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The Official Post Your Desktop Thread

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Reply 2200

wizard710

ish90an

Here's my desktop..

I still don't understand why people skin an OS to make it look like another one :confused:

Reply 2201

benmh92

wizard710

I still don't understand why people skin an OS to make it look like another one :confused:

Me neither. It beats me too.

Reply 2202

Tom

benmh92

Me neither. It beats me too.

'Cos one is more functional and the other looks better / has some nice features? So ppl are naturally keen to combine the two...

I use windows 'cos I don't want to shell out for a Mac and 'cos I need DirectX to be able to play games. But my desktop looks a bit like a Mac's because I find having a dock really useful and 'cos the standard Vista theme looks boring.

There's your answer :p:

Reply 2203

benmh92

Tom

I disagree, I would never buy a Windows PC again, but we all have our opinions so we'll keep it at that :p:

Reply 2204

Tom

Well I don't buy, I build.

But having used the Mac OS fairly extensively I can say without hesitation Windows (despite flaws) is still better in every possible way. No doubt. Dunno about Linux...

Reply 2205

benmh92

Tom

Well I don't buy, I build.

But having used the Mac OS fairly extensively I can say without hesitation Windows (despite flaws) is still better in every possible way. No doubt. Dunno about Linux...

You are saying it like it is a fact... I've used Windows up till 15 years of age and also in School etc. Used a Mac for the past year or so, beats Windows in every possible way for myself. :p:

I just see no real advantages in Windows unless you're a hardcore gamer (and you may as well get a console to play most games tbh!)

Reply 2206

VinceNoir

This isn't a Mac vs Windows thread - there are hundreds of thousands of those littering the web already!

Reply 2207

MGT_90

Tom

Dunno about Linux...

It's a pretty good kernel, better than the HURD anyway.

GNU+Linux is beautiful though.

Reply 2208

o-e-s-j

My new one...

http://i37.tinypic.com/ejcz82.jpg

Reply 2209

wizard710

o-e-s-j

My new one...

http://i37.tinypic.com/ejcz82.jpg

How did you had the icons, I can't hide the recycle bin icon

Reply 2210

Rob801

wizard710

How did you had the icons, I can't hide the recycle bin icon

right click on the desktop, go to view and untick show desktop icons.

Reply 2211

wizard710

Rob801

right click on the desktop, go to view and untick show desktop icons.

Thank you

Reply 2212

ish90an

I still don't understand why people skin an OS to make it look like another one

Coz Vista's look sux compared to Leopard's, and I love the dock too. I would have gotten the Mac, but I love playing games on the PC too much :wink:

Reply 2213

Angel Interceptor

Method

Running Slackware 10.2 (linux).
- the desktop is Fluxbox
- top right: torsmo
- bottom right: an app called "top" which shows some cpu/memory info
- bottom left: the command to make the screenshot
- top middle: the Metasploit Framework
- right middle: xmms (winamp for linux)

This could quite possibly be the worst looking setup that I've ever seen...still, if it works for you, then that's all that really matters.

Reply 2214

MGT_90

Angel Interceptor

This could quite possibly be the worst looking setup that I've ever seen...still, if it works for you, then that's all that really matters.

I think it's one of the best here. There aren't dozens of shortcuts cluttering the desktop, no big bloated GUIs, and it has bash open (that's worth points on its own).

The whole setup radiates old school, and that's what Slackware is all about—conservatism, simplicity, stability and control. The bash is powerful enough to do whatever you want, Fluxbox is simple and functional, but doesn't overstep its mark, Slack is as stable as a rock, and the lack of GUI apps make reflect Slackware's conservative philosophy.

Fisher Price XP with some random wallpaper and four columns of shortcuts to programs that are on quick launch is much worse. It's chaotic, it's superfluous, it's unoriginal and it lacks focus.

Reply 2215

wizard710

I like the image but the actual boxes, what do they do, Bash?

Reply 2216

Angel Interceptor

Meh, each to their own, but it certainly isn't for everyone. After all, constantly knowing how many processes are running, your RAM and swap usage amongst numerous other things is the definition of dorkish for me and rather unnecessary for most people, or perhaps almost all people.

As for your view that is epitomises "conservatism, simplicity, stability and control", I think that it's a rather sweeping statement; after all, the degree to which it fulfils that description is partially dependent on the user - I dare say that half the people I know who use a more GUI orientated Linux distro, like ubuntu, wouldn't be able to use it properly. However, I figure that you may be talking about simplicity from a system design standpoint, then I'd agree with you, but I don't think its the simplest OS to use from a usability point of view.

I agree with your last paragraph though; I'm not a fan of having bundles of shortcuts on desktops, let alone when they're doubling up things in Quick Launch. The only things that I keep on my desktop is one link to my notebook hard disk and one to my external hard disk, since I use them so frequently, and I'm still of the habit of taking a file from its location as opposed to simply searching for it, even though in all likelihood, it would be quicker for me.

Reply 2217

ChiefNX

Angel Interceptor

...

As for your view that is epitomises "conservatism, simplicity, stability and control", I think that it's a rather sweeping statement; after all, the degree to which it fulfils that description is partially dependent on the user - I dare say that half the people I know who use a more GUI orientated Linux distro, like ubuntu, wouldn't be able to use it properly. However, I figure that you may be talking about simplicity from a system design standpoint, then I'd agree with you, but I don't think its the simplest OS to use from a usability point of view.

...

Sorry, are you talking about Slackware, or the user's specific setup? :smile:

Slackware itself can be configured to be as intuitive and "user-friendly" as you like.

Secondly: usability does not equal intuitiveness. Just because a system may be difficult to learn or impossible to "guess your way through" (like you can with Windows), doesn't mean that it's less usable - just less intuitive. For instance, I find dmenu to be the most efficient and usable way of starting programs since I can access any program on my computer in no more than a couple of keystrokes. A user that hadn't heard of dmenu, or didn't know that I access is with Alt-p, might say "that system is unusable" - but they would be wrong: it's just less intuitive that rifling through a more familiar start menu based program launcher, which would no doubt have help dialogues and the like to make the process easier for a new user.

Reply 2218

Angel Interceptor

Sorry, I wasn't very clear; I was talking about the user's specific setup. As for your distinction between usability and intuitiveness, I think that's an interesting viewpoint; I don't necessarily wholly agree with it, but I understand the point that you're making; still, I think that there is undoubtedly a degree of subjectivity when it comes to classifying the extent to which people regard something as usable and/or intuitive.