Rev 2.5b Interface

[Derek Bump]

Does anyone else not like the updated interface for Revolution?  After I launched the beta I immediately felt dissapointed about the upcoming release.

Please don't find the following to be flaming.  It's nearly what I don't like about the beta version and is mearly there for constructive critisism.  I love Revolution and still stand by it as a Powerful development tool.


The Initial Launch
1. How many windows can pop up at the same time?  The first time I launched it both the Application Browser and Revolution Online were open (along with Tools and the Menu Bar).  This definately doesn't need to happen.  Show the Menubar and the tools palette.  Don't confuse the people who are new to Revolution.  Just because it's an update doesn't mean it's not someone's first time using it.  Keep it simple.

The Tools Palette
1. Now it's now bigger and take up even more screen space.
2. Supports Drag & Drop but doesn't conform to the Grid.  Requiring you to re-drag it to align to the grid.
3. No object boundries for the object's icons.  They exist for the Browse and Pointer tools, but everything else looks like it was thrown there.
4. I still can't dock it to the Menu Bar.  This is a personal preference, as I'd like to see the Tools palette moved to a single line of buttons underneath the menu bar.  This just saves valuable screen space and make my development area bigger.
5. The "filled in" versions of the Browse and Pointer tool buttons are confusing.  They really don't give a good indication of what's in use.  I use both Macs and PCs.  The pointer on the Mac is Black, and White on Windows.  Bring the Old tools palette back.

Revolution Online
1. Failed the first time I used it.  Revolution said there was a memory error and the Error box came up (I have 256MB's of RAM).
2. A built in version of RevNet.  Yet another attempt to get rid of the Web Browser.  My opinion on this is unless you can make it faster than a web browser interface, don't bother.
3. Does this make it easier for people to post destructive stacks?  In my experience, if I were to download a program from within Revolution, I would trust that it won't do anything bad to my computer.  I'm worried that Revolution Online allows people to submit Trojan Horses with the appearance of a trusted stack.  Is there a filter for a posted stack?


These are my main concerns at this point.  So please, feel free to respond.  Just remember that I like to look at things from the "first time programmer" point of view.  I mean, Revolution is such a step in the right direction when compaired to MetaCard, and I'd hate to see it go backwards instead of forwards (MetaCard was SO confusing).

Derek Bump
Dreamscape Software
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http://www.dreamscapesoftware.com