__/ [ ed ] on Monday 16 October 2006 23:08 \__
> On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 22:21:18 +0100
> Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>> __/ [ ed ] on Monday 16 October 2006 22:11 \__
>>
>> > On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 21:50:57 +0100
>> > Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> >
>> >> 3D desktop computing with Mandriva and SabayonLinux
>> >>
>> >> ,----[ Quote ]
>> >> | Overall though, I am one of the persons who enjoy the concept of
>> >a > | 3D desktop. There are voices in the Linux community saying that
>> >this > | is nothing but useless eye candy, but I happen to believe
>> >that a 3D > | accelerated desktop has a potential to increase one's
>> >productivity > | on our computers once the new habits become
>> >entrenched. > `----
>> >>
>> >> http://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20061016#blog
>> >>
>> >> Plenty more in this weekly newsletter.
>> >
>> > it's hard to believe that the 3d effects alone can help.. the other
>> > features of beryl might, i preferred the earlier UI post of yours
>> > today for improved usability.
>>
>> Which part of Metisse? The earlier work on slanted windows or that
>> which enables UI's to adapt and be refined/customised?
>
> Oh the customised ui.
KDE is a highly customised desktop environment where everything is 'fluid'.
But it's not adaptive, yet...
IMO, and feel free to correct me, KDE is where most of the UI innovation is
taking place. Those who haven't explored all the features can't truly
appreciate this.
>> This idea os adaptive interfaces is discussed rather frequently these
>> days. It's almost as though a productivity barrier has been reached
>> (larger/more monitors, still same old peripherals). Different people
>> can harness different levels of complexity as they go along and it
>> depends on the tasks most routinely used (GNOME vs. KDE debates spring
>> to mind). Also see:
>>
>> Sci-Fi: A New Kind of OS
>>
>> ,----[ Quote ]
>> | Consider the obvious advantages to an operating system that actually
>> | morphed and adapted to the needs of the users instead of the other
>> way | around. Not only is there no such OS like this, the very idea
>> goes | against much of what we are currently seeing in the current OS
>> options in | the market.
>> `----
>>
>> http://www.osweekly.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2309
>>
>> I keep finding ways of customising KDE and using its features to the
>> extreme. Even after many years of regular use I continue to find
>> shortcuts (and new innovative features that come with each release of
>> KDE). KDE (KWin and Konqueror in particular) are way, way ahead of
>> competing navigator/WM's on competing platforms that require heaps of
>> resource-hungry, third-party extensions in oder to become more usable.
>> But how does one demonstrate KDE to an outsider and make it
>> 'digestable' too?
>
> some while ago people used two track balls, one to move windows around
> and another as a pointer. i'm not sure if two pointers are possible in
> X, but mapping 'alt' to the button click of one mouse would be useful as
> to move the window around and select from it with the corepointer.
IIRC (a rather weak thought), there was a version of X where multiple
pointers were supported. You just need to plug the appropriate sections to
the devices at hand and off you go... and then there's X's ability to handle
kiosks. I also wrote the following last month...
http://schestowitz.com/Weblog/archives/2006/09/07/x11-config-file/
Might just find that amusing...
> saves half the mouse movement if the windows can be brought to the
> pointer... perhaps we could map something else like a multimedia key to
> do that.. remembering which window is closest and furthest away would
> help here...
To move from window from window I usually change virtual desktop (Alt+Fx) and
for control over the window position you can hold down Alt and use the
mouse. In KDE you can also resize windows using the secondary mouse button.
> i wouldn't call kde digestable... it's too big for one sitting.
> xfce/windowmaker they're digestible... ratpoison, although being small,
> is not digestible, there's too much required to learn for one sitting.
It all comes down to habits. At some point you just use all these shortcuts
and tricks without even thinking about it. It's like the way one would
practice juggling. it makes it hard(er) to return to Windows and OS X
though... a bit frustrating, slow, and disorienting. No ability to change
the behaviour either (untrusted third-party freeware aside).
> the only reason i can see that kde has such a following is because it's
> easy for migration from windows to linux, the start menu is usually in
> the same place. however, a windows person would find
> xfce/gnome/windowmaker odd, it would be native.
>
> this doesn't mean to say that kde is windows. it's not, it just has many
> similarities which is good if people want things like windows, but bad
> if people are expecting linux desktops to be the ui of winodws, which
> they're not and they're not trying to be that either, they have better
> things to do.
Windows is like KDE without all the most important options. Strip down
editing via FTP, some drag-and-drop features, useful view modes, rich
thumbnails, directories that refelect on content (yes, a lot to do with
Konqueror that's at the heart of KDE file management). This pretty much
leaves you with Windows XP or Vista---a prisoner in a freebie KDE with
'locked' features... even for Vista Ultimate.
Best wishes,
Roy
--
Microsoft: a device for converting public ignorance into cash
http://Schestowitz.com | GNU is Not UNIX | PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
roy pts/9 Sun Oct 22 13:52 - 13:52 (00:00)
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