change screen preview behavior

[GoogleCodeExporter]

note: I've already suggested this on the LauncherPro forums, but I'm getting 
shutdown by some users who are strongly against my proposal. If interested in 
that discussion, you can follow it here: 
http://launcherpro.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2480&start=20#p14842

The current home screen preview behavior is to split the total number of 
screens as evenly as possible into rows, and then place them on the screen as 
you'd read a page in a book, for example:

..[1][2]
[3][4][5]
..[6][7]

In some cases, this keeps the main screen centered, but in others, it fails. 
And in all cases, this method gives a sloppy looking animation. The screens of 
a row all move together as one block and cross paths with other screens on 
their way to their final destinations. Since this is still a linear 
arrangement, just chopped into pieces, there is no symmetry and no flow to the 
final placement.

Since screen number and order don't matter, we should choose to show the 
previews in the way that provides the most logical final arrangement and the 
most fluid transformation animation.

My proposal is:
1:
[1]

2:
[1][2]

3:
..[2]
[1][3]

4:
[2][3]
[1][4]

5:
...[2]
[1][3][5]
...[4]

6:
[2][3][6]
[1][4][5]

7:
..[2][3]
[1][4][7]
..[5][6]

The main arguments I got on the LP discussion boards were:
1) it's confusing. people read left to right, top to bottom, so they expect 
"screen 1" to be top left.
2) it's different. people are used to the current implementation since every 
launcher seems to use the same one. therefore, changing this behavior will 
confuse/scare off users.
3) the best method has already been determined. everyone does it the current 
way, therefore it is the best way. this is essentially argumentum ad populum.

Also, I noticed HTC is using this behavior in their newer Mytouch 3g slide. 
Check out a clip of that animation with 7 screens here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tTk2eViD0U

Original issue reported on code.google.com by npod...@gmail.com on 2 Sep 2010 at 3:04

[GoogleCodeExporter]

oops. sorry, this should be merged with issue 41, "Better Sense Previews"

Original comment by npod...@gmail.com on 2 Sep 2010 at 3:06

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Issue 40 has been merged into this issue.

Original comment by JAguirre1231 on 2 Sep 2010 at 10:09

[GoogleCodeExporter]

No, this has more information so I merged that one into this.

Original comment by JAguirre1231 on 2 Sep 2010 at 10:10