5 ms·

The desktop experience is still a mess. They’ve become complacent with ‘it works out of the box’ but that’s not the bar. Apple sets the bar and there’s no prize

by thom_ 4y ago

The desktop experience is still a mess. They’ve become complacent with ‘it works out of the box’ but that’s not the bar. Apple sets the bar and there’s no prize for second place. You’re on Apple or Linux or brain damaged and using Windows, but nobodies using two as their primary driver, and so one ecosystem dominates. I’m glad it’s Apple because the GNU crowd are virtue signalers first and software developers second. For all their yapping the linux desktop speaks for itself

heurisko 4y ago
> The desktop experience is still a mess. The closest I have seen to creating a good experience was Ubuntu Unity. I noticed it being used in universities, and in the office I used to work at. I'm disappointed that the Unity project wasn't taken forward, and it seems to me that Gnome just reimplemented it, but missed many best parts of the original.
- thom_ 4y ago
  The 2d desktop is over anyway. Tomorrows desktop is 3d AR
  - einherjae 4y ago
    Right, with cold fusion powered jet packs as well i presume?
  - heurisko 4y ago
    I get motion sickness from headsets, so that will involve vomit all over my work area, constantly.
- heavyset_go 4y ago
  Unity is still maintained and Canonical recently made Ubuntu Unity an official Ubuntu flavor. https://ubuntuunity.org/ https://ubuntuunity.org/ https://www.phoronix.com/news/Ubuntu-Unity-22.10-Official https://www.phoronix.com/news/Ubuntu-Unity-22.10-Official
peanut_worm 4y ago
- wil421 4y ago
  Linux can’t even do a “smooth” trackpad experience. Not to mention HiDPI monitors didn’t work last time I tried. I use Linux when I specifically do not want a desktop. A headless server.
nvr219 4y ago
I use MATE as my daily driver and macOS for work. MATE multimonitor support is so much better that I'd rather stick with that and deal with the other stuff where it's not as good as macOS. See this about the multi monitor stuff on macOS: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31361974 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31361974
anta40 4y ago
Could you explain more about about the "messy desktop experience"? Many years ago, around 2006-2008, my PC exclusively ran Slackware after saying goodbye to XP. It wasn't really beefy, so I installed FVWM. I could do all the university assignments on it. Internet browsing, multimedia, USB plug n play, printing etc etc worked fine. Guess my use cases were kinda minimalistic. These days I mostly work on Mac, but still have a headless Linux PC running for personal tinkering. Probably I need to have another taste of Linux desktop experience :D
- heavyset_go 4y ago
  > These days I mostly work on Mac, but still have a headless Linux PC running for personal tinkering. Probably I need to have another taste of Linux desktop experience :D Try out modern Plasma/KDE, it's actually really nice. I say this as someone who has disliked KDE for a very long time before using Plasma.
smcameron 4y ago
Could not disagree more. You mistake your subjective preferences for objective facts.
heavyset_go 4y ago
I felt the same way and was a macOS user on the desktop for close to a decade. Having used Plasma Desktop via a rolling release distribution as a daily driver dispelled that feeling, though. It looks good, it's fast and feels professional. The jankiness I used to associate with desktop Linux just isn't there. It's actually stable and reliable, whereas on macOS, I'd run into issues with Bluetooth, or with WindowServer or some other opaque macOS service hogging 100% of CPU time for no apparent reason. Linux tends to have better hardware support, as well, especially for older hardware that might have older drivers that don't support modern macOS. I'm of the opinion that if someone's needs, even a layman's needs, can be satisfied with ChromeOS, then Plasma Desktop with a browser would satisfy them, too.

by thom_ 4y ago

heurisko 4y ago

> The desktop experience is still a mess. The closest I have seen to creating a good experience was Ubuntu Unity. I noticed it being used in universities, and in the office I used to work at. I'm disappointed that the Unity project wasn't taken forward, and it seems to me that Gnome just reimplemented it, but missed many best parts of the original.

thom_ 4y ago
The 2d desktop is over anyway. Tomorrows desktop is 3d AR
- einherjae 4y ago
  Right, with cold fusion powered jet packs as well i presume?
- heurisko 4y ago
  I get motion sickness from headsets, so that will involve vomit all over my work area, constantly.
heavyset_go 4y ago
Unity is still maintained and Canonical recently made Ubuntu Unity an official Ubuntu flavor. https://ubuntuunity.org/ https://ubuntuunity.org/ https://www.phoronix.com/news/Ubuntu-Unity-22.10-Official https://www.phoronix.com/news/Ubuntu-Unity-22.10-Official

peanut_worm 4y ago

wil421 4y ago
Linux can’t even do a “smooth” trackpad experience. Not to mention HiDPI monitors didn’t work last time I tried. I use Linux when I specifically do not want a desktop. A headless server.

nvr219 4y ago

I use MATE as my daily driver and macOS for work. MATE multimonitor support is so much better that I'd rather stick with that and deal with the other stuff where it's not as good as macOS. See this about the multi monitor stuff on macOS: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31361974 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31361974

anta40 4y ago

Could you explain more about about the "messy desktop experience"? Many years ago, around 2006-2008, my PC exclusively ran Slackware after saying goodbye to XP. It wasn't really beefy, so I installed FVWM. I could do all the university assignments on it. Internet browsing, multimedia, USB plug n play, printing etc etc worked fine. Guess my use cases were kinda minimalistic. These days I mostly work on Mac, but still have a headless Linux PC running for personal tinkering. Probably I need to have another taste of Linux desktop experience :D

heavyset_go 4y ago
> These days I mostly work on Mac, but still have a headless Linux PC running for personal tinkering. Probably I need to have another taste of Linux desktop experience :D Try out modern Plasma/KDE, it's actually really nice. I say this as someone who has disliked KDE for a very long time before using Plasma.

smcameron 4y ago

Could not disagree more. You mistake your subjective preferences for objective facts.

heavyset_go 4y ago

I felt the same way and was a macOS user on the desktop for close to a decade. Having used Plasma Desktop via a rolling release distribution as a daily driver dispelled that feeling, though. It looks good, it's fast and feels professional. The jankiness I used to associate with desktop Linux just isn't there. It's actually stable and reliable, whereas on macOS, I'd run into issues with Bluetooth, or with WindowServer or some other opaque macOS service hogging 100% of CPU time for no apparent reason. Linux tends to have better hardware support, as well, especially for older hardware that might have older drivers that don't support modern macOS. I'm of the opinion that if someone's needs, even a layman's needs, can be satisfied with ChromeOS, then Plasma Desktop with a browser would satisfy them, too.