4 ms·

ConEmu has the best UI I've ever seen in a terminal. Way better than anything I've seen in *nix.

by tjoff 10y ago

nailer 10y ago
I use ConEmu for 5 hours a day. it's the best terminal on Windows, but its UI is absolutely awful https://conemu.github.io/img/ConEmu-Maximus5.png https://conemu.github.io/img/ConEmu-Maximus5.png https://conemu.github.io/img/Settings-Main.png https://conemu.github.io/img/Settings-Main.png - Minimal contrast in active tabs - can't be fixed due to Windows XP support. - Flashes it's hidden console proxy on screen continually - Settings menu with around 5000 options and no sense of heirarchy - something that's rare is just as prominent as something that's common - Giant colorful icons and wasted space in the title bar. I can't throw my mouse to the top and pick a tab when it's maximised. - Freaks out when your console is too large - Does a bunch of things better done elsewhere: my profile bash/powershell profile sets environment variables, I don't need my terminal to do this.
- tjoff 10y ago
  1. I understand the developer, I don't see the issue (wouldn't mind it being configurable but if it is the only thing that breaks XP support I can understand it). 2. I've seen it, happens probably once a month for < 50 ms when resizing or something. I can deal with it. 3. This is awesome, you go through it once and have every detail exactly they way you want it just because everything was shown (contrast to being forced to read the entire manual just to know what you can do). Great for discoverability. Take 15 minutes, quickly test out different settings and looks, reap the benefits for years to come. 4. I've removed the titlebar altogether. No borders at all either - Just a tiny (half row) discrete status bar at the bottom. 5. No idea what you mean here, can't recall to have seen it freak out ever.
  - nailer 10y ago
    1. Color contrast and it's ability to help users distinguish items from each other is a very well researched objective thing. Your personal experience doesn't overturn it as a concept, or make it easier for anyone else to find to find the active terminal. 2. That's great for you. My experience differs. 3. See 1, but for heirarchy. 4. Are sure you sure you can get the tabs all the way to the top? 5. See 2. I suspect I maximise the terminal more often or use a larger screen than you do.
    - tjoff 10y ago
      1. I'm not arguing that it is. There are more cues than color contrast before taking into account your mental state. As said, I wouldn't mind it being configurable but I understand the reluctance to do it if it breaks XP support. 3. Yes, a perfect hierarchy of the settings would be nice, in theory. Because never mind that what is important depends on the user and context - making the whole concept extremely tricky to get right. It is a tradeoff. And I haven't seen any terminal and few other applications that I've enjoyed setting up as much as ConEmu, most settings are logically where they should be. There are, understandably considering the amount of options, a few places where it can be difficult - but to help with that there is a great search function. 4. I don't even have a tab bar anymore, takes up way too much space and I always switch between tabs using the keyboard (since I only interact with the terminal from the keyboard anyway). But I tested it now, there is about 2px of space above the tab bar but if you try to press that area you still hit the tab you intended. So if you have maximized the window there is no possible way to click above the tab bar. ConEmu is one of the most well polished applications I use on a daily basis, it doesn't get in the way. I miss it to death every time I'm using a non-windows machine.
      - nailer 10y ago
        1. You mentioned that you personally didn't have a problem with low contrast. If it's not an argument I'm not sure why you'd mention it. I can't find the active tab easily, but that's irrelevant too: we have long established research on contrast helping people find stuff, and measurably low contrast in ConEmu. > I wouldn't mind it being configurable but I understand the reluctance to do it if it breaks XP support. Users running a current OS needing to find their current terminal should take precedence over a small number of people running an unpatched 15 year old OS. 3. Re heirarchy: > never mind that what is important depends on the user and context Ultimately more users want to change the font than integrate with 'FAR', or change the method of anti-aliasing used. 4. Interesting (this really should be a default). How do I do it? > There are, understandably considering the amount of options The Settings app has more options than ConEmu. It controls an entire OS and it's still easier. > to help with that there is a great search function. I've only just found that now, because it's in a different place to every other search box on Windows. I'm not arguing the non-UX bits of ConEmu aren't great. I'm stating that ConEmu doesn't care about UX and it's really obvious.

ConEmu has the best UI I've ever seen in a terminal. Way better than anything I've seen in *nix.

by tjoff 10y ago

ConEmu has the best UI I've ever seen in a terminal. Way better than anything I've seen in *nix.

I use ConEmu for 5 hours a day. it's the best terminal on Windows, but its UI is absolutely awful https://conemu.github.io/img/ConEmu-Maximus5.png https://conemu.github.io/img/ConEmu-Maximus5.png https://conemu.github.io/img/Settings-Main.png https://conemu.github.io/img/Settings-Main.png - Minimal contrast in active tabs - can't be fixed due to Windows XP support. - Flashes it's hidden console proxy on screen continually - Settings menu with around 5000 options and no sense of heirarchy - something that's rare is just as prominent as something that's common - Giant colorful icons and wasted space in the title bar. I can't throw my mouse to the top and pick a tab when it's maximised. - Freaks out when your console is too large - Does a bunch of things better done elsewhere: my profile bash/powershell profile sets environment variables, I don't need my terminal to do this.

tjoff 10y ago
1. I understand the developer, I don't see the issue (wouldn't mind it being configurable but if it is the only thing that breaks XP support I can understand it). 2. I've seen it, happens probably once a month for < 50 ms when resizing or something. I can deal with it. 3. This is awesome, you go through it once and have every detail exactly they way you want it just because everything was shown (contrast to being forced to read the entire manual just to know what you can do). Great for discoverability. Take 15 minutes, quickly test out different settings and looks, reap the benefits for years to come. 4. I've removed the titlebar altogether. No borders at all either - Just a tiny (half row) discrete status bar at the bottom. 5. No idea what you mean here, can't recall to have seen it freak out ever.
- nailer 10y ago
  1. Color contrast and it's ability to help users distinguish items from each other is a very well researched objective thing. Your personal experience doesn't overturn it as a concept, or make it easier for anyone else to find to find the active terminal. 2. That's great for you. My experience differs. 3. See 1, but for heirarchy. 4. Are sure you sure you can get the tabs all the way to the top? 5. See 2. I suspect I maximise the terminal more often or use a larger screen than you do.
  - tjoff 10y ago
    1. I'm not arguing that it is. There are more cues than color contrast before taking into account your mental state. As said, I wouldn't mind it being configurable but I understand the reluctance to do it if it breaks XP support. 3. Yes, a perfect hierarchy of the settings would be nice, in theory. Because never mind that what is important depends on the user and context - making the whole concept extremely tricky to get right. It is a tradeoff. And I haven't seen any terminal and few other applications that I've enjoyed setting up as much as ConEmu, most settings are logically where they should be. There are, understandably considering the amount of options, a few places where it can be difficult - but to help with that there is a great search function. 4. I don't even have a tab bar anymore, takes up way too much space and I always switch between tabs using the keyboard (since I only interact with the terminal from the keyboard anyway). But I tested it now, there is about 2px of space above the tab bar but if you try to press that area you still hit the tab you intended. So if you have maximized the window there is no possible way to click above the tab bar. ConEmu is one of the most well polished applications I use on a daily basis, it doesn't get in the way. I miss it to death every time I'm using a non-windows machine.
    - nailer 10y ago
      1. You mentioned that you personally didn't have a problem with low contrast. If it's not an argument I'm not sure why you'd mention it. I can't find the active tab easily, but that's irrelevant too: we have long established research on contrast helping people find stuff, and measurably low contrast in ConEmu. > I wouldn't mind it being configurable but I understand the reluctance to do it if it breaks XP support. Users running a current OS needing to find their current terminal should take precedence over a small number of people running an unpatched 15 year old OS. 3. Re heirarchy: > never mind that what is important depends on the user and context Ultimately more users want to change the font than integrate with 'FAR', or change the method of anti-aliasing used. 4. Interesting (this really should be a default). How do I do it? > There are, understandably considering the amount of options The Settings app has more options than ConEmu. It controls an entire OS and it's still easier. > to help with that there is a great search function. I've only just found that now, because it's in a different place to every other search box on Windows. I'm not arguing the non-UX bits of ConEmu aren't great. I'm stating that ConEmu doesn't care about UX and it's really obvious.