Firstly, you can make a very fast interface which looks good and has a lot of functionality. Look at Fluxbox. For transparency, look at Waimea.
Secondly, smoothed fonts are not necessarily more legible. Choose the correct font, and that's more legible (Georgia, Verdana - work as nicely in Slackware as Win98).
I stopped using a lot of different window managers for various reasons: either too busy (enlightenment), too slow (KDE, Gnome), buggy, or just not particularly clean. I like to maximise my windows and have all of the information I need (start button, running apps) visible, with no wallpaper poking through. Anything that isn't flush with the screen edges is distracting - and that includes rounded window corners and transparent bits.
I've stopped using Linux now, and gone back to Win98 (using some gtk apps in windows, like Sylpheed). I just use plain and simple colours that are easy on the eye, and good fonts. I got ticked off with having to reconfigure my X preferences every time I upgraded.
What I want from a UI is:
- Easy configuration of common keybindings like Alt-Tab (I was less than impressed with this when trying out my other half's iBook)
- Easy remapping of keys (why should I have to hack the registry to remap CTRL and Caps Lock?)
- Mouse operated buttons which sit at the top right and bottom left of the screen, like Windows. Why? Well, sweeping your mouse pointer into the corners is a gross motor skill, and so quickly accomplished and less stressful than fine motor activity such as targeting a small button in the middle of the screen.
I like a pleasing computer screen, sure. But I'm there to work, not watch. The TV's downstairs if I want to just stare at a CRT.
Useful for corporate meetings. People tend to write stuff down on paper, not PDAs at meetings. I also do it for any technical structured document, prior to writing the document, because it's easier to lay it out on several a4 sheets than on a 17" monitor. Not that I would want a tablet PC, given the rate at which I lose my notes and have to re-draft...
If you've already seen a doctor, ignore me.
I had aches and pains, exhaustion, poor sleep and digestion, plus depression and reluctance to come to work. I tried to remedy some of this thinking it was RSI and strain from the computer. I cycle maybe 90 miles a week, hard, and do other exercise as well. Assumed that I was knackered all the time because of the exercise...
This went on for years probably. I lost all of my hair. All of it. When I finally got up and saw a doctor (my fault) it turned out I was hypothyroid.
If you exercise enough and spend time away from your PC and still have these symptoms, for god's sake see a doctor. You may not have what I have but it may sort you out. I'm very well right now, although I still have no hair.
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Firstly, you can make a very fast interface which looks good and has a lot of functionality. Look at Fluxbox. For transparency, look at Waimea. Secondly, smoothed fonts are not necessarily more legible. Choose the correct font, and that's more legible (Georgia, Verdana - work as nicely in Slackware as Win98). I stopped using a lot of different window managers for various reasons: either too busy (enlightenment), too slow (KDE, Gnome), buggy, or just not particularly clean. I like to maximise my windows and have all of the information I need (start button, running apps) visible, with no wallpaper poking through. Anything that isn't flush with the screen edges is distracting - and that includes rounded window corners and transparent bits. I've stopped using Linux now, and gone back to Win98 (using some gtk apps in windows, like Sylpheed). I just use plain and simple colours that are easy on the eye, and good fonts. I got ticked off with having to reconfigure my X preferences every time I upgraded. What I want from a UI is: - Easy configuration of common keybindings like Alt-Tab (I was less than impressed with this when trying out my other half's iBook) - Easy remapping of keys (why should I have to hack the registry to remap CTRL and Caps Lock?) - Mouse operated buttons which sit at the top right and bottom left of the screen, like Windows. Why? Well, sweeping your mouse pointer into the corners is a gross motor skill, and so quickly accomplished and less stressful than fine motor activity such as targeting a small button in the middle of the screen. I like a pleasing computer screen, sure. But I'm there to work, not watch. The TV's downstairs if I want to just stare at a CRT.
Useful for corporate meetings. People tend to write stuff down on paper, not PDAs at meetings. I also do it for any technical structured document, prior to writing the document, because it's easier to lay it out on several a4 sheets than on a 17" monitor. Not that I would want a tablet PC, given the rate at which I lose my notes and have to re-draft...
If you've already seen a doctor, ignore me. I had aches and pains, exhaustion, poor sleep and digestion, plus depression and reluctance to come to work. I tried to remedy some of this thinking it was RSI and strain from the computer. I cycle maybe 90 miles a week, hard, and do other exercise as well. Assumed that I was knackered all the time because of the exercise... This went on for years probably. I lost all of my hair. All of it. When I finally got up and saw a doctor (my fault) it turned out I was hypothyroid. If you exercise enough and spend time away from your PC and still have these symptoms, for god's sake see a doctor. You may not have what I have but it may sort you out. I'm very well right now, although I still have no hair.