I think if Matematica claim to be a tool for information exchange (in CDF format), then it has to have a standard convenient way for design the view of the CDF documents. For example, a fast way for a modification PlotRange and other options can be available from new standard palettes (or it alternative).

Thank you for your palettes! They contain a huge commands and have a small size. Your palettes are convenient and helpful as opposed to standard Mathematica palettes.

A way to escape the notebook paradigm is to use attached cells. For instance you can make a cute little input-field display interface like so:

bottomWrappedBox[boxExpr_, bottomLayer_] :=
 DynamicModule[
  {myBox, myCell},
  DynamicWrapper[
   boxExpr,
   If[MatchQ[NotebookRead[myCell], Except[_Cell]],
    myBox = EvaluationBox[];
    myCell =
     FrontEndExecute@
      FrontEnd`AttachCell[myBox,
       Cell[BoxData@ToBoxes@bottomLayer],
       {Offset[{2, 0}, -2], {Left, Bottom}
        },
       {Left, Top},
       "ClosingActions" -> {"ParentChanged", "EvauatorQuit"}
       ]
    ]
   ],
  UnsavedVariables :> {myBox, myCell}
  ]

bottomWrappedBox[
 Panel[
  InputField[
   Dynamic["", (a = #) &],
   String,
   ImageSize -> 100
   ],
  Appearance ->
   {
    "Default" ->
     Lookup[
      FrontEndResource["FEExpressions", 
       "TooltipOptionsBarNinePatchAppearance"],
      "Hover"
      ]
    },
  FrameMargins -> {{10, 10}, {5, 5}}
  ],
 Framed[
  Dynamic[Pane[a, ImageSize -> 102]],
  FrameMargins -> {{10, 10}, {3, 3}},
  FrameStyle -> GrayLevel[.8]
  ]
 ]

The display cell is properly attached to the box of the input-field. This isn't a prettied-up Column-type interface.

The gets more powerful once you realize you can attach the same to a notebook. Here's a way to make a temporary notebook footer:

makeTemporaryNotebookFooter[nb_: Automatic, footer_] :=

  FrontEndExecute@
   FrontEnd`AttachCell[
    Replace[nb, Automatic :> EvaluationNotebook[]],
    Cell[BoxData@ToBoxes@footer, "DockedCell",
     CellFrame -> {{0, 0}, {0, 1}},
     Background -> GrayLevel[.95],
     CellSize -> {Scaled[1], 50},
     CellFrameMargins -> None,
     TextAlignment -> Center
     ],
    {Offset[{0, 0}, 0], {Left, Bottom}
     },
    {Left, Bottom},
    "ClosingActions" -> {"EvauatorQuit", "OutsideMouseClick"}
    ];

makeTemporaryNotebookFooter[
 Pane[Dynamic[a], {Automatic, 50}, Alignment -> Center]]

You can add whatever interface you like in there. And you can make it permanent or stick to the left / right hand sides of the notebook, too.

I don't like the ribbon itself, but I thought that the developers can place the packages menu in its own tab in one ribbon, so that will be convenience.

That's great! Definitely, I am going to do the experiment based on your instruction. I used DockedCells option, but you give a more general way for all notebooks. Thank a lot! I hope Wolfram Research will provide an easy way to build helpful menu, that will consistent across all support operation systems.

Generally, I agree with that the usability depends on way of working. For somebody the ribbon interface is utterly absurd. Yes I would prefer the edit bar be expanded to cover more options. Also I would like to have a possability to program "new edit bar". My first message arised from that I often use several palettes (from quantum package, not only Writing assistant palette) and I have to switch beetween different notebooks with different window size. For that reason palettes overlay the notebooks. Certainly, If somebody does not use several palettes, they do not cause inconvenience.

Thanks for reminding me why I stopped using MS apps. My comments are in response to the Apple apps and some of the word processing apps I use on macs. Not everything that they do is applicable to what is needed in Mathematica, but, for example, moving some of the functionality present in the Writing Assistant palette to the Formatting (Edit) bar that can be optional shown at the top of a notebook window would be useful.

The UI in general in Mathematica is improved with each release. The palettes seem to be stuck in version 7, though. It may be a case of "if it's not broken, don't fix it", but there are some refinements that can be made.

The main problem I have with palettes is on my small laptop, where it can be difficult to manage the screen real estate, especially if I need to make the notebook window wide to accommodate some nifty graphics, or a multi-column table. It is in these cases where I may have to constantly move a palette or even close it to see that I need to see in the notebook. This is not an issue on my iMac, of course.