Re: [dwm] bar position

I think a bottom bar is also probably better for GUI users; that would
put the "File, Edit, View..." menu at the top of the screen. You
wouldn't have to aim as carefully. It would also fit in better for
dwm at least: the bar in dwm is really a status bar, and not much
else. Sure you can click to change tags (a feature I have never
deliberately used), but for the most part dwm's bar is read-only, and
so it should probably go down there with every other application's
status bar.

As for the Apple top bar vs the Windows bottom bar, the Apple bar is
actually the menu, and by moving the dwm bar to the bottom we'd be
getting the benefit of the "mile-high menu bar" [1] without having to
effect major interface renovation. Also when the dwm bar is at the
bottom it would have whatever advantage that the Windows taskbar has,
in that it shows the open window at the bottom of the screen, plus the
status section where the "system tray" would go.

Really, by moving the bar south, we'd get the benefits of both platforms.

Kurt

http://www.joelonsoftware.com/uibook/chapters/fog0000000063.html

On 2/7/07, Anselm R. Garbe <arg_AT_suckless.org> wrote:
> Hi there,
>
> I'd like to consolidate the bar position of dwm, dmenu and wmii.
> Apart from being used to, I don't see many reasons in the top
> vs. bottom discussion. But having the bar in a fixed position
> means, that we don't need any nasty toggles.
>
> What do you think? Do you know of any papers (eg comparing the
> Apple top bar vs Windows bottom bar)? Are there any rational
> reasons why the bar belongs to the top or bottom?
>
> (Actually for terminal users a bottom bar seems better, because
> the prompt is more often near to the bottom than to the top)...
>
> Regards,
> --
> Anselm R. Garbe >< http://www.suckless.org/ >< GPG key: 0D73F361
>
>

-- 
// Kurt H Maier