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s4iscool · Dec 17, 2003, 08:53 AM

in the URL bar so we can go directly to a recently visited link without typing in the box?

\Also, can you control where the "new window" appears when you open a new window? I know you can open it in the background but i hate how safari stacks the new windwos so close to the original./

gorickey · Dec 17, 2003, 09:05 AM

Originally posted by s4iscool:
in the URL bar so we can go directly to a recently visited link without typing in the box?

You can either click and hold the "back" button...OR, you can use the "History" menu, correct? Both are just as fast as the drop down arrow IMHO...

uv23 · Dec 17, 2003, 10:03 AM

No they're not as fast. It's all about immediacy of relevant UI elements. The history should be in close proximity to the address bar, as the topic starter requested. A definite UI advantage of IE. I'm hoping these "little" things make it into the next revision of Safari.

gorickey · Dec 17, 2003, 10:07 AM

Originally posted by uv23:
No they're not as fast. It's all about immediacy of relevant UI elements. The history should be in close proximity to the address bar, as the topic starter requested. A definite UI advantage of IE. I'm hoping these "little" things make it into the next revision of Safari.

To each their own, I think it's just as fast. And you are right, this is a "little" thing...

Developer · Dec 17, 2003, 10:18 AM

Originally posted by gorickey:
TI think it's just as fast.

I think the history is faster. Fitt's Law.

el_humpo · Dec 17, 2003, 10:24 AM

Besides, there are already widgets to the left and right of the URL; the favicon on the left and the snapback icon on the right.

Where would you put this dropdown arrow?

chabig · Dec 17, 2003, 10:35 AM

I get the feeling that s4iscool and uv23 still don't understand that you just have to click and hold on the back arrow to get the drop down history...almost exactly like IE.

Chris

uv23 · Dec 17, 2003, 11:10 AM

I understand that fine. I'm talking about efficient UI. Clicking and holding far to the left of the address bar is cumbersome relative to a simple click in close proximity to where you would otherwise type a URL. I've been doing UI design for way too many years now so I always look for the best user experience. Safari is lacking right now but I have hope for the future. And for the record, I do still use Safari rather than IE because of rendering speed and the way in which it handles bookmarks.

Jan Van Boghout · Dec 17, 2003, 11:20 AM

Originally posted by uv23:
I understand that fine. I'm talking about efficient UI. Clicking and holding far to the left of the address bar is cumbersome relative to a simple click in close proximity to where you would otherwise type a URL. I've been doing UI design for way too many years now so I always look for the best user experience. Safari is lacking right now but I have hope for the future. And for the record, I do still use Safari rather than IE because of rendering speed and the way in which it handles bookmarks.

No offense but if you've been doing UI design for years, you should be able to understand that aiming for a 16x16 space is harder than throwing the arrow to the top of the screen, at the history menu (like Developer said). Just my own opinion of course

uv23 · Dec 17, 2003, 11:24 AM

There is room aplenty for an arrow on the right (or left) side of the address bar. And I'm speaking from the perspective of someone using as little screen real estate as possible (a 12" PB). But we could go on and on arguing about this and I have work to do, so I'll leave it as a "Yes" vote for the original poster.

CharlesS · Dec 17, 2003, 11:24 AM

It's not an arrow, people...

Sorry, it kind of bugs me when people call the triangle that denotes a drop-down menu an arrow. Maybe it's just me, but it seems like an arrow is supposed to have a shaft, not just a triangle-shaped arrowhead. An arrow that you fire out of a bow is basically a long stick with a pointy thing on the end. You could shoot the stick without the arrowhead from the bow just fine; it just wouldn't pierce the target. However, you wouldn't have much luck trying to just shoot the arrowhead without the stick!

I can live with people calling the ones in the scroll bar down arrows or up arrows, because those actually take you up or down. But the pop-up menu triangle?

What about those disclosure triangles in the Finder list view? Do we call those arrows?

Arrow: --->

Not an arrow: >

</rant>

gorickey · Dec 17, 2003, 11:36 AM

Originally posted by CharlesS:
It's not an arrow, people...

Sorry, it kind of bugs me when people call the triangle that denotes a drop-down menu an arrow. Maybe it's just me, but it seems like an arrow is supposed to have a shaft, not just a triangle-shaped arrowhead. An arrow that you fire out of a bow is basically a long stick with a pointy thing on the end. You could shoot the stick without the arrowhead from the bow just fine; it just wouldn't pierce the target. However, you wouldn't have much luck trying to just shoot the arrowhead without the stick!

I can live with people calling the ones in the scroll bar down arrows or up arrows, because those actually take you up or down. But the pop-up menu triangle?

What about those disclosure triangles in the Finder list view? Do we call those arrows?

Arrow: --->

Not an arrow: >

</rant>

uv23 · Dec 17, 2003, 11:37 AM

Originally posted by CharlesS:
It's not an arrow, people...

Sorry, it kind of bugs me when people call the triangle that denotes a drop-down menu an arrow. Maybe it's just me, but it seems like an arrow is supposed to have a shaft, not just a triangle-shaped arrowhead. An arrow that you fire out of a bow is basically a long stick with a pointy thing on the end. You could shoot the stick without the arrowhead from the bow just fine; it just wouldn't pierce the target. However, you wouldn't have much luck trying to just shoot the arrowhead without the stick!

I can live with people calling the ones in the scroll bar down arrows or up arrows, because those actually take you up or down. But the pop-up menu triangle?

What about those disclosure triangles in the Finder list view? Do we call those arrows?

Arrow: --->

Not an arrow: >

</rant>

I've had my share of anal days, but very few that compare to that.

Hmm I had work to do now didn't I.... *slack* *procrastinate*

s4iscool · Dec 17, 2003, 12:34 PM

No. Im not talking about the back arrow where you can hold it down to baktrack through individual pages.

The dropdown arrow in IE on pc's only shows the URL of the page you typed in. For ex. you went to macnn.com two days ago, and you want to go back to it without digging through the history or bookmarks, all you have to do in IE on PC's is click on thie down arrow and it will show you all the URL's typed in the URL box for the last few days.

Scarpa · Dec 17, 2003, 01:01 PM

I'd rather click the address box and type the first few letters of the URL, personally.

I do it this way on every browser I use and Safari has the best implementation by far since it defaults to the most visited page containing the characters you entered, and all you have to do is hit enter.

The IE way makes you tab to the right entry and can be inconsistent if you want the first item, sometimes you have to tab forward then back in that case.

Opera is the worst, it doesn't have tab completion so I have to use arrows, I hate moving from the home keys.

The reason I don't use the drop down TRIANGLE is that everything is listed in historical order. Who the hell decided to do that? I'd rather it was alphabetical at least.