An option for a Really Simple Interface

I'd like to thank the contributors to MP, for what I think is an incredible product. I built an MP computer and purchased an MCE 2005 remote, and now the whole family are getting familiar with this GREAT software.

Personally, I like options and flexibility, but in the hands of my girlfriend, my 10 year old, 8 year old and 4 year old, they seem to constantly get themselves lost in MP.

Common problems: Someone changes from 'LIST' whatever to 'LARGE ICONS' whatever, or changes a channel group. One time someone changed the 'Switch View' on My Videos and then got completely lost.

I would like to be able to turn off buttons like:
[My Videos]: View
Sort
Switch View (I'm starting to sound harsh I know)
Playlist
Stack

[My TV] TV On (yes the kids have turned it off inadvertantly)
Timeshifting (try explaining this to a 4 year old)
Group (Confuses my kids.. although I should get rid of the groups myself)


[My Picture ] View
Sort By
Create Thumbs

etc

I know this sounds really harsh, but as a family appliance, I just want to make it simple, and less prone for one of the family members to change things and then complain bitterly to the help desk (ME).

What would be really cool would be some sort of facility to flick between advanced and simple mode, by means of a button (password protected perhaps with numbers on the remote keypad), or setting on the configuration page.

I dont mind exiting MP to change configuration. MP is great software, that has become the centerpiece to my family's home entertainment.

I love the flexibility and new features being built into the product. I just want to be able to make buttons (even ones that make perfect sense being there) invisible. I want my 4 year old to be able to drive the software with ease, without the confusion of view changes, turning on and off timeshifting, turning on and off the tv tuner card etc.

Thanks

Sean

[mPod]

You can remove the buttons you don't like in the xml files in your skins folder. Needs some work, but if you think it's worth it, go ahead! :wink: