Comments on: It’s time to fix the window controls

By: Carl

Carl — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 23:41:24 +0000

If they want to make the window controls like the window controls on Mac OS X, I'm fine with that. (I use Mac OS X a lot anyway, and am already comfortable with controls on the left side of the window.) They should at least get it right, however, with the close button on the far left of the title bar, and the minimize and expand buttons to the right of that button. It looks to me like they just moved the right hand centric window controls to the left, which is terrible ergonomics and design.

By: Mircea

Mircea — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 07:45:57 +0000

I like window controls on the left. I disliked them at first but I find them easier to operate on the left than on the right. It seems that my mouse is always closer to the left side than the right.

By: lynxStynx

lynxStynx — Wed, 26 May 2010 19:33:39 +0000

This is a stupid design decision. Fortunately, some of the themes still have them on the right so it’s easy to switch back. Morons.

By: junior

junior — Mon, 24 May 2010 08:27:15 +0000

It’s obvious that the people who run Ubuntu have started to get Bill Gates syndrome. Time to move to a different distro

By: Pat McCrae

Pat McCrae — Fri, 07 May 2010 19:11:11 +0000

Hm … I just thought it was a bug. Now you’re telling me it isn’t.

As much as I find it annoying there obviously seem to be some people out there who don’t … hence, why not try to keep everybody happy and simply make this feature a configurable system property? That way, users can decide for themselves if they want their Ubuntu in a Mac or Win flavour.

Personally, I would not hesitate a second to revert to the position that I have got used to over the past two decades or so … but that’s a comment which, most likely, will not interest many more people than myself.

By: sartan

sartan — Mon, 03 May 2010 20:18:25 +0000

I love the theme released with the latest Ubuntu, but the moment I noticed all of my window controls pop up on the left I immediately muttered a few choice words. Graphical interfaces have been built in this way for as long as we can remember, and a sudden quick arbitrary ‘quirk’ from a stubborn designer with a procedural trick shouldn’t stand for progress.

“It’s not a bug, it’s a feature” is just developer snobbery. I thought this was supposed to be about the community and user experience – not a personal agenda. Rest assured, this was one or two stubborn individuals who think this is progress.

gconf-editor; apps/metacity/general/button_layout; menu:close,minimize,maximize

By: patrrtn

patrrtn — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 19:12:23 +0000

Two years ago I bought a polo shirt from the Ubuntu merchandise shop, because at that time being part of the Ubuntu wave was something to be proud of.
Yesterday I took it from the drawer and checked it thoroughly.
Strangely enough, the buttons were still on the right side.
Nevertheless, I think I will not wear it anymore.

By: Robin Degen

Robin Degen — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 09:05:52 +0000

i stumbled upon this when i was looking for a way to move them back to the right side after having been annoyed by this for weeks. They better fix this, this is the dumbest idea ever. Have a tickbox somewhere to just pop them back to the right. problem solved.

By: Gurkan

Gurkan — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 07:09:02 +0000

if the move the control buttons to the left, the scrollbar should be on the left too!

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 02:32:51 +0000

Stupidest idea i’ve ever come across in my life.. Roughly 16 years spent clicking on the right to close adjust windows and close them… And i’m supposed to just adust? I have XP running in a seamless virtual.. so i’m getting pretty cheesed off with this.. The bug is irritating the hell out of me.. I add the text to the config.. the buttons move to the right.. then i change a theme and they are back on the left again and i have to do it all over again.. even worse.. each time i do it the title bar text moves along 1 space so there is a growing gap on the left now.