Defragger - Interface Design Suggestions

[AEon]

Setup: Defraggler v1.06.118 using Windows XP Pro, SP3

 

I am starting a new suggestion thread because the old one contains many already added suggestions, plus I'd like to get some feedback from the other users here. Some things have been previously suggested, I mention them again to emphasize their, IMO, usefulness.

 

 

1) A visual indicator for the Dragbar between Disk Map and Tabs

 

 

 

It would be nice to have a

visual dragbar

separating the disk map from the drive/file list tabs.

 

 

 

Additions:

 

• Double-click
  on dragbar to
  hide the tabs completely
  and to open them up again.
  
  

 

• Alternative:
  A
  down arrow
  icon in the dragbar lets the user minimize (or better hide completely) the tabs, thus maximizing the the disk map area (yes, I like to watch the defragmentation in as much detail as possible). An
  up arrow
  icon would be shown on the dragbar when the tab area is in minimized (hidden) state, letting the user open up the
  Drive/File list
  tabs again on the main screen.
  
  

2) Drive List with additional Info Columns - Degree of Fragmentation, Current File

 

 

 

As a fan of a large disk map display, I only use the

File list

tabs when manually quickly defragmenting files. Otherwise I'd minimize it, thus it would be very useful to have a few

more stats in the drive list columns

at the top of the screen.

 

 

 

• Once a
  Analyze
  (button) has been performed
  show fragmentation Information
  in additional columns, i.e.
  • N? of Fragmented Files
    
    
  • Total Fragments
    
    
  • Fragmentation % of Drive
    
    

   

   

 

• While running
  Action menu, Defrag Drive
  ... show the
  current defrag file
  in a column next to
  Status
  .
  
  

 

• Show the information of the
  Status
  column also in the
  Defraggler's title bar
  , letting the user check on the state of defragmentation, when the tool is minimized to the Windows bar at the bottom of the screen (sorry forgot its name)... i.e. it would show (provided minimizing of Defraggler actually works):
  
  

 

Periform Defraggler

(45%)

3) Remember Size of Drive List, Disk Map, and Tabs areas

 

 

 

Since it is now possible to save all setting in an

.ini

file it should be possible to remember the size of the 3 areas, to avoid having to re-size them every time you restart Defraggler.

 

 

 

Also remember if the Tab area is hidden or not (see my suggestion further up).

 

4) Half-size Disk Map color Squares (blocks) for maximum detail?

 

 

 

I run Defraggler on a 1680x1050 screen in full screen mode and love watching Defraggler working on defrags. Since I am a curious fellow, it would be spiffy to

half the width and the height of the squares

representing the blocks in the disk map, to get

four times the block detail

. Keeping the one pixel frame (grid) around the blocks should still be fine then.

 

 

 

Note: This is intended as an additional alternate mode. The default display mode would still be available for folks that prefer less detail.

 

 

 

IMO a huge scrollable

disk map

(as suggested elsewhere) - like Windows Defrag uses - is not of much use, because you completely loose the overview.

 

5) File list tab title could show Fragmented File and Fragment counts?

 

 

 

Since there is a lot of space left in the Tab titles, I'd suggest updating the "

File list

" text to show a count for the number of fragmented files shown after a

Analyze

button run, and the total fragment count.

 

 

 

E.g.

File list

(87 files, 2345 fragments)

 

 

 

IMO, it is inconvenient having to look up those numbers in the

Drive

tab.

 

 

Hope the suggestions are of some use.

 

AEon