Allan, who is working for several gnome applications, posted an update to the recent gnome status about the development of gnome 3.2. One of the updates planned for the latest version of the desktop is a modified overview mode. There are two important changes to the overview mode compared with the version 3.0. One is a modified buttons (windows/applications) that allow you to view the appropriate category.
See below the mockup that he posted showing the redesigned buttons. I think the buttons now look more aligned with the overall design of the shell.
But another more controversial change is that there is no applications category on the right hand side of the screen. You could find four round buttons that look like copied from the elementary slingshot that is another in the line of next-generation of linux desktop shells. The funnier fact is that elementary and the slingshot are always blamed for their mac-copy looks.
See the buttons in the above screenshot. There isn’t any applications category anywhere on the page. Are Gnome going to create another controversial move?
Gnome 3.0 itself was criticized for not having prime importance to the applications category that was one of the unique features about the linux desktop environments and made it better compared to the proprietary alternatives. Are they getting away with it? What do you think about this move?
Justin Stories 
Que raro…
Será más difícil encontrar las aplicaciones…
[…] No applications category in Gnome 3.2? Allan, who is working for several gnome applications, posted an update to the recent gnome status about the development of gnome 3.2. One of the updates planned for the latest version of the desktop is a modified overview mode. There are two important changes to the overview mode compared with the version 3.0. One is a modified buttons (windows/applications) that allow you to view the appropriate category. […]
Gnome 3 or Gnome 3.2–who cares, junk is junk. Gnome ended when it abandoned usability. As long as “classic desktop” exists there is a Gnome worth using. After that it’s on to something else.
Now it will become more difficult to convince people to switch to Linux. Gnome is exchanging brain for good looks.
No app category? Big mistake. Sometimes you won’t remember the right name for an app to search, but you DO remember what category it’s in…Hope this is just a mockup and not the ‘way’.
100% agree!
I think it gives more space for applications, and if the commonly used applications come up to the top of the list, this would give them more room to populate and give users a pretty quick way to find their most common applications. But, there are many distinct advantages to having categories, like when you don’t know what you’re looking for (not able to search or easily sift through uncommon applications). So I think it would make sense to keep the categories and have a switch or something to simplify it if it’s not needed by that particular user. Just because iPad and OS X users don’t need it doesn’t mean we should get rid of some of our best features.
This is coming from a diehard Gnome 3 fan, by the way. Love it, love the defaults, wouldn’t change a thing about it, really. But this…. I’m just not sure if it makes sense, if we’re really gaining so much by it.
We’ll see what happens, but if they get rid of this, what’s the point of having categories? It’s such a good feature that has distinguished Linux for ages as easier to use than OS X or Windows.
I totally agree With Casey. And for Newbies like me its almost impossible to remember the right name for an app. Without an App category it won’t be comfortable to use.
Looking at what gnome proposes, I’m firmly convinced that these developers do not use that ui. They only code stuff and try to impose it on the rest of us. What with a screen-full of icons? That is a mess, a reflection on the confused state of mind of the developers.
They refuse to recognise the simple fact that the user is king and master of his desktop.
I totally agree with my fellow commentors, as much as I enjoy using the new gnome shell, that gnome developers are stretching reality a little too far. I think special consideration and research needs to go to how people learn, categorize and search for information.
When the Gnome 3 appeared in Arch Linux I was initially very reluctant to switch. After first try I moved to Xfce for some time, and then I gave gnome a second try. And I must admit the more I use it the more I like it. There is a lot of thinking behind the design and I find myself more productive in the new gnome. Beside, it is much easer to change things under the hood as it is written in js+css.
In the new gnome I navigate much faster then I used to in the old one. There are very useful keyboard short-cuts and once you know them you hardly need to touch the mouse. Usually I do not use “applications” menu, instead I just type the name of application or it is already in favourites. So I can see the point behind this move.
But this works well only with a private computer. If someone is sitting at public or someone’s else computer and without knowledge of what is installed, the applications categories are big help. Browsing through dozens of icons just to e.g. find what kind of audio player is installed (who knows them all and their names?) could be definitely a pain.
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I was here for the transition from all command line systems to the GUI systems.
As I played with each I found the best GUI was the one where you never Needed to touch the keyboard except for typing. (Having hot keys is a plus, But I could never remember them.)
So, my mind set is,” If you have to touch the keyboard your GUI is Failing you.” and Gnome 3 is riding the line at the moment.
I would defenetly Not be happy to see the app categorys go. It’s the only way I find the app I want in G3 now.
Well, I’ll play the Devils advocate here. I like the new Gnome 3 interface and having a decent application search feature is a welcome change. Yes, it’s different and it’s a new way in thinking of desktop management, but where would be be without past changes? If it wasn’t for evolution, we would still be roaming the Serengeti and writing batch files in Edlin.
Just my two cents 😉
-The Gremlin