human factors - 0.50rc1 gui

[Mikus Grinbergs]

Running 'smart --gui' on SUSE 10.1 x86_64.  Using slow dial-up line.

The 'Operation Progress' window shows a new field 'ETA'.  This
field appears to be recalculated every second.  Unfortunately,
the displayed value seems to be based on the summation of the
data content of the "TCP/IP blocks" that were fetched during
an unrepresentative measurement period.

[The preceding field 'Speed' varies all over the place - from
 more than the capacity of the connection <when large "TCP/IP
 blocks" are counted in the most recent second, despite their
 "elapsed time to transfer" taking more time than the measurement
 period> to frighteningly low <when no new "TCP/IP blocks" have
 been counted in the recent second(s)>.]

The result is that for me the 'ETA' field __jumps__ from second
to second.  The only meaning that it conveys is when I mentally
somehow "average" the ever-changing numbers.


I realize that you are attempting to present "if fetching of
TCP/IP blocks continues at the rate we measured it, then it
will take such-and-such amount of time to complete this data
transfer".  But since on my system your measurement changes
DRASTICALLY (e.g., by over 100% !!!) from second to second,
those "jumping" 'ETA' values contribute as much to confusion
as to clarification.


mikus