People can’t tell the difference between Windows 7 and KDE

Feb 6

Editorial David 8 Comments
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Approximate reading time is 0 minutes

I just picked this up on Twitter, thought I’d share it with the world.

I think the most interesting thing about people’s reaction is actually how well desktop linux is actually going. Having used Ubuntu on and off, I can say that the desktop experience far surpasses Windows, and from what I know of OSX, it probably surpasses that too.

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8 Comments (+add yours?)

  1. Ryan Hitch
    Feb 08, 2009 @ 14:18:33

    I watched this video, hoping for something a bit weighty to be honest.

    For starters, it’s begins with the protaganists _telling_ people it’s a beta of Windows 7 – which sets up a number of ‘mindset’ parameters – such as ‘Ah, my existing software library will work with it’, imho starting it by saying that you’ll have to get accustomed to different (albeit broadly compatible) apps would have led to very different results. Another (sad) fact that it also highlights is that linux desktop and app developers spend so much time emulating the UI of a platform they spend the remainder of time bemoaning.

    Take it from a long time supporter/user of kde3, kde4 (at least the last, laughably labeled production version (4.0) that I used) that whilst it offers much over windows, it’s _still_ too crammed with config options, much is still misleading, and implementation of other os eye-candy is less useful. Once it stabalises a bit, I might well give it another serious run.

    Damnit – just used your blog to put of working again! Grr ;-)

    Ryan

    Reply

    • David
      Feb 08, 2009 @ 14:48:34

      Hi Ryan,
      If you’re going to comment on my blog again, get yourself a Gravatar! :-)

      Anyway, yes the video was more for entertainment than anything. Although, while they did set out the mindset of it being something that it wasn’t, I found it a nice counterpoint to Microsoft’s Mojave stunt.

      I’m with you on the KDE being cramemd with config options, which is while I shall most likely stick with GNOME when I make my full time transition to Linux.

      As for the Linux desktop devs emulating the other OS’s. On one hand they have to do that to an extent, because they need to make it as painless as possible for people to switch from Windows. On the other hand, I would say that while there are certainly common elements, the open source desktop systems far surpass both the Windows and Mac desktop.

      Still now, even though OSX and Windows have their fancy UI elements, the Linux desktop, especially with Compiz, is years ahead of both of them.

      If you want something really different though, have you checked out “GNOME Do” yet? I haven’t, but that seems to be the most ‘different’ thing out there at the moment.

      TBH, some sort of taskbar based design seems a pretty solid basis for a UI. I’ve tried using a Dock, and while it’s a nice novelty, in the long run it is the most cumbersome and obstructive UI pardigm I’ve ever used.

      Reply

  2. Noel
    Feb 09, 2009 @ 02:02:05

    I’m a confirmed gnome user.
    The major problems with KDE from my perspective are the inconsistent interface, the sheer number of kde krap that seems to be thrown in with useful apps & applets in packages like kde-multimedia and the instability of recent releases.
    I tend to tweak gnome a bit for ease of use:

    http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/1582/screenshotqx4.png

    With ubuntu:
    1. Install shiki-colors: http://www.gnome-look.org/content/show.php/Shiki-Colors?content=86717

    2. I replace pidgin with empathy (as a bonus the fusa (fast user switching applet) in the top right corner can be used to set your IM status)

    3. Replace XSane with flegita & flegita-gimp for a better scanning experience.

    4. install Tasque, add tomboy applet to the panel, turn on tasque plugin in tomboy preferences.

    5. Install songbird, remove rythembox

    6. install wine-doors: http://www.wine-doors.org/

    7. install gpicview for quick image viewing. associate all supported types in the settings dialog.

    8. Edit the menus to thin out apps i don’t use regularly. Rename the ones i do to descriptive name (e.g. Web Browser, Music Player)

    You would’nt happen to have a spare spotify invite you could fling my way?

    Reply

    • David
      Feb 09, 2009 @ 06:46:26

      Thanks for the Linux suggestion, Noel.
      As for a Spotify invite, you are very lucky, as this is the last time I’m checking my blog before going off-line for a few days. So I’ve sent you one, but to anyone else reading this, I won’t respond to anything else for a few days now. I have a few scheduled blog posts already written, so don’t be confused when you see new posts come up, because you are subscribed to my RSS, right? ;)

      Reply

      • Noel
        Feb 10, 2009 @ 00:14:59

        Thanks for the invite David.

        As luck would have it my new SSD arrived today so spotify went straight onto a fresh ubuntu install.
        My boot time is down quite significantly ;) :

        http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/1661/jaunty200902091ek4.png

        A few more tips for you:

        Cool Apps to have:

        boxee – social media center

        bum – Manage your services by runlevel

        startup-manager – Tweak your bootloader and bootsplash

        htop – A Better Top®

        ubuntu-tweak – Tweak your Desktop.

        powertop – What’s using power?

        Autostart Empathy:

        Go to System > Preferences > Session and add empathy.

        Fonts:

        Install the package ttf-inconsolata. Switch out the monospace font for inconsolata in appearance.

        Enable font hinting (Covered by an Apple patent in the US)

        Go to terminal and create a new file called .fonts with these contents:

        true

        none

        false

        hintnone

        true

        Reply

  3. Bobby Revell
    Feb 11, 2009 @ 12:09:40

    That’s actually quite funny isn’t it David? I’ve been messing with Linux for several years–its Unix based design is still powerful and can do virtually anything windows can do. I love the Amorok music player.

    I have one older PC with Linux and it’s only been rebooted twice in three years. It has no firewall (besides my router of course) and has never become bogged down. No registry to defrag and its impervious to viruses and spyware.

    I still haven’t upgraded my windows boxes to Vista–still using the old battle scarred XP. It works just fine!

    Reply

    • David
      Feb 11, 2009 @ 12:31:21

      Hi Bobby,
      I’m sticking with XP for now. It’s been a long held aspiration of mine to migrate to desktop Linux (probably Ubuntu) permanently.

      From my university years I was using a lot of Sun Sparc stations, so I feel more at home in a Unix type environment anyway. (By which I mean just navigating around the file structure, and “mounting” devices, rather than having drive letters).

      Reply

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