Font anti-aliasing is not just averaging the rendered font pixels with the background. When you do that, vertical and horizontal strokes will look blurry, and details like serifs and whatnot disappear.
Xft renderer does exactly as you would want it to -- by not anti-aliasing vertical and horizontal lines.
A good font smoother -- like the one in Microsoft OSes ever since Win95 Plus Pack (over five years ago, folks!)
... doesn't anti-alias medium sized fonts at all, so what's your point? Check your facts before you post.
In general, Windows has higher-quality fonts than Linux.
Ehm... Linux has no quality fonts -- there is really nothing to compare with.
Someone needs to start a Open Fonts project. Well, probably someone has already.
Yes, me. But, to make Free fonts, you have to have tools! Currently there are only tools to make bitmap fonts, so I am making those. Bitmap fonts are sufficent in most cases anyway, something MS hinted fonts prove. Of course, TrueType and OpenType technologies are much more sophisticated (especially in terms of print press), but there are no Free tools to make such fonts. Linux wouldn't be without GNU tools -- same holds for fonts.
Currently there are more or less no useful/readable Free fonts available that would benefit from font anti-aliasing. The only fonts that do, are from Microsoft! It takes 5 minutes to install them with APT, but that's not really a solution.
It's not. Microsoft fonts are good, some of them, at least, but none of them are perfect. Especially the hinted sizes aren't. Well, perhaps it's the renderer's fault... but I have no way to find out without the tools. I could make them better. Anyone could. But we can't.
But, as I said, for now I am making bitmap fonts. And I find some of those fonts more readable than Microsoft's, but of course, I haven't done *that* much progress to be able to totaly substitute all Microsoft fonts, mainly because I work alone... I suppose. Which leads me to your last comment.
Someone needs to promote existing Open Fonts projects, then, becuase X is in need of some better fonts (that look good and are readable at ALL sizes).
Bitmap fonts have existed for more than 30 fucking years! And in those 30 years no one have made good, readable bitmap fonts (something that isn't impossible) exect for Lucida font family which is okay, on the *NIX platform. I am not only talking about X, but console too. The standard VGA font is a big failure, mainly because of serifs. Please prove me wrong if I am mistaken! People nowadays deserve better. Think about it.
Font anti-aliasing isn't a (the) solution! People keep complaining about different renderers, but it's the fonts! It's the fucking, stinking fonts that are the problem. And the solution is Free fonts, neither AA magic nor high resolution monitors!
So yes, Free font projects should be promoted. You can begin today by visiting my Linux Font Project and look around. Visit other sites (none that related come to mind, hehe) by doing some research. But font makers still need the tools. This is getting silly.
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Xft renderer does exactly as you would want it to -- by not anti-aliasing vertical and horizontal lines.
A good font smoother -- like the one in Microsoft OSes ever since Win95 Plus Pack (over five years ago, folks!)
--
Ehm... Linux has no quality fonts -- there is really nothing to compare with.
Someone needs to start a Open Fonts project. Well, probably someone has already.
Yes, me. But, to make Free fonts, you have to have tools! Currently there are only tools to make bitmap fonts, so I am making those. Bitmap fonts are sufficent in most cases anyway, something MS hinted fonts prove. Of course, TrueType and OpenType technologies are much more sophisticated (especially in terms of print press), but there are no Free tools to make such fonts. Linux wouldn't be without GNU tools -- same holds for fonts.
Currently there are more or less no useful/readable Free fonts available that would benefit from font anti-aliasing. The only fonts that do, are from Microsoft! It takes 5 minutes to install them with APT, but that's not really a solution.
It's not. Microsoft fonts are good, some of them, at least, but none of them are perfect. Especially the hinted sizes aren't. Well, perhaps it's the renderer's fault... but I have no way to find out without the tools. I could make them better. Anyone could. But we can't.
But, as I said, for now I am making bitmap fonts. And I find some of those fonts more readable than Microsoft's, but of course, I haven't done *that* much progress to be able to totaly substitute all Microsoft fonts, mainly because I work alone... I suppose. Which leads me to your last comment.
Someone needs to promote existing Open Fonts projects, then, becuase X is in need of some better fonts (that look good and are readable at ALL sizes).
Bitmap fonts have existed for more than 30 fucking years! And in those 30 years no one have made good, readable bitmap fonts (something that isn't impossible) exect for Lucida font family which is okay, on the *NIX platform. I am not only talking about X, but console too. The standard VGA font is a big failure, mainly because of serifs. Please prove me wrong if I am mistaken! People nowadays deserve better. Think about it.
Font anti-aliasing isn't a (the) solution! People keep complaining about different renderers, but it's the fonts! It's the fucking, stinking fonts that are the problem. And the solution is Free fonts, neither AA magic nor high resolution monitors!
So yes, Free font projects should be promoted. You can begin today by visiting my Linux Font Project and look around. Visit other sites (none that related come to mind, hehe) by doing some research. But font makers still need the tools. This is getting silly.
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So true...
Try the Uniread font from the Linux Font Project, among other fonts.