Hi, @Aethermind !
I agree mostly with you. Furthermore, your insights are giving me the opportunity to explain more precisely the design idea proposal. Perhaps was not able to state it clearly from the beginning. I was not asking for a revolution nor an evolution.
The design proposal never had the idea behind of substitute encoders or touch buttons for a touch screen. At the moment, I am working in my own Zynthian box. I must say that initially I bought a 7" tactile screen to make a button-less Zynthian. Such idea, needed a few testing hours to acknowledge that, without encoders, the navigation through screens was significantly slow loosing interoperability.
Moreover, I asked for help in my previous post “encoders made easy?” to implement encoders easily.
Now I am working in my own Zynthian box design.I will show the process when finished, and of course, some music too.
So, when I submitted my “brainstorming design proposal”, I had several clear ideas on my mind:
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First, actually many users have invested in Zynthian boxes with tiny screens. They need and deserve maintain functionality on their machines, probably forever. I do not see Zynthian project making a jump towards a tactile UI, isolating such cloud of loyal users.
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Second, the cost on tactile screens gets lower every year. I see this as an opportunity to promote more comfortable and visual UI.
IMHO this will be the fact in a few years. Anyhow, I must say that (what I have tested) a 7" screen is small yet to get a tactile UI solely on Zynthian box. So I speak in any moment to go for bigger screens 10, 12…, even higher. But please, understand that I am speaking of future as a bit diffuse concept. -
Third, I think that the V5 Zynthian protoype states clear and cleverly the pathway. I love it! With a V5 in mind I thought that a more appealing visual approach was possible.
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Forth, If it was possible, what @pau said: " The user interface could be separate from the core functionality and we could even have different UIs to choose from, depending on your needs" for me should be –simply perfect–.
A Zynthian step forward, setting the basis of UI for the next (years in mind) Zynthian to come. -
Final thought, I want to suppose than many of the actual Zynthian users with tiny screen boxes should love to move, on a future, towards a Zynthian style V5 with it´s more visual attractive and comfortable UI. Don´t you?
Is up to the development team to pave the way