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1776

General Software Discussion / Re: Linux is Not Windows

« Last post by zridling on August 13, 2008, 04:01 PM »

That's what I did, superboyac, when allowed me to leave my old Windows machine intact. Baby steps!
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Darwin,

I took his [zaine's] "Innovation shouldn't merely be driven by maximum 'cosmetic' UI consistency" as a dig, basically saying that all MS has done is make an attempt to make Windows prettier and to make that "prettiness" more uniform across the OS' various features.

Nah, don't take it as a dig. Rather I meant that Linux shouldn't bother to follow Windows' lead anymore. Let's see more innovation like KDE 4.1's plasma interface rather than waiting until Redmond does something, and then simply mimicking it. That's been done with apps throughout the history of Linux, e.g., Gimp was merely an attempt to copy the function of Photoshop; KDE 3 and earlier was merely following the Win98/XP UI, and even today it's pretty easy to install a 'Vista' theme or build it yourself to make Linux look like Vista.

And yes, I like Vista's UI better than XP's. (I just hate what they did to Windows Explorer and Solitaire, ha!)

1777

General Software Discussion / Re: Linux is Not Windows

« Last post by zridling on August 13, 2008, 02:18 AM »

For me, the question is not "What OS do you use?" but "How do you collaborate with others?"

The former leads to the predictable slate of arguments we can recite in our sleep. The latter is best done when the code is freely available to all. My personal journey in the last nine months from using to Windows and Linux, to just Linux, all the while being able to do all the work necessary for my job, was enabled by several business apps that have been ported to different platforms. Broad use of open source apps like Firefox, WordPress, Python, PHP, and Komodo were key. OpenOffice, too, works across platforms as well, and it helps that ODF is widely used in the cloud. Like many today, I spend most of my day working with information and services through a browser. For my personal email, I use Gmail, an example of cloud computing.

When I move from “desktop” to “desktop” the most important thing is how I can access my information. If I can access my email and documents for work, and my music for fun, I’m happy. People have or want devices like the iPhone so that they can get work done anywhere, even if they can’t connect their laptops to wifi. Their use will continue to rise.

Linux finally stopped copying Windows circa 2001 this summer with the release of the KDE 4.1 desktop environment. It would be even better if everyone looked at what Apple is doing with usability and design and emulated their continuous success there. Heck, open source need look no further than WordPress, which has attracted excellent graphic designers to build themes and skins. I understand that to gain acceptance for new software, it is easier for users if you mirror the behavior of old software, but at some time you need to step out and innovate in the user interface. KDE 4.1 was a great step forward (for Linux) in this respect, as Vista was for Windows.

Innovation shouldn't merely be driven by maximum "cosmetic" UI consistency. The system -- whether its OS be Windows, Linux, or OS X -- should be held together by well-engineered common design principles and APIs rather than aging string, frivolous patents, and bubble gum (patch) coding.

1778

Developer's Corner / Re: 10 Best Application UIs of 2008

« Last post by zridling on August 13, 2008, 01:33 AM »

Haven't heard of these either. Adobe Lightroom didn't make the cut? All I ask is that designers don't waste space on empty flair, i.e., I don't need icons the size of a credit card on my screen. Maybe that's why I like the sparse terrain of Gmail these days.

1779

Living Room / Re: Favorite part of the Beijing Olympics so far?

« Last post by zridling on August 13, 2008, 01:27 AM »

Good points. There are so many silly sports that get rotated into now, and in quite a few they allow professionals to participate -- you won $320m last year; who cares if you tack on a gold medal?

1780

Living Room / Favorite part of the Beijing Olympics so far?

« Last post by zridling on August 12, 2008, 10:24 PM »

Add your own if you tune in and out.

1781

General Software Discussion / You, too, can be a kernel hacker!

« Last post by zridling on August 12, 2008, 09:41 PM »

Glyn Moody points to a Linux Foundation/Linux Developer Network guide. "If you've ever wondered how the kernel development process works – and how you might join in – wonder no more, with this new guide to the kernel development process from the Linux Foundation."



The purpose of this document is to help developers (and their managers) work with the development community with a minimum of frustration. It is an attempt to document how this community works in a way which is accessible to those who are not intimately familiar with Linux kernel development (or, indeed, free software development in general). While there is some technical material here, this is very much a process-oriented discussion which does not require a deep knowledge of kernel programming to understand.
____________________________________________
Lots of fundamental coding advice throughout, no matter the platform.

1782

General Software Discussion / Re: KDE 4 out, and my, it looks gorgeous!

« Last post by zridling on August 11, 2008, 08:43 PM »

jgpaiva: no, it doesn't resize when you add items, but it does add a scrollbar automatically. Even better, you can add links to any folder and filter their view within the [desktop] folder. Pretty cool.

1783

General Software Discussion / Re: KDE 4 out, and my, it looks gorgeous!

« Last post by zridling on August 11, 2008, 01:35 AM »

Wow, where'd they get those huge icons at in that article?! I like the Vista UI, but this 4.1 version has both stability and some extremely convenient shortcuts. (And this coming from someone who's used Gnome and xfce to date.)

click for larger

1784

General Software Discussion / Re: Linux is Not Windows

« Last post by zridling on August 11, 2008, 01:22 AM »

[app103]: The 'war' I was referring to is the harassment that Windows users get for not switching, where Linux users go out of their way to attack those that choose to use Windows and not switch their OS, as if somehow that would make someone stop liking Windows and switch to Linux. The abuse is even worse for Windows users that have tried Linux and gone back to Windows when it disappointed them and wasn't what they expected or wanted.... It would just be nice if those that are loving Linux so much would stop trying to shove it down the throats of those that they know that are loving Windows.... Linux is not for everyone. Know that, understand that, and leave us that don't want it, alone. Don't insult us just because we use what we like. You wouldn't like it if the abuse was returned in the same manner as you have dished it out.... If you have made the switch and are loving your Linux, it's ok to tell others, but be careful not to do it to an extent or in a way that it becomes childishly abusive. And don't fall into rating the value of a human life by the OS one runs (or the ISP they use)...one has NOTHING to do with the other.

Bottom line: Don't act like a jerk.

App, what are you talking about? "Harrassing" people for not switching to Linux? Insults? Abuse? Where the heck did you get all that 'personal stuff' from? Not my post. I did quote the author, whom I suggested should take a second look in light of Linux in 2008, not the pre-Ubuntu phenomenon Linux from 2005. Humphries spends a lot of time talking culture, not about the OS — e.g., vi is not part of the Linux OS, nor are desktop environments like KDE, Gnome, or xfce. There's so much cross-platform software available now that my transition was far easier than I expected it to be. In other words, I have not suffered in the ways that Humphries describes.

I think 40hz has it right, and I've long moved on. Use what you choose and enjoy it. But App, take a step back and relax. I was recounting my experience in response to the author's quote. I am more productive now. Is that a slam against Windows, or more accurately, a testament that I — ME and MYSELF — was finally fed up and did something to change my personal computing situation. Go back and read my post and I cannot find any "abuse" and "insults" you claim.

You guys know me and you know I'm not a Linux fanatic, in large part because I know so little at this point, but I damn sure am having a lot of fun, something I haven't had in a long, long time. Again: my experience need not be shared by you. Moreover, everything good about Linux need not be interpreted as an insult to Windows. But having used MS-DOS followed by Windows from 1985 to last year (and two Vista machines in the house) does give me direct experience with Windows. And if me talking about it insults you, then tough. You had your say; I get mine. (Unless you decree what can and can't be talked about and in what ways here on DC.)

1785

Living Room / Re: which operating system you like most....

« Last post by zridling on August 10, 2008, 04:44 AM »

[mouser]: I really wish Microsoft and Apple would stop messing around with making good helper applications and focus on the core OS. If these companies just focused on making a rock solid fast operating system, and left the damn movie making programs and word processors alone the world would be a better place.

Oddly, I think the sooner Microsoft bites the bullet and scraps Windows' legacy support and creates something *ix-based like Apple did, the better off they'll be. And since I was sucker-punched with all the great features that were pulled from Vista, I won't get excited about Midori's marketing until it arrives on the desktop. Vista is simply carrying too much weight for too many disparate purposes.

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Living Room / Re: Wonderful talk about privacy and technology

« Last post by zridling on August 10, 2008, 04:38 AM »

Wow, great link, kartal, thanks. This stuck:

It seems that the primitive belief that taking a photograph can steal your soul may not be so fanciful: think surveillance and spying. Or identity theft, which is little more than the aggregation of a specific number of secrets or semi-secrets related to an individual. The technology that has followed photography means we are the first generation to really experience what the loss of privacy means.

1787

General Software Discussion / Re: Linux is Not Windows

« Last post by zridling on August 10, 2008, 04:32 AM »

Skipping to the end of the article, Humphries writes:

Don't get Linux: It will fail miserably at being what you want it to be.... If you really want the security and performance of a Unix-based OS but with a customer-focussed attitude and an world-renowned interface: Buy an Apple Mac. OS X is great. But don't get Linux: It will not do what you want it to do.

Three years is a long time in Linux land. I should know because I've been monitoring and testing distros every month this decade, and it's come a long way in the past two years; even doing what I need it to do and want it to do. Trust me, if it didn't, I DO NOT have the time or patience to futz with it. I dare say that KDE 4.1 has eliminated most all of Humphries' complaints about using the keyboard and vi (text editor); e.g., the Kate text editor is incredible in many, many ways.

Not sure about a 'war,' but for me, I had used Microsoft OSes for over 20 years and figured I had earned the right to try something new. Could neither afford nor did I like Apple, so I kept trying Linux. Microsoft's increasing attempts to put barriers between me and my data pushed me to open source solutions like ODF. Vista wasn't the breaking point, but it was damn strange to have an 8Gb RAM Quad-core and it was not much faster than my old PIII.

The money I save on having a Microsoft-free computer allows me to upgrade my hardware more often and have more of it at any given time, running faster than I ever did with Windows. Moreover, it takes me less time to tweak a new Linux machine than it does a Windows machine, and like many of you, I'm an expert at installing Vista and XP and removing their minor annoyances.

1788

Living Room / Re: Request: Does anyone know a good "pet" game?

« Last post by zridling on August 09, 2008, 12:01 AM »

Brandon, haven't you ever watched Trailer Park Boys? Tell her to get a bubble maker or just a bottle that makes bubbles. They'll go nuts over them!

http://www.thecatcon...om/Bubble-Kitty.html

1789

Living Room / Avoiding burnout

« Last post by zridling on August 08, 2008, 06:47 AM »

[via Jono Bacon]:


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Otherwise, how do you avoid burnout?

1790

General Software Discussion / Re: Opera and google. Incompatible as ever

« Last post by zridling on August 08, 2008, 06:26 AM »

I fully support open source software, but Google goes overboard in their effort to get everyone to use Firefox. I like Firefox, but I don't love it. I love Opera! The only problems I have is with display to an extent. Fonts are fine in every website I visit. I got to Gmail and suddenly it looks like everything is fat and skewed despite having my own CSS font page.

1791

Living Room / Re: which operating system you like most....

« Last post by zridling on August 08, 2008, 06:20 AM »

Depends on what I'm doing. If I'm copying Netflix discs, Windows has easy software for it, and Vista-SP1 seems to be as solid as XP-SP3. For daily, routine productivity, music/video, and general cloud computing, it's [KDE] Linux these days. As a result, I now resent the trouble it takes to buy a computer without the cost of pre-installed Windows.

1792

Developer's Corner / Re: Essay: Why Free Software has poor usability, and how to improve it

« Last post by zridling on August 08, 2008, 06:06 AM »

Often, the more people for which a program is design, the worse it is. Take enterprise software, for example: it's unusable half the time!

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Developer's Corner / Re: Essay: Why Free Software has poor usability, and how to improve it

« Last post by zridling on August 06, 2008, 05:56 AM »

This was one of the better articles I've read on the subject because its author delineates people like me who approach an app with design in mind compared to a programmer who's building for function (not form). He notes that designers are almost never coders, and vice-versa.

1794

General Software Discussion / Re: Is your ISP throttling you? If so, check for it!

« Last post by zridling on August 06, 2008, 05:53 AM »

Not yet for mine (Fidelity Comm.), but it's only a matter of time. I couldn't believe Verizon's FIOS service limits your total monthly bandwidth to a Gb or two. What's the point of paying for extra speed if you can't use it?

1795

Living Room / Linux convention (funny photo)

« Last post by zridling on August 06, 2008, 05:50 AM »

Cheesy, but oh well, it's me.

1796

General Software Discussion / Re: What Linux is xclosest to whats used in apples OSX?

« Last post by zridling on August 03, 2008, 12:04 AM »

What Dirhael said. KDE 4.0 made the walls sweat in my house with my Nvidia card. Will try 4.1 someday with a different card.

1797

Living Room / Skimp or splurge?

« Last post by zridling on August 01, 2008, 11:42 PM »

I figure I'm not the only one broke these days. However, where I can, I buy things gently used or buy high quality new merchandise. I try not to waste money on cheap crap. I'm not a millionaire; I'm not even a hundred-aire. but as this MSN article suggests, there are a few items you can selectively save on:

• Mattress: SPLURGE. You sit, sleep and God knows what else on this item. Get a good one.
  
• Wristwatch: SKIMP. The phone now doubles as a timepiece.
  
• Kitchen knife: SPLURGE. One good kitchen knife is a time-saver and is safer.

Maybe you should think of it as "splurging." It's not irresponsible or decadent to buy a quality item that you can use for decades at a reasonable price. (Of course, just because a product is expensive doesn't mean it is high quality...) And remember, if an item is high quality, sometimes you can buy it used!

So my question is: In what things do you "invest" for the long term?

1798

General Software Discussion / Re: Your most used SPECIAL programs

« Last post by zridling on August 01, 2008, 10:46 PM »

Ah, since moving to Linux, it's been the Bluefish Editor. Extremely well designed and even slow people like me can have useful results!

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General Software Discussion / SourceForge.net Community Choice Awards results!

« Last post by zridling on August 01, 2008, 10:22 PM »

The SourceForge.net Community Choice Awards has some unique categories to say the least, and some. And some of the winners are confusing:

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General Software Discussion / Re: Best software communities?

« Last post by zridling on July 31, 2008, 11:01 PM »

Yea, I should have certainly included DC's donationware. There's no better feedback mechanism online than here.