Fun idea: rotate window by 180 degrees to switch between new and old Core apps

Applications
1

I wanted to share a fun idea that I had recently.

It’s inspired by the prototype and video that I saw several years ago about launching the Builder IDE for the application that is currently running, by rotating the window of the app by 180 degrees. (Developed by Endless).

Same kind of window rotation here, but instead it would be to switch between:

  • gnome-text-editor and gedit
  • gnome-terminal and console
  • Loupe and Eye of GNOME
  • Snapshort and Cheese
  • Etc.

You get the idea :wink: With the same files opened (in case of text editor or image viewer) or general state (e.g. current working directory in case of terminal).

But of course it’s just for fun, and it’s just an idea (I don’t plan to work on it).

I see the rotation more as a visual metaphor.

2

Would there be an actual point with this besides fun? There’s little to no reason for keeping the old core apps around… :slight_smile:

3

It depends. Some users prefer to stick with what they are used to. And some of the old core apps have more features, or at least a different set of features, or different ways to configure the app.

It’s a question of preference.

In practice some old core apps are still developed and maintained, so they are still available to install. And it’s possible to configure which apps are chosen to open certain types of files.

Also, if one application has a bug and the other not, temporarily choosing the other app is a good solution. A good example of this is for multimedia: if GStreamer has difficulties to play a file, VLC might be able to.

4

Another reason: older core apps can implement older HIGs (Human Interface Guidelines).

The core apps are there to follow the latest HIG, to provide a consistent user experience. But some users prefer to use an older HIG - perhaps not for every apps, but just a few of them.

In my opinion, the old HIGs should not be thrown away too quickly. They can still be valuable. For example LibreOffice provides the choice. After all, the old HIG(s) were in use during many years and were seen as the right way to design apps back then (at least for a desktop/laptop).

5

Technical and design-related issues aside, I doubt anyone are interested in maintaining two versions of their apps at once. If people don’t want change, they’re free to just not update apps, live with them in perpetuity, and accept the consequences that has.

6

In practice some old core apps are still developed and maintained, so they are still available to install.

Some are maybe on life support, but that does not mean that they are in a state where they can be shipped as a part of GNOME today.

7

Some are maybe on life support

And some former core apps are still in active development.

8

I still don’t see any advantage to this, if people still like those apps they’re free to just install and use them instead.

9

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