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Windows 8 Is 'a Work of Art.' But It's No Linux

colinneagle writes "Earlier this week I installed the final version of Windows 8. And it is awesome. That's not a joke. Windows 8 is absolutely, unequivocally stellar. And yet, at the end of the day, I am right back to using Linux. Why is that? What is it about Linux that makes me so excited to use it — even while enjoying another operating system that I view as, in all seriousness, a work of art? Why do I not simply install Windows 8 on every machine I own and be happy with it? For me, it's the ability to slowly chip away and remove items from your user interface until you are left with only want you want, and nothing more. The option of looking at an item on the screen, right clicking on it, and declaring to said item 'Listen up, mister Thing-On-My-Screen. I don't want you anymore. Be gone!' Panels, bars, docks, launchers, widgets, gadgets – whatever is on your screen, there is probably a way to send it to whatever form of the afterlife is reserved for unwanted Desktop Crud. And, I'll tell you this right now – as great as it is, you don't find a whole lot of 'Right click, Remove Panel' in Windows 8."

6 of 371 comments (clear)

  1. If win8 is art.... by DeeEff · · Score: 5, Funny

    Then beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder, and you need to get your eyes checked.

  2. 'a Work of Art' by kheldan · · Score: 5, Funny

    Art is in the eye of the beholder.
    Personally I think it's a piece of crap.
    Of course, if you definition of 'art' is 'something that evokes and emotional response', then I guess it's art: it evokes a feeling of disgust and revoltion in me, I want to get it as far away from me (and my equipment) as possible.

    --
    Are YOU using the TOOL, or is the TOOL using YOU? Think about it!
    1. Re:'a Work of Art' by LoverOfJoy · · Score: 4, Funny

      Of course, if you definition of 'art' is 'something that evokes and emotional response', then I guess it's art: it evokes a feeling of disgust and revoltion in me, I want to get it as far away from me (and my equipment) as possible.

      That's what she said?

  3. Re:GNOME3's GNOME Shell fails the same way! by MrEricSir · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sure you can! And it's a totally intuitive process. You just open your web browser, visit the Gnome Shell extensions site, click through a few pages of poorly organized extensions, and there will be five of them that sort of do what you want and are only partially broken.

    --
    There's no -1 for "I don't get it."
  4. I'll bite by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 4, Funny

    And yet, at the end of the day, I am right back to using Linux. Why is that?

    Because you're a human being and we all have different opinions. For some reason yours have been promoted to a Slashdot article, but for the life of me I can't figure out why.

    --
    systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
  5. Re:A Review? by leromarinvit · · Score: 5, Funny

    That's because a rational discussion on the philosophical and design approaches of different user interfaces is not troll clickbait. The purpose of this article is to drive as many people here to flame about how Windows 8 is terrible and ugly and the worst OS in the world. And what do you know, take a look at first 5 posts below this one and you'll see exactly that.

    Then it's a good thing we don't RTFA here. Slashdot - sticking it to greedy publishers since 1997!

    --
    Proud member of the Ferengi Socialist Party.