RC1 jumping the gun a bit?

J

jtenenb

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I've been a parallels user since B2 (way back a whole month and a half ago) and have been generally pleased with the ease of use and the rapid deployment of bug fixes in subsequent beta releases. However, it looks like many features were either crippled (CMD-TAB), or have become way more buggy than previous beta releases (IP conflicts every time I connect), and finally the controversial CTRL key which now does not accomplish a simulated right click as it does in OSX and used to do in parallels WINXP guest and is 100% not working in MS WORD even with SHIFT-CTRL. I think at best this program needs significantly more beta testing if these features are to work before a true public release. I know promises were made for a release within a month, but really whats the difference, release some more builds and please address some of these issues. Additionally I would highly reccomend a ticket system as a means of support as opposed to many scattered posts on this board. Real support for paid users (or even prepaid users) would be nice. Oh and finally, why swap the suspend and pause buttons? How hard is it to just add one more button to that bar, so that sleep and pause can share the space?
 
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The key combo... I think it's a matter of how well Parallels is making the virtualized environment close to its 'true' form as possible. CMD-Tab shouldn't activate task-switching while Parallels VM is in focus because all key combos except the ones linked to Parallels app itself should be simply directly passed towards VM. Ctrl-click shouldn't automatically be registered as bringing up context menu for the same reason. Therefore I don't see this as 'crippled'. In fact, I think it's now working as it should. However, Shift-Ctrl-click not working in certain application is a problem and should be investigated. Also, I've never seen IP conflict in any of the Parallels I've run in my box. I guess you wrote up about this problem in a separate thread before?

RC is a continuation of the beta testing, although being a 'Release Candidate' I expect that it's now focusing nearly exclusively on bug squashing, as opposed to previous betas where features kept growing. Because of this, I personally consider the original betas as 'alpha' and the current RC as 'beta', to fit the more traditional definition of the terms.

BTW, what's a 'real' support supposed to be?
 
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wesley said:
The key combo... I think it's a matter of how well Parallels is making the virtualized environment close to its 'true' form as possible. CMD-Tab shouldn't activate task-switching while Parallels VM is in focus because all key combos except the ones linked to Parallels app itself should be simply directly passed towards VM.
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Your philosophy seems to be: torture average users in order to have a "pure" PC environment. :(
 
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There is not way parallels can please users on key combination actions. If Parallels allowed users to customize every key combination, they would still catch hell for the defaults.
 
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Then do what software like, say, Visual Studio does, and supply multiple "presets" that allow you to select entire sets of default key combinations. For example, you could have a setting that uses as much Windows convention as possible; and another that uses as much of a Mac convention as possible. Then you can have a customizable third setting that can be pre-loaded with either of these, and then altered on demand.
 
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andgarden said:
Your philosophy seems to be: torture average users in order to have a "pure" PC environment. :(
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It would be less confusing in the end because it would be consistent with the regular PCs as well as Boot Camp. How would I be supporting torture, though? I'm all for giving options, as I said. :) I just want the current RC version's setting to stick with default because this doesn't give the user the wrong impression of somehow Windows actually recognizing ctrl-click as context menu click, and such.
 
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wesley said:
The key combo... I think it's a matter of how well Parallels is making the virtualized environment close to its 'true' form as possible. CMD-Tab shouldn't activate task-switching while Parallels VM is in focus because all key combos except the ones linked to Parallels app itself should be simply directly passed towards VM.
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This would certainly be true if Parallel's goal was some sort of intellectual exercise of "How close can we get to running on a PC". If instead their goal is for the user experience to be as useful as possible for people to work an emulated machine into their Apple workday, then it wold be nice if there was some easy way to switch back and forth between the two environments,, even if it ruined the purity of the thing.

Michael
 
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kaufman said:
This would certainly be true if Parallel's goal was some sort of intellectual exercise of "How close can we get to running on a PC". If instead their goal is for the user experience to be as useful as possible for people to work an emulated machine into their Apple workday, then it wold be nice if there was some easy way to switch back and forth between the two environments,, even if it ruined the purity of the thing.

Michael
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That depends. Since I'm not a Parallels employee, I can't say for them, but to give the most useful user experience, a Mac key combo shouldn't come into effect when running the VM - it might be easier for Mac users at first to be able to use such combos at first but this results in missing out on many features that Windows depends on. You state that those two 'goals' are different, but I consider them the same.

Consider a hypothetical situation of, say, running an OS X VM inside a foreign OS and that OS uses certain key combos that overlap OS X's, like CMD-click. As someone who knows the uses of CMD-click in OS X, wouldn't it be frustrating if the virtualization/emulation software running the VM simply imposed the key combo that host OS uses so that the guest OS X can't make use of such key combos?
 
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wesley said:
That depends. Since I'm not a Parallels employee, I can't say for them, but to give the most useful user experience, a Mac key combo shouldn't come into effect when running the VM - it might be easier for Mac users at first to be able to use such combos at first but this results in missing out on many features that Windows depends on. You state that those two 'goals' are different, but I consider them the same.

Consider a hypothetical situation of, say, running an OS X VM inside a foreign OS and that OS uses certain key combos that overlap OS X's, like CMD-click. As someone who knows the uses of CMD-click in OS X, wouldn't it be frustrating if the virtualization/emulation software running the VM simply imposed the key combo that host OS uses so that the guest OS X can't make use of such key combos?
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I feel like that would be more valid, if we mac users actually had a right click capability (why didn't they build that into the new MacBook and MBP's?...just thinking out loud) but when something as crucial as getting access to context menus is now a feature requiring two keys to be held and click, I dont know call me crazy but the non-power user might be a bit frusterated. I like the above idea (a few posts up) of a few sets of default hot-key sets that you can choose when you install the individual VM. Offer a "True XP" set an "OS X friendly" set, and a "user customizable set" where everything is up for grabs. Options are a good thing, and I think a great way to satisfy most people, especially as it concerns the hot-key thing, and the full screen focus issues. Oh and my comment about "real support" only implies that I feel like there should be a method of contacting parallels tech support to report bugs exc, in some sort of ticket system as opposed to scattered reports on this forum.
 
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Yeah, the problem really stems from the laptops not having two buttons (iMac ships with Mighty Mouse, and Mac mini might as well be coupled with 'normal' 2+ button mouse), and the normal user springing to thinking that ctrl-click = context-menu despite its implications in Windows. I would personally think that there should be some sort of a reminder box, be it shown in the first-time use or creation of VM, about the key assignment for right-click functionality. The user could be presented with the preferences window if the default set is not to his/her liking.
 
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Check this topic please - http://forum.parallels.com/thread1851.html.

All changes to keyboard mapping were done by users requests. Now we see that other users is not satisfied with the mapping changes - so we are adding some flexibilty in mapping customization.

Suspend and Pause buttons swapping was also user request. You still have Pause functionality in VM menu. We didn't put extra button to toolbar because it will break VCR buttons concept - Stop, Start, Pause.
 
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Andrew @ Parallels said:
Check this topic please - http://forum.parallels.com/thread1851.html.

All changes to keyboard mapping were done by users requests. Now we see that other users is not satisfied with the mapping changes - so we are adding some flexibilty in mapping customization.

Suspend and Pause buttons swapping was also user request. You still have Pause functionality in VM menu. We didn't put extra button to toolbar because it will break VCR buttons concept - Stop, Start, Pause.
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Correct me if I'm wrong but pause on my VCR (well dvd player) pauses the thing playing (right now, it happens to be Arrested Development), it does not put my box into a sleep/standby state. Why not do it like an iPod, where the Play button doubles as pause when its playing? Thats a metaphor I think most mac users would expect.

-J

P.S. I know I've been really negative about this RC1, but I really do appreciate the amount of work that has clearly been done to get this product to where it is now, and its truly a great addition to any intel mac.
 
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Play button doubling as Pause is a metaphor most people can understand, that I agree, but in this analogy the a separate Pause button becomes redundant. Assigning the Play/Pause 'double duty' button for Run/Pause, and having a separate Pause button to Suspend is a situation ripe for confusion. I do like the Play/Pause button concept, though. It should look something like this example so that users know that the button doesn't just sit there to indicate that the VM is running, and it should change colour or something when the VM is paused.

Then what of the Suspend and Stop? They should each have a separate button, IMO. Trying to stick to VCR button analogy too much is counterproductive because VMs don't run like video tapes. Pause button is like Pause in VCR, but Suspend is akin to stopping the tape and turning off the VCR. Stop is like stopping the tape and rewinding it to the beginning, then turning off the VCR.

Parallels already has buttons for Suspend (the one with the crescent moon) and Stop (the traditional power button) which pops up when closing the application while VM is running. Why not use those on the toolbar, too?
 
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wesley said:
Then what of the Suspend and Stop? They should each have a separate button, IMO. Trying to stick to VCR button analogy too much is counterproductive because VMs don't run like video tapes. Pause button is like Pause in VCR, but Suspend is akin to stopping the tape and turning off the VCR. Stop is like stopping the tape and rewinding it to the beginning, then turning off the VCR.
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This is a very good point. I think the parallels folks could use a consult from Tog
 
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Here's a proposal...

wesley said:
Play button doubling as Pause is a metaphor most people can understand, that I agree, but in this analogy the a separate Pause button becomes redundant. Assigning the Play/Pause 'double duty' button for Run/Pause, and having a separate Pause button to Suspend is a situation ripe for confusion.
...
Then what of the Suspend and Stop? They should each have a separate button, IMO. Trying to stick to VCR button analogy too much is counterproductive because VMs don't run like video tapes. Pause button is like Pause in VCR, but Suspend is akin to stopping the tape and turning off the VCR. Stop is like stopping the tape and rewinding it to the beginning, then turning off the VCR.
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This has bugged me all day now...

Here's what I think would work:

Play (the tiangle) turns into Pause ( || ) when the VM is running.

There's a solid square button that has a moon embossed on this - that's suspend.

And there's the circle with the ' on top (look at the power button of your Mac - that's the one) - and that is the icon to power off the VM... consistent and easy to understand. Not exactly like a VCR - but as wesley said - this isn't a VCR...

/D
 
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This is one of those big problems in interface design that's best addressed early in the process. I hope Tog wouldn't mind that I'm ripping off a bit of discussion on the topic from his web site. Which you should visit!

Bug Name: Cryptic Icons

Reported by: Michael Woodhams

Duration: 15+ years

Suppliers: Myriad

Alias: "Let's play a game - can you guess what this means?"

Product: Eudora mail reader, Atria/Rational/IBM ClearCase revision control system.

Bug examples:

Eudora: The 'check mail' icon has a picture of an envelope and a "check" mark.

ClearCase: The 'check in' icon has a picture of a document, an arrow (in a direction arbitrarily ordained to be 'in') and a "check" mark.

Notice the use of the "check" mark to imply the English word "check". Not only is this going to be completely opaque to every non-English speaker, it is very murky to about half of the world's English speaking population also. "Check" is the American name for this mark, in British (and Australian, New Zealand...) English it is a "tick" mark. It took me two years before I realized why it was on Eudora's "check mail" button.

Class of Bug: “You had to be there†to get it

Principle: A word is worth a thousand pictures

Discussion: Icons are supposed to transcend language barriers - not to limit themselves to one dialect. A related bug are the highly stylized icons found on Swedish home appliances: circles, crosses, dotted arcs etc. These are quite incomprehensible without a manual, which likely has been lost. If they just wrote Swedish words, at least I can find a Swedish/English dictionary in my local library. Bug first observed: c1987, "Eudora" mail reader, c2000, Rational (now IBM) ClearCase.

Discussion by Tog: The larger problem is that icons are failing to communicate. The above-mentioned principle was coined by the Apple Human Interface Team in 1985, when we determined that, with more than 100 icons then appearing on the Mac, people weren’t “getting it.†They all were beginning to look a lot alike.

Twenty years later, things are worse, not better. We now have thousands of icons, with many developers assuming that people need only glance at their particular set and will immediately know what to do. They won’t.

If you need icons, have your graphic designer make up several sets on 3 inch by 5 inch cards (metric is also OK). Then, show them to a series of users, asking them to identify what each icon means.

Likely, you will fail to find any set of icons that is immediately recognizable. (That’s why iconic writing died out some time ago.) However, don’t despair. Wait two weeks and go back to the same individuals, asking them to identify the meaning of the icons again. Your goal should be to at least assemble a set of icons that are memorable.

After all this, provide Tooltips, so the rest of us can figure out what you had in mind. If they’re at least memorable, we won’t have to ask a second time.

Try to avoid the kind of “cutsey†plays on words of which Michael complains—icons, after all, aren’t words—and ensure that you don’t have pairs of icons that look almost alike, something that happens far too often.
Click to expand...
 
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CTRL key and CMD-tab

Parallels is virtual environment, not an exact envrionment.

Mentally and logically, I use OS X for 99% of what I do. I still think of windows xp in parallels as an "application" running within OS X. I want to hav CMD-tab be an app switcher, and I want to use CTRL-Click as a Right Click, just as I already do in OS X. I don't want to mentally have to reconfigure my mind and mental keyboard when i switch environs. If I'm already used to using ctrl-click as right click as I have done for almost a decade now, I don't really want to switch that mental programming for parallels.
 
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