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Comments from a friend re MC11

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gpvillamil:
A friend of mine stayed in my apartment for 3 weeks while I was away, had access to my media computer.

This is a smart guy, years of Java programming experience, admins his own webserver, builds his own computer, compiles Linux, etc. So not a computer newbie by any means.

He gave up on MC11 after 2 days, and downloaded another program instead to listen to music.

His specific gripes (which will not be news to anyone who's read my posts):

1) Naming of stuff - use of nouns and verbs is inconsistent - most actions are treated as verbs, but editing tags, a very common action, is called "Tag Info" - should be "Edit Tags" or better "Edit Info about Song|Image|Video" or "Open Tag Editing Window". Also a lot of stuff is very inaccurately or abstrusely named eg. DSP Studio, or "Acquire Images" which seems to suggest buying stock photos.  Pressing F2 is an action called "Rename" but most users would say that it is really "Edit field" or "Edit info about selected item" - the immediate assumption from the menu is that it renames a song (only the name).

Now - some of this might appear to be nitpicking - but my friend comes from an environment where precision is important. So if you have a menu item called Rename, with shortcut F2, the assumption is that it will do exactly what Rename (F2) does in Windows Explorer - rename the file. Since there is another item about editing tags, it seems reasonable to assume that F2 is in fact a rename option.

In the same way, he figured that the DSP studio must be some way of directly controlling the DSP in my (rather advanced) soundcard.

2) Redundant submenus - eg. Action Window/Build Playlist -> Build Playlist, Player/Playback Options -> Playback Options...

3) Can't find obvious functions - eg. turn crossfade on and off

4) Hard to establish what the various views do, and when they are applicable - specific complaint, why can't you apply a view to a playlist. I explained using Playlist as a filter in the search box, which allows this, but he pointed out that most users would not consider this a "search" function.

5) Role of Playing Now vs library views - here an easy solution is proposed, the little yellow triangle icon in front of Playing Now should reflect playing state (ie change to square when stopped, two lines when paused), and maybe pulse when active.

6) Start page considered completely useless, the functions present there should be moved to the Action Window or the About box. (The Start Page has not changed materially in a year, and doesn't do anything useful.)

7) Confusion about playing images and audio at the same time - no obvious way of seeing what images are cued.

GHammer:
Hmmm.

I have no problem with DSP Studio. I wouldn't expect a player to configure chipsets.

I'd like to see the menus consolidated/updated. Like items should be grouped together.
You know, like the DSP functions, gapless, crossfade, etc all in one spot.
Library functions should be in one spot. Library tools doesn't have backup/restore/etc.

Views are something I haven't used much, I'm a simple guy.

I'd like to see it be easier to just have a random slideshow play along with audio.
Having the option to setup a particular slideshow is nice, but so is just having your photos slide by while you are listening to tunes.

Start page? What's that? Seriously, I have accidently opened it once or twice.
Make a seperate "Welcome" file that opens to give tips, point to the website, link to help.

Marty3d:
About the start page... I agree. For me, it's totally useless (and time consuming since it takes 1-2 seconds to update).
And when we are in this topic: I'm not keen at all that Playing now expands when clicked upon. I have unchecked auto collapse and Auto Expand in Options, but to no avail.

glynor:

--- Quote from: gpvillamil on June 29, 2006, 02:03:53 am ---3) Can't find obvious functions - eg. turn crossfade on and off

5) Role of Playing Now vs library views - here an easy solution is proposed, the little yellow triangle icon in front of Playing Now should reflect playing state (ie change to square when stopped, two lines when paused), and maybe pulse when active.

6) Start page considered completely useless, the functions present there should be moved to the Action Window or the About box. (The Start Page has not changed materially in a year, and doesn't do anything useful.)

--- End quote ---

I strongly agree with these few items.  The crossfade selections should really be under the DSP (and I've already said that should be renamed).  I think the Playing Display will help a bit with the Playing Now problem, but the suggestion of the icon reflecting play state (and moving the weird sub items under it that don't really seem to belong there) are very good ones.

I know Jim & Co. are pretty attached to the start page.  WiMP has one too, which is equally useless and slow (though quite a bit "flashier" at least).  I never open it.

Doof:

--- Quote from: gpvillamil on June 29, 2006, 02:03:53 am ---1) Naming of stuff - use of nouns and verbs is inconsistent - most actions are treated as verbs, but editing tags, a very common action, is called "Tag Info" - should be "Edit Tags" or better "Edit Info about Song|Image|Video" or "Open Tag Editing Window". Also a lot of stuff is very inaccurately or abstrusely named eg. DSP Studio, or "Acquire Images" which seems to suggest buying stock photos.  Pressing F2 is an action called "Rename" but most users would say that it is really "Edit field" or "Edit info about selected item" - the immediate assumption from the menu is that it renames a song (only the name).

--- End quote ---

I really only kind of agree with this. The use of the word "Action" in the Action Window does kind of require you to then label everything as an action. So I can agree with that. However, griping about the term "Aquire Images" kind of draws your friend's experience into question. That's the phrasing EVERY image editing program I've ever seen uses for aquiring images from an imagind device. To say that he thought it meant he was going to be purchasing images shows his lack of experience in that area, IMO. The question is, should MC go against the standard in this? Maybe they should (personally I don't think that "Aquire Images" is all that descriptive for computer newbies - but anybody who has even a little experience with scanning should recognize the term). I'm not trying to insult your friend or anything. Just hearing that kind of makes me put him into more of the computer newbie group, which for this discussion is great because people who don't have vast amounts of experience are the ones who are going to get completely lost using this app.


--- Quote ---Now - some of this might appear to be nitpicking - but my friend comes from an environment where precision is important. So if you have a menu item called Rename, with shortcut F2, the assumption is that it will do exactly what Rename (F2) does in Windows Explorer - rename the file. Since there is another item about editing tags, it seems reasonable to assume that F2 is in fact a rename option.

--- End quote ---

I completely agree.


--- Quote ---In the same way, he figured that the DSP studio must be some way of directly controlling the DSP in my (rather advanced) soundcard.

--- End quote ---

Like GHammer said, I would never expect a media player to be messing around with the chipset on my soundcard. I don't see an issue with "DSP Studio". That's pretty much what it is. I think somebody mentioned stripping the "Studio" part out of the name, and that would be fine by me.


--- Quote ---2) Redundant submenus - eg. Action Window/Build Playlist -> Build Playlist, Player/Playback Options -> Playback Options...

3) Can't find obvious functions - eg. turn crossfade on and off

4) Hard to establish what the various views do, and when they are applicable - specific complaint, why can't you apply a view to a playlist. I explained using Playlist as a filter in the search box, which allows this, but he pointed out that most users would not consider this a "search" function.

5) Role of Playing Now vs library views - here an easy solution is proposed, the little yellow triangle icon in front of Playing Now should reflect playing state (ie change to square when stopped, two lines when paused), and maybe pulse when active.

6) Start page considered completely useless, the functions present there should be moved to the Action Window or the About box. (The Start Page has not changed materially in a year, and doesn't do anything useful.)

7) Confusion about playing images and audio at the same time - no obvious way of seeing what images are cued.

--- End quote ---

Complete agreement here.

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