The Definite Desktop Environment Comparison

Gentu writes "OSNews posted a very long and interesting comparison between the most popular desktop environments today: Windows XP Luna, Mac OS X Aqua, BeOS/Zeta and Unix's KDE and Gnome. Some of the points in the article can be thought to be 'subjective', but overall many good points are made and it seems that there is room for improvement for all DEs."

Comments

Little Room?!

[- FuckingNerds -]

Little room for improvments. HA! That's a laugh!

Red Stapler

[Anonymous Coward]

Warwarwarwarwarwarwarwarwarwarwarwarwarawr, wait, oooh, trendy desktop environment!

In other news....

[djupedal]

The AC today announced his 5 second OS review:

• OS #1 ...liked it
• OS #2 ...loved it
• OS #3 ...loathed it
• OS #4 ...hated it
• OS #5 ...liked it
• OS #6 ...gave it a 75...nice to dance to, but I wouldn't by the album

Who needs

[michiel.h]

fancy schmancy windows, startmenus and clippies?

DosShell is all I need.

Mac GUI the most "in your face"?

[mariox19]

Sorry, but I just can't agree that OS X's GUI is more "in your face eye candy" than Windows' is. This criticism from people is something I will never understand. For me (and I'll admit to being a Mac person), the whole article showed a Windows bias.

Granted, some people are just turned off by the genie effect and the pulsating of default buttons. But, for crying out loud, The XP GUI is the most garish set of colors. It looks like the artwork of the mentally ill.

The old Windows GUI was a bit staid, but at least looked business-like. How this mad, psychedelic fantasy of color can continue to sit on the desktops of businesses everywhere is beyond me. It's unprofessional!

Re:Mac GUI the most "in your face"?

[neptuneb1]

"How this mad, psychedelic fantasy of color can continue to sit on the desktops of businesses everywhere is beyond me."

Most places that I've seen (including all the labs at my school, etc) got rid of the default XP theme long, long ago for exactly that reason. In fact, one of the first things I do after a fresh XP install (aside from cursing since it didn't recognize my vid card properly) is to tell Windows to use the look and feel of 9x.
That single option is the only thing standing between my XP CD and an industrial incinerator.

*gasp*

[Anonymous Coward]

Not that I'm in love with microsoft, but I'm getting a certain "OMG, she picked windows!" *stunned silence* vibe from this thread.

-Exit

Re:XP

[Mononoke]

Could it be that XP won because MS dumps millions into research and development of interfaces?

They sold that Apple stock years ago.

Re:"Definitive"?

[MrWa]

It wasn't the "definitive" desktop review! Do people not even read the Slashdot summaries anymore? Articles I can understand (who can really be bothered to follow a link that doesn't work half the time - there should just be a "Reply to this" link on the front page...no one really wants to read more)

This was a "definite" desktop review. As opposed to those reviews on other sites which may or may not be a review, possibly about desktops. Those sites are not quite sure. In this case, OSNews has done a thorough job of determining that, in fact, this is a review of desktops.

Re:stability

[Anonymous Coward]

Impossible, Mac Hardware is flawless. OS X is flawless. It has to be the users fault.

Re:I love Aqua, but the dock annoys me

[Anonymous Coward]

If the dock were more customizable, the ability to have single-left-clickable appleting from the dock, and a few other minor gripes, I'd be happy. As it is, I hide the dock for as long as possible, unless I absolutely need it.

Er... you mean Macs have right-clicking ability now?

I'd better go get my things out of hell, before they freeze.

Where is Microsoft BOB?!?!

[teamhasnoi]

Damnit! The best GUI ever conceived by the human mind is notably absent!! I smell a conspiracy!!!

Wait. That's me.

Hmmm..Gotta find the bathroom here in BOB's 'house'...hmm...where...not it..this? grrr.....damnit!!!

I now see why BOB failed.

As someone who is mentally ill...

[Landaras]

From your post...

"The XP GUI is the most garish set of colors. It looks like the artwork of the mentally ill."

As someone who is mentally ill, I find your statement insulting. Even without my medication I could do a much better job than the color scheme of XP.

Note: Before I'm attacked for joking about mental illness, check the site below my name. I've personally been through the hell of mental treason. Therefore, I'm allowed to use my condition to insult Microsoft. Thank you.

Oh come on man!

[kfg]

The article started being incorrect with the friggen *title.*

But at least it followed its own advice and maintained consistency from there on out.

So at least it has *that* going for it.

KFG

Re:Summary from the page...load of crapola, BTW

[alanwj]

In the recent past, I've even managed to configure the desktop environment in such a way that the system was hanging upon shutdown

Why would you ever shut your system down? That's like voluntarily killing your uptime!

Alan

Re:I love Aqua, but the dock annoys me

[commodoresloat]

Ha - I bite my thumb at you!! I plugged in another keyboard instead of the mouse! I have a 108-button mouse!!! Beat that, sparky!

I can't believe she left Emacs out!

[tincho_uy]

'nuff said