Basic Menu - Application Choices

[Kevin Cole]

Richard Weideman wrote:

> What would you expect to see on a common base menu for all users. 
> We've had the following suggestions:
> 
> * calculator
> * firefox
> * gedit
> * oo document
> * oo spreadsheet

First, add my voice in favor of Jim's genericizing of the menus.
Second, add:

* E-mail
* Schedule / Calendar

However, just because Windoze combines the two, it doesn't
make it logical to do so.  Keep them as separate entries,
not something like "Evolution email and calendar" (or any
other monolithic kitchen sink).

Some possible others:

* Instant (Text) Messenger (possibly rolling IRC into this)
* (Voice/Audio/Video) Phone
* Help

Those all seem pretty generic and non-subject-area-specific,
and like something just about any user is going to get into at
some point or another.

If it were me, I might drop the spreadsheet though, as honestly, I'm
not sure how often spreadsheets get used in a classroom or home.  At
home, something with a more financial bent e.g. gnucash, kmymoney,
etc, may make more sense than a spreadsheet, in terms of actual common
use.  (In the classroom, presentation software is probably used more
than spreadsheets.)

How do you explain to the new user why you have an "editor" and a "word
processor"?  After years of dealing with Windoze users, most still glaze
over when I try to explain why they shouldn't use Word for everything.
They usually understand other explanations, but somehow the Word vs.
Notepad info never seems to be retained very long.

-- 
 Kevin Cole                    |  Key ID: 0xE6F332C7
 Ubuntu Linux DC LoCo Team     |     WWW: http://dc.ubuntu-us.org/
 Washington, D.C.  (USA)       |   Phone: +1.202.234.0213

           ". ! 1 |" -- Rene Magritte's computer

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