The Old Joel on Software Forum: Part 3 (of 5)

Window Managers

The problem with Linux is that there's no standard look and feel, yes? And this scares people away, yes? So what is needed is a standard, yes? But how do you enforce a standard on something like Linux?

You can't stop people from writting window managers if that's what they want to do with their evenings and weekends, so I guess the only thing to do is wait until something obviously superior emerges from the crowd and becomes the defacto standard.

None of the GUI's I've seen for Linux have anything really special to distinguish them. Mostly they just seem to copy Microsoft, and do a bad job of it.

Thoughts, anyone?
What's your favorite window manager and why?

Alice
Monday, November 24, 2003

Alice,

I think it will be a commercial decision that finally establishes a look and feel for Linux.

Walmart has already opted for Lindows, but they are not a big enough supplier to matter.

When Dell or similar release a low cost Lindows desktop that takes off, then the standard will be established.

Ged Byrne
Monday, November 24, 2003

I think that like most technologies, there will be a convergence. We are seeing it in the "they all look the same department"

And as users become more and more sophisticated, this will matter less and less.

It will be like driving automatic vs manual H vs manual Champion. Hell even some of the manuals have reverse in top left, and others in bottom right.

There are enough sophisticated drivers out there to not have it be a huge problem. When you drive a different car, it takes you a while to get the hang of it, but pretty soon you are up to speed.

Choice is a good thing.

Tapiwa
Monday, November 24, 2003

btw... Friendly wager that we see more and more convergence and everything gets more and more 'boring' until the keyboard and mouse are replace by something like the Virtual reality type interface in Minority Report.

Tapiwa
Monday, November 24, 2003

Gnome and KDE are the biggest standards. Lindows is working on a "Linux like Windows" mindset, which appeals to the transition of people from MS to Linux.

As for so many window's managers does it matter? You cannot stop people from writing replacements for notepad, but in general most of us use ones we like. I like Editpad lite, others like crimson editor, powernote, notevotex... Outside of developers, I would bet almost everyone uses the notepad that came with windows. (It gets the job done). Just because there are 11,931,313 versions of notepad, does not mean notepad cannot be usable. Nor does it mean using one other than Microsoft's is a character flaw.

MSHack
Monday, November 24, 2003

Gnome and KDE are not window managers, but collections of apps that make up a desktop environment. Gnome 2.0 uses metacity by default but you can change this if you like (and can work out how!). Gnome 1.0 used Sawfish.

I think a convergence on one window manager (as opposed to Desktop environment) would be nice but even more important, converence on one widget set (GTK2 or Qt for example) would make Linux much more teachable and supportable.

Dominic Fitzpatrick
Monday, November 24, 2003

Jaguar. ;>

Sam Livingston-Gray
Monday, November 24, 2003

Gui on Linux TMFA - too much f'ing around

xwindows sucks
Monday, November 24, 2003

The biggest problem in this situation is that no free software developers have an incentive to fix the millions of little annoyances, like dialog box items one pixel out of alignment. I don't think there is enough potential revenue out there for a commercial vendor to do this either. (note I said REVENUE, you aren't going to build a stellar desktop on a trickle of income from "services"). Also in order for this to pay off, you'd have to get the system to a level much BETTER than Windows - if all you do is match or slightly exceed it, people will have no reason to switch (due to their current investment in Windows).

Dan Maas
Monday, November 24, 2003

Likely Linux will remain a fine server system, but have little adoption on the desktop outside of techies or OSS zealots. A nice Unix like desktop can be had with OS-X

Mike
Monday, November 24, 2003

I think all Linux GUIs should be refactored to black & white.

Slashbot
Monday, November 24, 2003

You need Perfect Screens or something simular !?
http://www.pitrinec.com/psindex.htm

I have not used it for a long time, since I am now using Linux, but it gave me the virtual desktops that I had been using under SunOS, Solaris for my windows machine.

There are other programs as well, Google is your friend..

Fredrik Svensson
Tuesday, November 25, 2003

Damn, wrong window.. wrong thread.. posted to fast.. should be in
"I hate Windows!" thread.. feel free to remove both my posts in this thread..

Fredrik Svensson
Tuesday, November 25, 2003

"Walmart has already opted for Lindows, but they are not a big enough supplier to matter."

I got a smile out of this - there aren't many areas where Walmart would be a small player!

John
Friday, November 28, 2003