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This idea calls for a universal "simple/advanced" toggle similar to VLC media player. How it works in VLC is as follows; VLC will show only the most basic and impacting sections you can configure. Within those few categories, VLC boils down the options to only bare-bones choices. None of those choices involve anything technical, and are presented as dropdowns, sliders, etc. If VLC is working with a power-user, they can check the "advanced" box and the left-side categories explode into all the extra tweaks you can fiddle with.


My suggestion is to do something similar; the current KDE settings program would be the "advanced" version, and we would make a toggle-able "simple" interface. For example, the "Simple" appearance menu, might only keep 4 tabs; Effects, Desktop, Welcome and Applications. E.g. Effects would be a slider, gradually adjusting everything from oxygens in-program effects (buttons fades) to 3D effects. Applications would affect the widget style, with just thumbnails running across for styles, and a dropdown for colors. Welcome would be the splash, Workspace would be... Exactly the same. Etc.

An Audio tab might be stripped to output, input and notifications. Even then instead of picking individual devices for input/output, it might just affect them all. Notifications might have just a slider for volume, with 0% being disabled.

The idea of a simple menu would not be super-customization, but bite-sized options and minimal single-purpose toggles. With only a minimal amount of complexity exposed, and what is exposed simply showing "pre-packaged" logical selections. If I wanted to completely reconfigure my computer in 10 minutes, Simple would give me the broad-brush to get me 80% satisfied. It's the kind of control-panel where it assumes all the defaults are considered "good and usable", so will only show the options an average mac user might care about. Otherwise, tweakers like me get to toggle it back into advanced mode.

Instead of creating “simple” and “complicated” settings-dialogues, we should rethink the current categorization/alignment in the systemsettings. Optimizing them should be the best for everybody, and if navigaton is intuitive enough, nobody will be confused by all the possibilities. However, for the effects there are already some preconfigurations.

The User wrote:Instead of creating “simple” and “complicated” settings-dialogues, we should rethink the current categorization/alignment in the systemsettings. Optimizing them should be the best for everybody, and if navigaton is intuitive enough, nobody will be confused by all the possibilities. However, for the effects there are already some preconfigurations.

I would normally agree that a sort of universal-medium would be best, but this time I'm thinking it's going the wrong direction.

I like to tweak my desktop, just about every aspect of it. I'm a power user and I have no qualms seeing every toggle on earth - because at some point I'll probably play with them all.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, there are people who don't care or want so many small preferences. It's not an issue of organization, it's an issue of scale; Like buying a screwdriver then getting asked the colour of the handle, the material of the grip, the aluminum percentage of the shaft - when the only choice they need to get the job done is the head. My Dad doesn't care if its red or blue, he just has to sink a screw.


Even in VLC, with a poweruser like me behind it, I still find I use the simple interface 99% of the time - because all the main bases are covered for "common" tasks. I don't need to search through various options to do something, because all the fluff is hidden.

Splitting the interface has another big boon; We don't need to worry about going overkill on the 'complex' interface. If we have a simple & quick interface, we don't need to worry about intimidating new KDE users. But we can add many, many more options for the real power users and we can worry less about adding experimental or even more obscure options.

All and all, it's something I believe reviewers would say shows KDEs maturity. It's like a swimming pool - there's a shallow section for new swimmers, and a deep section for experienced water goers - the solution isn't making the entire pool "medium", because new swimmers would still be in too deep and experienced swimmers would find the pool lacking.

This is a sign of poor organization of the configuration, and will make it harder for people to find what they are looking for. KDE had things divided into standard and advanced settings, but this was too confusing for users so they eliminated it.

TheBlackCat wrote:This is a sign of poor organization of the configuration, and will make it harder for people to find what they are looking for. KDE had things divided into standard and advanced settings, but this was too confusing for users so they eliminated it.

In KDE4, some config items were listed in Advanced Tab. That was confusing and now has been corrected.

But I think want Kver means is hiding all advanced config items and advanced settings in non-advanced config items like VLC does. If we click on "simple" option, only few items and few settings in those items are displayed. If we click on "all" option, all items and all settings are displayed.

This is not only easy for common user, but also saves navigation time for routine tasks. And there is always option available for minute tweaking.

In my opinion this will improve usability a lot.