Computer Association of SIUE - Forums

CAOS Forums => News and Commentary => Topic started by: Peter Motyka on 2002-12-22T11:17:50-06:00 (Sunday)

Title: Dvorak: Linux too much like Windows
Post by: Peter Motyka on 2002-12-22T11:17:50-06:00 (Sunday)
From slashdot.org

Posted by CmdrTaco on Sunday December 22, @12:06PM
from the well-thats-true dept.
inode_buddha was among a handful of folks who submitted linkage to Dvorak's latest column where he talks about Linux being to much like Windows (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,768274,00.asp). Its not really a slam, just a challange to be more innovative and look beyond feature creap and UI concepts that are old and tired. Hard to disagree with most of it.

http://slashdot.org/articles/02/12/22/1617210.shtml?tid=106 (http://slashdot.org/articles/02/12/22/1617210.shtml?tid=106)

Peter
Title: Re: Dvorak: Linux too much like Windows
Post by: Stiffler on 2002-12-22T15:42:34-06:00 (Sunday)
Hmmm...maybe Linux is starting to become more Windows like?!? That needs to change. Granted, user interfaces should be simple and easy-to-use, but not look like the Windows envirinment. Offense to MS, The user interfaces are somewhat nice, and somewhat easy-to-use, but they could be better. The first time I used PowerPoint, I spent several hours trying to figure out how to do one task. Hopefully OpenOffice will be better.

Jon
Title: Re: Dvorak: Linux too much like Windows
Post by: William Grim on 2002-12-23T02:46:26-06:00 (Monday)
I have to agree, much of the window makers are a copy of the Windows GUI.  Regardless of what that author thinks, I think that the GUI Windows has is good, but I do agree with him that it's time to innovate.

Linux is at a maturity level that could be related to something like its "teens".  It needs to find itself and make a statement.

When I was at an ACM conference at U of I this year, I heard people talking about future UIs possibly being virtual reality systems.  Why not try something like this on the Unix landscape?  It would certainly be innovative and pretty kick-ass!

BTW, MS Office is way better than OpenOffice, GUI style and usability and all.  If you want to do projects in Unix, you should try LaTeX/TeX and the add-on components.
Title: Re: Dvorak: Linux too much like Windows
Post by: Jim Sodam on 2002-12-23T17:50:14-06:00 (Monday)
Well I see no problem with being more Windows like, just because it's MS doesn't mean it's bad. ;)

But I also think there is probably a better way of doing it, I don't know what it is though.