ribbon head count

[nikos]

I'm curious how many people are using the ribbon. I bet it is low number because you guys are mostly old hands and couple of people that were pro ribbon have defected to other file managers (that's gratidude)

[sanferno]

That 'yes' could be this sinner...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIaORknS1Dk

[Kilmatead]

To give voice to that wiley subtext you've got going on there (since some people recognise subtlety about as well as they appreciate halibut...), we do take note that John Cleese (Nikos) actually got his comeuppance worse than the sinner himself in the end... which by association also makes the rest of us a bunch of cross-dressing stoners... which is kind of fitting, in a Billy Tipton sort of way...

[Brig]

I voted Yes. I hide the ribbon but use it when I need what's in there (not often). It's a novelty in x2--I think that's why I have it available. Also, I paid for the the Ultimate upgrade this time--the first time I paid in a long time. Maybe I'm trying to get my money's worth. (Just joking. x2 is the best, worth every penny.)

[pj]

In truth, until this thread started I never even bothered to even look up how to turn the d*****d thing on.

I don't need to learn another UI, and, as it's not an Office program, anything learned from the force-fed Ribbon from the MS Office products would be useless toward the X2 Ribbon, and vice-versa. I'm happily stuck with the "same old". And with the implementation of the QAT (the ONLY redeeming quality about the Office Ribbon) being royally hosed up (per other people's feedback), the further away I stay from the Ribbon the better.

-----------------------
PJ in (Ribbon-less and happy) FL

[dunno]

In truth, until this thread started I never even bothered to even look up how to turn the d*****d thing on.

First thing I do is disable the ribbon bar when installing X2, and it stays off.

I don't need to learn another UI, and, as it's not an Office program, anything learned from the force-fed Ribbon from the MS Office products would be useless toward the X2 Ribbon, and vice-versa.

MS can mess around with Office's UI because they have a CAPTIVE AUDIENCE, office users HAVE TO use it, they have no choice.
Prior to W8's release MS was repeatedly told that W8's UI sucks for desktops, but MS said fvck you we'll do this, they were then humbled by Mom's and Pop's on youtube who posted videos illustrating their frustration at the lack of intutiveness of W8's UI on a desktop, so MS were forced to redesign their UI and now we have W10. The "know it all" UI developers at MS had to for-go COOL-SHINY-BLING for practicality. Full of hubris dem teenage devs.

Moral of the story is; When are developers going to realise that once a user is accustomed to a UI don't make radical changes to the UI, people only try something new if they are FORCED TO.
What is more appreciated than a shiny new re-designed UI is that the UI is intuitive and does as it says on the tin exceptionally well. I shake my head at software that locks up the OS, yes it STILL happens, oh dammit here I go again....
I always use the same photo manger, there could be a better and faster app out there but I'm fvcked if I'm going to waste hours learning the basics and quirks of a new piece of software, it aint going to happen. If the UI of a current app is irreversibly redesigned to the extent that I have to relearn the UI, I then consider jumping ship to something better, faster and which doesn't lock up my OS every now and then.

Nikos, prior to choosing X2, I did my research, X2 had some features which the others didn't have and your UI looked standard to MS's non ribboned UI's, same icons on the left and right in the toolbar as MS. That's why I bought a lifetime license for X2. while I'm here, that silly speed graph in the transfer window is slowing things down, there's a bug there..

[vserghi]

I'm still on XP believe it or not until they upgrade our laptops, so Ribbon is not an option in x2. However, we do have Office 2010, I dislike it with a passion.

When we move to Win7 and I reinstall x2, Ribbon will be turned off

[rusty]

Hi Nikos,
I would like to use the ribbon (hidden by default) but only if we are able to put in our own custom commands in there...

Took me some years to get used to them, but I can work perfectly with them if I can arrange the items myself. Infact, I guess it's more fancier than the toolbar, and would like to use it for those commands I rarely use and never know the key combinations for.

So yes, I'm using it, but still it would be more usefull to define your own....

[FrizzleFry]

The ribbon is just a big non-customizable toolbar... it does not have all the menu commands I use frequently... not having a way to organize the quick access toolbar is very annoying... it just does not offer any new functionality...

I like that it has tabs so it contains many commands... this would be very nice if you could add your own tabs and commands...
I like that some buttons have multiple functions with drop down menu... I've wanted something similar for normal toolbar buttons (a customizable right click menu) for a while...

for me it just uses too much space... more than the menu and three small icon toolbars that most of my layouts use...

I might get interested in the ribbon if it was customizable and the QAT could be organized but even then it would not offer any new functionality...

[Kilmatead]

I did some experimentation with the (obligatory) UICC compiler and the XML definition file (replaced in the resources post-compilation) - and technically speaking customising the ribbon is "possible", but it has so many caveats as to be practically impossible. Unless MS were to change the way the ribbon elements are defined and applied, it would take an enormous amount of effort to create even a simple "all purpose" means for normal users to customise anything at all, let alone define new tabs of all their own actions.

It's interesting that MS obviously designed the Ribbon without user-customisability in mind. Not even a little bit. This is curious, because almost any programmer designing such a thing would almost have to come to the conclusion that sooner or later users would want to add their own elements - and yet there is no facility for this (except the QAT nonsense). Altogether a very strange design-archetype for whoever the idiot was who "invented" it.

I would surmise that programmes which do sport user-customisable ribbons are not actually using the built-in ribbon routines at all, but rather an in-house approach of drawing their own (like how some silly developers are forcing the metro-UI on Win7 users, by ignoring the normal API controls) in such as a way as it merely "looks like" the thing in office, but actually isn't.

I would further surmise that if MS want this archetype to "catch on" they'll almost certainly have to change its current "closed" implementation.

[longfellow]

I've got the ribbon turned off. I just don't find it an efficient way to interact with the program. In particular, user commands are harder to access in the ribbon than they are in the menu. I suppose I'd be more inclined to use the ribbon if it were customizable, there might be some interesting possibilities there.

Interesting how, a year or so ago, there were users posting about how the ribbon was awesome, and if only x2 had a ribbon we would all finish our tasks in half the time and go home early every day. Now that x2 has a ribbon, these folks are nowhere to be found.

[fuxs]

One big yes from me.

I have my most oftenly used buttons shown on the title bar, ribbon minimized and drive bar / favorites / user commands toolbars on one line visible. I am quite happy with this set up and do like it more than the 'classic approach'. It even saves my vertical screen estate.
After I got used to them I also favored ribbons in ms-office vs old menu/toolbar layout. MS constantly improved the ribbons BTW and added welcome stuff which X2 lacks ATM. One main feature is space - awareness. With only basic space available you'd see only one or few buttons for a functional group, with more space available the functional group produces more and more buttons for dedicated functionality. This ensures best possible usage of free space. Compare with the 'Workbench' in x2 which on my screen shows a desert of grey accompanied by some huge group buttons. Why would I want to click 'run' first to click what to run afterwards when there is plenty of room unused just a few centimeters on the right?

All in all I'd really favor increasing ribbon functionality and make it as good or better than in MS Office instead of moaning against introduction of optional features which may attract new customers with a now well known look and feel.

[bawldiggle]

Am I too late to be counted ?

No ribbon for me -- in fact when I logged in here to-night (23:46 hours) a cold shiver went through my bones.
- not another bleeding ribbon.
- they are a real estate hog and on a laptop I would need another monitor for the real work.

• Two laptop are for browsing + emails with files attached

In my haste I created another research folder "Windows Explorer, alternatives"
- clutching blood pressure tablets and with heart pounding ... Nikos saved my life in post #1 ... phew ! That was close !

As an AuotCadder in my 3 score + 10 I want efficiency.
- how any serious users of IT have time to get their rocks off over Lego for juniors has me wondering what will be the next dumb down idea to sell more programs.
- change for change sake ... for heavens sake get a life.
- If it works don't fix it.

I am still driving AutoCad 2006 on 5 machines (well my flock use 4 of them) and we are all as happy as pigs in excrement.
- the stupidity of ribbons is ...

• require more real estate > buy bigger monitors > radiation burns from bigger screns > bigger office to sit back from SuperMax screen > more rent > scooters required to move around office

... then some greenhorn with a degree stuffed between the ears decides bigger icons would be nice
- we will all be working in aircraft hangers next

In these tougher economic times I want to keep my experienced flock employed (I am fond of eating too)
- I have watched other consultants around me close down and good experienced people disappear.
- we get the job done without shelling out readie$ just to keep fan-boys amused.

Come the revolution . . .

[Kilmatead]

...how any serious users of IT have time to get their rocks off over Lego for juniors has me wondering what will be the next dumb down idea to sell more programs.

I vote to have the above phrase replace the Aristotle quote on the main x2 sales page. Or, at least, stick it under "customer testimonials". Sales would increase exponentially.

(A pity we don't live in a world where that marketing approach would ever happen. Bring back the 19th century mavericks, I say, and to heck with the kids' college funds - they can learn to read real books like we did.)

[bawldiggle]

[OFFTOPIC]

Or, at least, stick it under "customer testimonials"

My testimonials are very comfortable as they are ... thank you very much

Reading?
- I thought we left hieroglyphics behind 6000 years ago
- soon we will need a PHd consultant to decipher the Lego ... I suppose that will create more jobs for the over qualified
- and then a new language to explain the Lego ... more jobs for unemployed linguists.

If I live long enough for the revolution I will be there !

[/OFFTOPIC]