4 ms·
The problem with open-source OS's is that they can't take advantage of things like attractive fonts for the user interface. There has got to be a better open-s
by pazimzadeh 15y ago
The problem with open-source OS's is that they can't take advantage of things like attractive fonts for the user interface.
There has got to be a better open-source font than what Haiku is currently using (http://www.haiku-os.org/docs/userguide/en/deskbar.html http://www.haiku-os.org/docs/userguide/en/deskbar.html).
- timc3 15y agoI don't think it's so much the font as the font rendering. Not sure because I need to get a Haiku system up and running, but Windows, OSX and now Linux have spent a lot of time getting the rendering working with tricks like clear fix. Interestingly much higher resolution displays will probably help to offset the need for rendering tricks
- AlexFromBelgium 15y ago"The problem with open-source OS's is that they can't take advantage of things like attractive fonts..." My thoughts while reading this: haha good one, yeah make fun of the non-open source stuff... oh wait, this guy is serious
- pazimzadeh 15y agoI'm not making fun, and I don't dislike open-source software. The typeface is ugly.
- rbanffy 15y agoSo, it's not like they can't take advantage as much as most of its developers don't care about type.
- DHowett 15y agoExcept that in this case they do, and have had numerous discussions about default fonts and wanting to not step on patent issues over things like ClearType (for RGB subpixel rendering).
- rbanffy 15y agoI don't know if you still remember, but a couple posts up, someone implied open-source products couldn't take advantage of good typography.
- DHowett 15y agoI don't think it's fair of you to imply that I lack the mental capacity to remember that: I recall it just fine. However, it's quite immaterial. I was responding to your statement that they don't care, which is not to say that they couldn't. They clearly care - this, and nothing more, did I intend to point out.
- dchest 15y agoThis is no longer true -- there are a few quality typefaces made by professional designers available for open source projects, for example DejaVu, Droid, Arimo/Tinos, PT Sans, Ubuntu. Even Mac OS X uses an open source font for a part of their interface (Menlo, based on DejaVu Sans Mono). timc is right, what you see is unattractive font rendering (no subpixel rendering, full hinting). For the state of the art of font rendering in open source projects, look at Ubuntu or Infinality.
- Sapient 15y agoThose fonts definitely have sub-pixel hinting - easy to spot if you zoom in on any of the pics - the font is just not a very good UI font.
- dchest 15y agoI don't see it - http://i.imgur.com/mZV1K.png http://i.imgur.com/mZV1K.png The font seem to be DejaVu Sans, and it's pretty good with proper rendering: http://i.imgur.com/ixI70.png http://i.imgur.com/ixI70.png
- reinhardt 15y agoIf this is the (only/main) problem of the open-source OS's, I'd think they're doing pretty good.