Notes 8.5 first impressions
Category Notes 8.5
So a couple of months ago I got a much beefier machine more memory etc. which was more capable of running Notes 8.5. Honestly I had found 8.x too sluggish on a 3ghz dual core 2gb ram machine (and yes anti virus was disabled for the Notes directory). These are my impressions after a couple of months of usage, call them gripes if you want I really don't care, I've been loyal Notes user for over 18 years, so it's not like I'm a newby, and I'm sure that is why I also have some of these frustrations, 18 year old habbits can be hard to break.
Notes 8.5 performs much better than Notes 8.0, but still isn't as fast as notes 7.x or Notes 8. Basic. I have Symphony installed, but unless IBM sends me an ODF file, I don't use it. I use that other more functional IBM suite still for 80% of my desktop stuff
The Notes client still needs more threading, especially around attaching/saving files, saving documents etc. I shouldn't really have to look at an hour glass in 2009.
1. I'm starting to get used to running Sametime in my Notes client, but it drives me crazy that IM windows aren't on a different thread. Not being able to chat when Notes is displaying something like a preferences panel drives users nuts though. So often by the end of the day I am running Sametime stand-alone again. Subtle (undocumented) differences between embedded notes Sametime and standalone Sametime also make Sametime plug-in development harder than it should be.
2. Having my plug-ins for Notes and Sametime in the same place is nice, but you need a good size monitor to really use them.
3. Type ahead for addresses from emails I've received, fantastic to see Notes has this now and a huge usability feature.
4. In-line Spell check, only took a decade, along with drag and drop. I do often have instant spell check turned off so get frustrated that Alt-E, K the previous shortcut for spell check no longer works.
5. Mark Read/Unread should be a right mouse button option. UPDATE: design refresh of mail file added this, now inconsistent with other dbs
6. Workspace looks like, well I don't need to say anymore.
7. Alt-B 1 no longer brings up email. In fact, Alt B no longer brings up shortcuts for bookmarks.
8. Font selections, what a pain, the status bar options have gone, to be replaced by a drop down that shows 5 choices and involves lots of scrolling.
9. A confusing mish mash of stuff between settings in location documents and others in preferences. Some settings still exist in Location document, but are overridden by options in preferences. You find out which has the higher priority through trial and error.
10. I'm forever double clicking on the Sametime status indicator in the system tray, expecting the contact list to appear.
11. Inconsistencies, lots of inconsistent behaviour in the Notes client, forget inconsistencies between apps, these are all within Notes itself. The answer to most inconsistencies seems to be Java Views, which as an end user I don't care about, it's inconsistent and I have to work different ways in different parts of the application. Ctrl-End works differently in Java Views to regular Views, double right click doesn't work in Java Views (I hear fixed in 8.5.1). I've blogged about the help inconsistencies before too. I keep find other inconsistencies, man I could do a big blog entry on those alone.
12. John Head politely described Designer in Notes 8.5 as experimental, personally I don't think companies should ship experimental software and charge for it, lets just say I have a VM loaded with Notes 7.x just so I have some where to go to do some quick domino db dev stuff if I need to.
13. Esc shouldn't close the Workspace if it's set as my homepage and the last page open.
14. I like the new password dialog that appears very quickly.
14. Notes 8.5 on the mac observations - Esc doesn't close my mail inbox. It closes other views.
16. Notes 8.5 on the mac observations - When it's loading up, it keeps taking focus so it's impossible to switch away and do something else whilst it loads.
17. Notes 8.5 on the mac observations - It's much harder to discern the difference between read and unread in views on the Mac than on a PC.
So a couple of months ago I got a much beefier machine more memory etc. which was more capable of running Notes 8.5. Honestly I had found 8.x too sluggish on a 3ghz dual core 2gb ram machine (and yes anti virus was disabled for the Notes directory). These are my impressions after a couple of months of usage, call them gripes if you want I really don't care, I've been loyal Notes user for over 18 years, so it's not like I'm a newby, and I'm sure that is why I also have some of these frustrations, 18 year old habbits can be hard to break.
Notes 8.5 performs much better than Notes 8.0, but still isn't as fast as notes 7.x or Notes 8. Basic. I have Symphony installed, but unless IBM sends me an ODF file, I don't use it. I use that other more functional IBM suite still for 80% of my desktop stuff
The Notes client still needs more threading, especially around attaching/saving files, saving documents etc. I shouldn't really have to look at an hour glass in 2009.
1. I'm starting to get used to running Sametime in my Notes client, but it drives me crazy that IM windows aren't on a different thread. Not being able to chat when Notes is displaying something like a preferences panel drives users nuts though. So often by the end of the day I am running Sametime stand-alone again. Subtle (undocumented) differences between embedded notes Sametime and standalone Sametime also make Sametime plug-in development harder than it should be.
2. Having my plug-ins for Notes and Sametime in the same place is nice, but you need a good size monitor to really use them.
3. Type ahead for addresses from emails I've received, fantastic to see Notes has this now and a huge usability feature.
4. In-line Spell check, only took a decade, along with drag and drop. I do often have instant spell check turned off so get frustrated that Alt-E, K the previous shortcut for spell check no longer works.
5. Mark Read/Unread should be a right mouse button option. UPDATE: design refresh of mail file added this, now inconsistent with other dbs
6. Workspace looks like, well I don't need to say anymore.
7. Alt-B 1 no longer brings up email. In fact, Alt B no longer brings up shortcuts for bookmarks.
8. Font selections, what a pain, the status bar options have gone, to be replaced by a drop down that shows 5 choices and involves lots of scrolling.
9. A confusing mish mash of stuff between settings in location documents and others in preferences. Some settings still exist in Location document, but are overridden by options in preferences. You find out which has the higher priority through trial and error.
10. I'm forever double clicking on the Sametime status indicator in the system tray, expecting the contact list to appear.
11. Inconsistencies, lots of inconsistent behaviour in the Notes client, forget inconsistencies between apps, these are all within Notes itself. The answer to most inconsistencies seems to be Java Views, which as an end user I don't care about, it's inconsistent and I have to work different ways in different parts of the application. Ctrl-End works differently in Java Views to regular Views, double right click doesn't work in Java Views (I hear fixed in 8.5.1). I've blogged about the help inconsistencies before too. I keep find other inconsistencies, man I could do a big blog entry on those alone.
12. John Head politely described Designer in Notes 8.5 as experimental, personally I don't think companies should ship experimental software and charge for it, lets just say I have a VM loaded with Notes 7.x just so I have some where to go to do some quick domino db dev stuff if I need to.
13. Esc shouldn't close the Workspace if it's set as my homepage and the last page open.
14. I like the new password dialog that appears very quickly.
14. Notes 8.5 on the mac observations - Esc doesn't close my mail inbox. It closes other views.
16. Notes 8.5 on the mac observations - When it's loading up, it keeps taking focus so it's impossible to switch away and do something else whilst it loads.
17. Notes 8.5 on the mac observations - It's much harder to discern the difference between read and unread in views on the Mac than on a PC.
| Permalink | 
Comments
<<<<1. I'm starting to get used to running Sametime in my Notes client, but it drives me crazy that IM windows aren't on a different thread. Not being able to chat when Notes is displaying something like a preferences panel drives users nuts though. So often by the end of the day I am running Sametime stand-alone again. Subtle differences>>>>
Posted by Scott Petricig At 12:26:55 PM On 05/20/2009 | - Website - |
Regarding #5 I do get Mark Read/Unread options when I right click. Although I would note this appears to be part of the 8.5.x mail template design.
Elijah
Posted by Elijah Lapson At 01:03:29 PM On 05/20/2009 | - Website - |
Yes these are usability observations, and more specifically mine. I don't manage my calendar in Notes, so I haven't noticed anything different there.
Posted by Carl Tyler At 01:07:41 PM On 05/20/2009 | - Website - |
Posted by Carl Tyler At 01:18:53 PM On 05/20/2009 | - Website - |
Elijah
Posted by Elijah Lapson At 08:56:30 PM On 05/20/2009 | - Website - |
I find it's good practice to know the products from IBM and Microsoft.
Posted by Carl Tyler At 09:11:51 PM On 05/20/2009 | - Website - |
Thanks for these observations. The good news is that my team and I already had logged every issue. The bad news is that we didn't get them fixed or (bad for you) that some are not "as designed" due to the Expeditor shell (e.g. Esc closes home page).
Anyway... the ALT B SHOULD put focus over on your bookmark bar (if you have docked the open list). and if you still have the open BUTTON, then ALT B posts the Open list, so you can do ALT + B and a downarrow to get to mail. If you can't that's a bug.
We are fixing the inconsistency of "CTRL + End" in Notes 851.
Also, I must say I expected lots more people to gripe about the inconsistencies.Given my job, I am plagued by them and argue to fix them. so, keep complaining, it helps me make the case.
Posted by Mary Beth Raven At 10:50:21 PM On 05/20/2009 | - Website - |
Posted by Carl Tyler At 12:46:19 AM On 05/21/2009 | - Website - |