on Mac) is suddenly "recent" technology [/sarcasm] I was also toying with KDE 4 one day. They're replacing the old style start menu with something new. I was thinking to make similar start menu app for AOS4.

Check a video (xvid, 2.5 MB, 640x480, 20 fps, followmouse option of Srec used).

(Edit: picture removed)

(Edit) I would like to make something unique for Amiga but I don't have any ideas myself.

So what do you think ? Are these useful pieces of software or should I abandon these ideas ?

@TSK

I appreciate what you are doing, but you haven't sold it to me yet

@TSK

Quote:


More software for our platform, better.Even if are unuseful ones (whereas is fun for you) you can get programming experience for future development

Hi @TSK

I thought Amiga's 'leave out' option in the Icon Menu was best 'quick start' method for all your proagrams!
So what do you think ? Are these useful pieces of software or should I abandon these ideas ?
I can't say! I hate to be judge of preferences: it's all about choices.
QuickStart "menu":
I would like to have seen this in 'Excalibur'. There's an idea, redo Excalibur. It was the only program that tried to comeup with a native 'AmiStart'.

How about more features for FindMore to support files in U3 devices and AmiDVD always hicups on -- 'read protected' ????

@TSK

You do need to exercise some caution with moving stuff around automatically. As you mention, StartupManager can launch programs from anywhere, they don't need copying to WBStartup, so by doing so, you may be breaking the users system.

A check for prefs/startup will tell you if it is installed. Whether it is in use is another matter, as it can be run from a startup script. My system hasn't had WBStartup for a few years now.

Simon

@Rigo

Quote:
So do you think that will be preferred way in future ?

@Snuffy
Quote:
What are U3 devices ?

@TSK

Well, IMO WBStartup is outdated, which is why I implemented StartupManager the way I did.

I would prefer to see something like SM replace WBStartup, but that depends on lots of things.

Simon

@TSK
CxInstall sounds like a good idea! People are lazy, so anything that makes it easy to try-out stuff is good (I'd use it!). But some suggestions:

1. Please COPY the commodity to WbStartup, not move. (a) This is much less likely to go wrong or get confused, and (b) uninstall is always delete.

2. Group commodities in some fashion. One mega list can be very off-putting.

@TSK

Quote:

Maybe something similar to Kommando, a KDE wheelmenu like the Neverwinter Nights one.