In the new Launcher menu, we see:
Backup
Manage Apps
Options
PortableApp's launcher is designed to launch portable apps, so we know it's all about apps. There is no need for the word '... Apps' appended to 'Manage' anymore than there is for a 'Backup Apps'. "Apps" is a given.
The long-labeled 'Manage Apps' disrupts the interface's balance and logic. 'Manage' aligns with 'Backup' and 'Options'.
I suggest this label be changed to 'Manage' before the official 2.0 release.
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I considered something like that earlier, honestly, but Backup doesn't say Backup Apps because it's not just about backing up apps. It's backup and restore (which is a backup function) of app data only, documents only or the whole drive. And Options applies to Options of the platform, so that makes sense. But Manage Apps is about managing apps. Just Manage doesn't mean much in the context we're discussing, so to an advanced user it may make sense, but to a newer user, it's unclear what it means. Plus, on the PC side, 'Manage' means managing the PC (try right-clicking on My Computer). So it could mean managing your drive in this context.
If anything, it could be changed to Apps or Portable Apps or Software. I think Manage Apps makes the most sense in the current context, though.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Thats what I like about this place! Open discussion around concepts and ideas.
Thanks for responding.
While I understand why 'Backup Apps' and 'Options' work best as is, and why 'Manage Apps' makes sense, after pondering it, I think concerns about confusion that potentially could arise without the '... Apps' appendage are outweighed by the GUI cleanliness afforded with 'Manage' alone.
It seems to me the difference between a "newer user" and an "advanced user", as far as accessing the program's features via menu labels, is likely just ONE run of the program - the intial one.
Just as no one would see 'Options' and expect Windows-like options to be within, no one will see 'Manage' and confuse it with the 'Manage' found by right-clicking My Computer or found through Windows Administrator functionality.
Any user - new or otherwise - will click 'Manage' to see what lies within and from then on know that's where apps are managed. PortableApps 2.0 is clean, intuitive - and simple. Not only do I not think 'Manage' is really likely to create confusion, if it did, I can't imagine any person remaining confused after that first click into Manage and seeing this is where you update, install and refresh your apps.
To further advance PortableApp's cleanly-designed interface, I think the consistency and visual balance afforded by using the label 'Manage' outweighs any potential (but extremely unlikely) one-time minor confusion to a new user.
From this perspective, what do you think?
If you believe that after the first run a user is promoted to Advanced User status, then (IMHO) your idea of "Advanced" is somewhat lacking.
But to get back on topic, I doubt any of my less technically minded friends (or even some of my more technically minded friends) would be able to reliably differentiate between the proposed "Manage" button and the pre-existing "Options" button, and would thus often have to click one, then click off of it (or press Esc) and click the other to find what they're looking for, however with the "Apps" suffix, they can easily differentiate what is in which, because the "Options" menu does not contain any App management options.
So my vote is to keep the "Apps" on the "Manage Apps" button.
~3D1T0R
The menus may also be grouped with 2 buttons only : "Actions" and "Options".
Something like :
Actions
Options
In this proposition :