Sorry, but for me, windows xp is not the answer. It is a big question about how to stupefy the user. The kde startmenu is already very good I think. Some improvements would be fine like drag&drop support. But for me, you could also remove it... Nearly use Alt+F2 all the time ;) Felix

you wrote: >Description: >I think that is a release >what are you think? ..i think, it is not a release, but a suggestion (guess, it's called a "mockup") A good title would save me a lot of useless clicks. But a good description would save me a lot of frustration. *grumble*

u guy got the windoze bug

You've got two horizontal paths for the eye and mouse to follow and two vertical, I prefer the simple current design, one vertical path. And I agree if you want quick links put them on the kicker instead of cluttering up the menu. :) cheers Peter

first, it is better than your first attempt, but still the problem arrises, that the startmenu is as big as the current one, but with less features. Some things like a quick preferences or file-system browser are important. Moreover, I think, the customizability is harder with this 3 columns, than with the current design.

Such a menu does not make sense with KDE. It tries to imitate the bad usability XP start menu, that seems to be targeted to inhibit users to go down the programs menu. the xp menu is a menu that tries to teach the user to get rid of menus, not to use it. I don't think that's good. We already have those horizontal button bar, we don't need quick buttons. I believe you shall rather try to create somethin really new such as http://segusoland.sourceforge.net/

I still think that the area at the bottom where it says "root" now is too small for a meaningful text... Apart from that, it looks great :)

As you think how to make newMenu, as kde-applet or as the alternative module of the menu?

I think that newMenu with skins. it should be for the beginning necessary to make newMenu in style kde as usual button, and then already to add options.

I know you mentioned you liek teh look of slicker earlier, have you had a look at the mockup and planned KMenu for Slicker? http://slicker.sourceforge.net/images/menu.jpg

...there are to many "sections". you have a section of recently used programs, a section for shutting down and locking the screen, a section with some kind of "special" programs (the round buttons) and the "regular" k-menu. imho it would be better to reduce the number of sections - recently used programs, log-out & lock, other programs.

...needs improvement. i like your idea of a better-structured and cleaner k-menu. we have to use "recognition" instead of "remembering" - big icons, colors, special buttons. this is how newbies use their computer and nearly any other technical device - instead of remembering a function they instantly recognize a picture, a sound, a colour (look inside your car: you'll find a big red triangular button in nearly any car). we should use this behaviour and a better k-menu is a first step. one improvement: leave more space between the items. this makes it look cleaner and less nervous and is easier to click at.

It's a original KMENU kdebase-3.2.0/kicker/ui/k_mnu.cpp It can be used as a basis

Your menu idea is obviously popular with the KDE-Look crowd, but I'd be very surprised if it ever got into the main KDE source code. There have been endless debates about the kmenu, and one thing is for certain: KDE is not going down the WinXP route any time soon. Not because KDE hates WinXP, but because the WinXP has a lot of usability flaws. For example: - There are too many different kinds of icons that have different functions; some open applications, some open submenus, some open dialogue boxes. There's no indication as to what each icon will do - You have to be far more careful with your mouse to select some of the submenus, because, unlike in the default kmenu configuration, you can't just run your mouse up against the side of the desktop. That said, if you or someone else could code it, there'd be a lot of happy KDE users about.

I like the colors :-) perhaps it could be skinable/configurable. But I showing most used programmes and categorized programms next to each other confuse me. I have the same problem in winXP. sarah

Something else, people would probably contribute a lot more if you had a working version. If someone could give me some pointers on creating a custom KDE menu, I might even start on it myself.

The colors make it look very childish. Perhaps go with a somewhat more serious (but boring) color scheme, like this: http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/~remenic/newmenu.png