#16650 - 04/09/2000 13:08
Playlist selection and shuffle
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journeyman
Registered: 21/09/1999
Posts: 68
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How about adding an icon at every playlist selection level that shuffles the playlist. It would look like the "right arrow" that right now selects the whole playlist. Perhaps a right arrow with a S in it or something like that, to the left of the right arrow. The normal "right arrow" would select the playlist without shuffling, and the "shuffle arrow" would select and shuffle the current playlist.
The global shuffling is useless because I typically want to switch between the two. Personally, I never shuffle albums, but I'll shuffle other playlists with multiple artists/albums.
This is nice because it doesn't require setting special flags on a per-playlist basis. At the time when I'm selecting the playlist (in the car at 80mph) I can make the decision. And this doesn't affect those people who would rather just use the global shuffle option.
If "global shuffle" is on, when you select a playlist, it defaults to the icon that would shuffle that playlist and vice versa.
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#16651 - 05/09/2000 13:24
Re: Playlist selection and shuffle
[Re: doug316]
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new poster
Registered: 30/08/2000
Posts: 13
Loc: San Francisco, CA USA
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I agree, almost never do I like the global shuffle concept.
I usually want to shuffle or not at the moment I pick a playlist while driving in my car.
So 2 icons for every playlist (one shuffle all one play unshuffled) would be awesome and fit exactly what I want.
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#16652 - 05/09/2000 18:03
Re: Playlist selection and shuffle
[Re: bradpirtle]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/07/1999
Posts: 5549
Loc: Ajijic, Mexico
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So 2 icons for every playlist (one shuffle all one play unshuffled)Or, how about a single icon for the playlist, but that icon changes (maybe add an "S" inside the little triangle) depending on whether shuffle mode is on or off. This would require being able to turn shuffle on or off with a single keypress, but chances are you can already do that? (I am embarassed  to say I haven't figured out how to work the remote yet...) tanstaafl. "There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"
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"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"
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#16653 - 05/09/2000 18:11
Re: Playlist selection and shuffle
[Re: tanstaafl.]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31600
Loc: Seattle, WA
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This would require being able to turn shuffle on or off with a single keypress, but chances are you can already do that?Yes, the "0" key on the remote turns shuffle on and off. I don't know if you can press the "0" key while you're in the playlist menu- if you can't, then maybe simply enabling this ability would be enough (without having to add a separate icon)? ___________
Tony Fabris
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#16654 - 05/09/2000 18:36
Re: Playlist selection and shuffle
[Re: tfabris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/07/1999
Posts: 5549
Loc: Ajijic, Mexico
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enabling this ability would be enough (without having to add a separate icon)?
As long as you got some visual reinforcement about whether you had just turned shuffle off or on.
tanstaafl.
"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"
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"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"
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#16655 - 05/09/2000 18:49
Re: Playlist selection and shuffle
[Re: tanstaafl.]
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veteran
Registered: 16/06/1999
Posts: 1222
Loc: San Francisco, CA
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In reply to:
Or, how about a single icon for the playlist, but that icon changes (maybe add an "S" inside the little triangle) depending on whether shuffle mode is on or off. This would require being able to turn shuffle on or off with a single keypress, but chances are you can already do that? (I am embarassed to say I haven't figured out how to work the remote yet...)
I like, I like:)
-m
MK2: 36gb
Tivo: 90gb
CPU: 120gb
...I think drive manufacturers love me!
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#16656 - 05/09/2000 20:16
Re: Playlist selection and shuffle
[Re: tanstaafl.]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31600
Loc: Seattle, WA
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As long as you got some visual reinforcement about whether you had just turned shuffle off or on.Right now, if you use the remote to toggle shuffle, a huge box appears on screen saying "Shuffle Off" or "Shuffle On". It's only when you toggle shuffle from the main menu that you don't get any after-the-fact reinforcement. This is something that needs to be rectified for the menu. ___________
Tony Fabris
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#16657 - 06/09/2000 06:49
Re: Playlist selection and shuffle
[Re: tanstaafl.]
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addict
Registered: 09/06/1999
Posts: 483
Loc: Guernsey
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Whilst you could use the remote to change global shuffle, and only have the one play icon, the original two icon scheme would work from just the front panel (or from a cut down remote like the steering wheel remotes).
Also it would be more suitable for in car use to have both icons side by side than straining to see if the S has appeared in the single icon...
Everybody confused yet?
Jazz
(List 112, Mk2 12 gig #40. Mk1 4 gig #30. Mk3 1.6 16v)
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Jazz
(List 112, Mk2 42 gig #40. Mk1 4 gig #30. Mk3 1.6 16v)
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#16658 - 06/09/2000 09:23
Re: Playlist selection and shuffle
[Re: Jazzwire]
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journeyman
Registered: 21/09/1999
Posts: 68
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First, where are all these "secret" remote functions documented??
Second, I don't normally use the remote. All I want is a simple second arrow that I can "at the time of playlist selection" choose between shuffle or standard. One tiny little icon to the left shouldn't clutter things up much.
I wish people would be more inclined to recognize good ideas and not oppose everything as I see so often. Such a feature can have an enable in the config so if you really don't want it, you don't get it.
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#16659 - 06/09/2000 09:46
Re: Playlist selection and shuffle
[Re: doug316]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31600
Loc: Seattle, WA
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I wish people would be more inclined to recognize good ideas and not oppose everything as I see so often.Usually, everyone here on the BBS does recognize good ideas and cheers them on. Sometimes we offer alternatives that would get the same results. (As it turns out, the alternative I suggested earlier in this thread was stupid and completely unworkable since it would break the Q-Z alphabetical menu selection.) But please don't feel insulted just because some people on the BBS disagree with your idea. Remember that the Empeg folks do read every feature suggestion posted here and make their own decisions. Even if the suggestion draws criticism, Empeg might still like the idea and choose to implement it anyway. This has been known to happen. I always look at feature suggestions (mine as well as everyone else's) with these things in mind: - How useful would such a feature be to everyone (not just me)? - Would it confuse or complicate the user interface for Joe Consumer? - How difficult would it be to implement the feature? - Would it break another existing feature? ___________
Tony Fabris
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#16660 - 06/09/2000 15:29
Re: Playlist selection and shuffle
[Re: doug316]
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member
Registered: 16/12/1999
Posts: 188
Loc: Melbourne, Australia
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I wish people would be more inclined to recognize good ideas and not oppose everything as I see so often.
This is why I don't like doing user interface design for other people. Depending on the way a particular person relates to your application, the idea may or may not be a good one. So, in the end, almost nobody has an interface that works exactly the way they would like it to. It may well be perfectly adequate, but there are always little niggling things that people want to be different. Even UIs that are customisable have this characteristic, because a lot of people don't want to go to the bother of customising.
Having said that, though, the empeg UI is pretty good, I reckon. In the past empeg has done a decent job of deciding what is and is not a good idea. I trust them to keep doing it in the future.
Richard.
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#16661 - 06/09/2000 15:42
Re: Playlist selection and shuffle
[Re: rjlov]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31600
Loc: Seattle, WA
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This is why I don't like doing user interface design for other people. Depending on the way a particular person relates to your application, the idea may or may not be a good one. So, in the end, almost nobody has an interface that works exactly the way they would like it to.Too true. Here's what I said on the same subject some months ago: I don't envy the Empeg guys. I've always said that there is no such thing as the perfect user interface, and this is no exception. There are exactly as many perfect user interfaces as there are users. A UI is always a compromise between all the possible users. As soon as I express my opinion about how I think it should work, someone else pipes up with a desire to see it behave in exactly the opposite fashion. The volume control is a classic example: I recall hearing numerous complaints that it was too slow, and as soon as they sped it up the other half of the users started to complaining that it was too fast. ___________
Tony Fabris
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