emission

First of all, I love how kxproject sovled the driver issues I had with my Audigy 2, and there's so much more under the hood to use. Fabulous!

However, although this will be nagging, I can't understand why so much software these days is skinnable. I mean, it there really a customer/user demand for this? Right now, in my system tray 5 out of 8 running apps are skinnable, all in there own unique way, and it's not apps where skinning could be justified as a means to optimize your everyday tool set. No, it's things like the graphics drivers utility (ATI), the antivirus software (Avast) and now also my sound card drivers.

Recognizability is the first rule in UI design, and most skinnable apps, by its very definition, break this rule. I don't want to spend time searching for the close widget of a window, I don't want things that look like menus behave like buttons.

For me, the fact that kxproject is skinnable (and that there is no standard Windows interface to fall back to. The kXp skin doesn't cut it) is a huge disadvantage, and it makes it seem quite a lot less professional. I know I'm not the only one who feels like this, although I have no way of knowing whether we're in majority.

That was my 2 cents...

Nappylady

I've agreed the whole time, though I never thought to complain about it... it just seems a little silly to have our developer spending time on the skin for the driver--gfx art--when there are more pressing problems needing attention.

The UI needs to be good--and mostly, it is--but it doesn't have to be all gustom graphics, and if it's a choice between sexy skins and more lines of code written, I'll take more lines of code written.

RejZoR

I could live with classic Windows XP design. But i don't think Eugen is spending much time on GUI since it's basically complete. Just small modifications for new features.

popej

I think kX drivers are wonderful, but still kX mixer skins are one of the main obstacles for beginers. I can't see any reason to follow Creative way of thinking and to make design that is not ergonomic and mostly does not fit to desktop look and feel.

Maybe we should start a poll to find out what users think about kX UI design?

__________________
popej

RejZoR

Creative is stupid anyway. I mean in software area. Hardware is cool,but software supporting it is another story. They have such a nice &%##!!!a mess in their download sections,controls look like space shuttle cocpit,but you can hardly control volume with them...
If they've had any brains they would hire Eugene to program software part (and pay him many $$$).
With access to all harware specifications he could make a god sound card drivers, trust me. (with Eugene i mean him and all his co-workers on Kx Project)

Btw,i somehow like Aqua panel design. It's probably not perfect,but quiet easy to learn and very powerful.

Nappylady

A poll? Heavens no. Enough time has been spent (by Eugene) on the UI already.

A better solution would be for one of us--who don't really care for the default skin--to make our own, which is simpler and easier to understand. If it's good enough, it will probably become the default skin over time.

popej

I agree that UI is not the most important thing, but probably one of weak parts of kX driver. In my opinion default kX mixer look should be like any other OS window. With colors and fonts defined by system utilities, with window sizable to any monitor size and resolution, with standard topbar and controls. I'm afraid this is not possible with skined design. Even designing skin for people with bad sight could be a problem.

This tread is a kind of polling. So far not many critics :-)

__________________
popej

RejZoR

There is a Windows XP styled skin in the Skins download section. For those who are interested...