Description: Essential Contact Manager is my first application for KDE. Its goal is to offer a beautiful and intuitive interface, allowing you to keep track of your contacts easily and efficiently. Comments and suggestion are appreciated.
(The icons used in this application are available from here: http://www.kde-look.org/content/show.php/Intrigue+Icon+Set?content=29782 )
(If you would like to help develop Essential or any related projects, email me at Timothy.crosley@gmail.com, thanks).Last changelog:
############# Essential Contact Manager 0.2.1 ################ *Fixed bug that caused text to change to the first item in the combobox after saving
############# Essential Contact Manager 0.2.0 ################ *Greatly improved installer Tested on the following distrobutions: Kubuntu 7.04(unmodified) & SLED 10(Unmodified) (please post any problems you have with the new installer , thanks). *Implemented the images section *No longer requires qt4 libraries to be installed *Fixed communication problems between the info & switch view *Created "MainView" class in SimpleFoundation to help clean up the application api *Made the current widget a more intrical part of the Application framework *Made current widget use buttons for actions *Made the input combo-boxes update when contacts are changed *Essential now asks the user if he wants to save an unsaved contact, in the case of switching to a different contact
Known bugs: *Application may not work after installation without logging out/back in. *Importing .jpg images seems to crash the application on some platforms(if you experience this please send a bug report(with the name of your distribution) to timothy.crosley@gmail.com
Release 0.1: A very basic release lacking photo/note/task management.
Preview 1: A few screenshots, of the latest Essential build running
I like the buttons and background, but I agree that the interface could use a little improvement. It could just be that I am used to what is around today, but I think that it would look better if you took advantage of the background and put the logo, new button, fullscreen button, zoom buttons, and search in the little toolbar created with the background (the lighter blue area). Then you could have another toolbar with the other buttons below that.
Thank you for your advice :). I agree that the interface defiantly can be improved. And what you were suggesting certainly sounds reasonable. The interface is highly themable and in the near future I will see how this looks(Maybe I will make this the default theme or an additional one). I'll aim to add this in the 0.3 release(not the next one, but the one after that) if it works.
Thanks,
~Timothy
No offense intended; I respect the time and effort you put into this, but I feel like giving my feedback to hopefully help you make a better app.
The UI is really bad. It is completely inconsistent with any existing UI design standards. It wastes enormous amounts of screen space. It gives emphasis to unimportant items, and relegates important functions to strange-looking, non-standard widgets.
I can't recall exactly what the OSX address book looks like, but you could probably take some cues from it. And to be quite honest, the KAddressBook UI is far, far, superior to this. It's far more usable and functional.
Really, the look and design of your app belongs more in a game UI than a useful app.
Hi BluJay,
I appreciate the time you spent giving your honest opinion :). You are right the interface is radical, it is different. Its not yet another clone of a clone of something else ;).
But think about this for a moment, I put 5 different users(ranging from completely computer illiterate to an average Windows user) infront of this application asked them if they could figure out how to create and edit a few contacts. They all had no problem, & said they loved the interface.
I put the same people infront of kontact, evolution, & outlook(2003 I think), every one of these people had trouble, some couldn't even figure out how to make a new contact, let alone edit it.
As far as it looking like a video game interface, thank you! Interface designers have needed to take a hint from them for awhile: the wii is alot easier then windows ;).
And also keep in mind this is a 0.1 alpha release ;), some widgets are just plain broken right now.
~Timothy
Hi there,
Thanks for your reply not being angry or offended. :) I guess it depends on whether you're aiming for the LCD or an experienced computer user. I'd be curious to see how those same users would fare with the KAddressBook interface.
Personally, I don't want my KDE UI to look like a Wii or a PSP; I want it to be clean and functional, making good use of screen space, while still looking nice. I think the current KDE 3.5.x does this very well, and OSX is pretty good also. But, to each his own. :) Maybe you should consider working on Plasma for KDE 4.
why would someone use this instead of Kontact? What is the point of wasting time with more and more groupware's (not just yours, many others too), when u can work on improving Kontact or use your creativity for other purpose?
So give me a good reason to use this application?
I can see many uses of software like this: first of all it's good for the creator: experience and knowledge. Also software like this stimulates inovation. Maybe he creates some features that are so good that Kontact might add em?
Probably alot of people would think: I'll just use Kontact, it's very well integrated, well supported, but that doesn't mean u can try to start a new project. I think u should atleast give it a chance...
Well put.
Diversity is FOSS's greatest strength. With all due respect, the original comment is very M$-ish.
I look forward to adding (assimilating) this app to my vast collection.
:)
Perhaps he codes something more bug-free than Kontact is in the moment... ;)
Just look in the comments for Kontact on kde-apps...!
Asking why someone codes another piece of software is like asking why someone creates another Linux-Distribution...
, thanks).
Ratings & Comments
14 Comments
I like the buttons and background, but I agree that the interface could use a little improvement. It could just be that I am used to what is around today, but I think that it would look better if you took advantage of the background and put the logo, new button, fullscreen button, zoom buttons, and search in the little toolbar created with the background (the lighter blue area). Then you could have another toolbar with the other buttons below that.
Thank you for your advice :). I agree that the interface defiantly can be improved. And what you were suggesting certainly sounds reasonable. The interface is highly themable and in the near future I will see how this looks(Maybe I will make this the default theme or an additional one). I'll aim to add this in the 0.3 release(not the next one, but the one after that) if it works. Thanks, ~Timothy
No offense intended; I respect the time and effort you put into this, but I feel like giving my feedback to hopefully help you make a better app. The UI is really bad. It is completely inconsistent with any existing UI design standards. It wastes enormous amounts of screen space. It gives emphasis to unimportant items, and relegates important functions to strange-looking, non-standard widgets. I can't recall exactly what the OSX address book looks like, but you could probably take some cues from it. And to be quite honest, the KAddressBook UI is far, far, superior to this. It's far more usable and functional. Really, the look and design of your app belongs more in a game UI than a useful app.
Hi BluJay, I appreciate the time you spent giving your honest opinion :). You are right the interface is radical, it is different. Its not yet another clone of a clone of something else ;). But think about this for a moment, I put 5 different users(ranging from completely computer illiterate to an average Windows user) infront of this application asked them if they could figure out how to create and edit a few contacts. They all had no problem, & said they loved the interface. I put the same people infront of kontact, evolution, & outlook(2003 I think), every one of these people had trouble, some couldn't even figure out how to make a new contact, let alone edit it. As far as it looking like a video game interface, thank you! Interface designers have needed to take a hint from them for awhile: the wii is alot easier then windows ;). And also keep in mind this is a 0.1 alpha release ;), some widgets are just plain broken right now. ~Timothy
Hi there, Thanks for your reply not being angry or offended. :) I guess it depends on whether you're aiming for the LCD or an experienced computer user. I'd be curious to see how those same users would fare with the KAddressBook interface. Personally, I don't want my KDE UI to look like a Wii or a PSP; I want it to be clean and functional, making good use of screen space, while still looking nice. I think the current KDE 3.5.x does this very well, and OSX is pretty good also. But, to each his own. :) Maybe you should consider working on Plasma for KDE 4.
nice. default kabc interface is awful. if you will use kabc as backend - your tool will be highly appreciated.
Looking forward to try it - looks very nice!
use kabc for your app or it will be useless...
Great, we're waiting...
I look forward to trying the application
why would someone use this instead of Kontact? What is the point of wasting time with more and more groupware's (not just yours, many others too), when u can work on improving Kontact or use your creativity for other purpose? So give me a good reason to use this application?
I can see many uses of software like this: first of all it's good for the creator: experience and knowledge. Also software like this stimulates inovation. Maybe he creates some features that are so good that Kontact might add em? Probably alot of people would think: I'll just use Kontact, it's very well integrated, well supported, but that doesn't mean u can try to start a new project. I think u should atleast give it a chance...
Well put. Diversity is FOSS's greatest strength. With all due respect, the original comment is very M$-ish. I look forward to adding (assimilating) this app to my vast collection. :)
Perhaps he codes something more bug-free than Kontact is in the moment... ;) Just look in the comments for Kontact on kde-apps...! Asking why someone codes another piece of software is like asking why someone creates another Linux-Distribution...