[sugar] [PATCH] screenshots hurt

[Mikus Grinbergs]

For someone interested in "human factors", this discussion has been 
an eye-opener.  My summary of the need: 'Users will depend on the 
content of the preview image to identify which document entry to 
launch from the Journal".  My summary of the intent: "Can Sugar 
guarantee that what is recorded in the preview image is the newest 
information available about what is being done with the document?" 
My summary of the problem being discussed:  "The preview image is 
captured from the whole-screen.  There are logical times when Sugar 
would like to record the latest information -- but the current 
implementation does not have the whole-screen available" -- 
therefore a snapshot is being taken just about every time that the 
activity's whole-screen is being overwritten."  To me, that is 
performance-affecting overkill.


My opinions as a Sugar user:

  ===>  The most evident symptom is "no thumbnail at all".  The 
question then becomes - "how much handholding ought Sugar to 
provide", if the user does not bother to "identify" or "keep" any 
specific information about what he is doing.  In my opinion when a 
__new__ document is 'opened', a "preview image" ought to be taken. 
If the XO then gets powered off without any further direction having 
been received from the user, it is *his* fault if the "preview 
image" does not show the latest thing he did with the document.  If 
he had bothered to "keep" or "close" the document, a more up-to-date 
preview should have been captured.

> saving often enough that the user will never be surprised that,
> when resuming, the state isn't as they last left it.

If the user did not look out for himself, should Sugar ?
[To "automatically" take care of the unexpected power loss 
situation, periodic snapshots would need to be taken by Sugar.]

> It is possible to launch an activity and close it
> without a screenshot ever being taken?

If the Activity got started without it ever opening a "document", it 
most likely was a game.  Perhaps snapshot the initial screen of the 
game, for "visual recognition" next time searched for by the user.


  ===>  What if no image is available with the present 
implementation to be captured for the preview?  To me, that is a 
problem unlikely to be solved in 2008.  I myself am willing to let 
this problem arise as a consequence of "speeding up tabbing between 
sessions".

>> 1 If you close the an activity while the frame is up, you will get a
>> screenshot with some black areas.
>> 2 If you close a non-active activity from the frame (icon palette) you
>> would get a completely black screenshot.

Taking the preview from the current screen appearance is 
problematic.  Much better if a different implementation had a 
"pristine" copy of the screen information that it could snapshot.



I myself am in favor of ANYTHING which improves Sugar performance on 
the XO.


mikus