Is It Windows 7, Or KDE 4? 559
An anonymous reader writes "Is it Windows 7 or KDE 4? In this video, ZDNet takes to Sydney's streets to find out what people think of what they think is a Windows 7 demonstration. The results are surprising." Or maybe they're not surprising at all.
Re:Slashdotted? (Score:2, Informative)
Is KDE4 actually usable yet? (Score:4, Informative)
This isn't a troll - I installed it with Suse 11.0 last year and though it was supposedly a release version it was utterly unusable, unstable and missing important features. I had to install 3.5.4 to actually get some work done. Since then I haven't bothered to check what state 4 is in now as I felt the KDE team (and Suse) had, to be polite, been rather dishonest about it. Is it worthwhile looking at it yet or should I just stick to 3.5 for the forseable future.
Re:Is KDE4 actually usable yet? (Score:5, Informative)
Yeah, 4.2 is far, far better than 4. I use it and love it!
"I use Windows iMac" (Score:5, Informative)
So what does this experiment show? That people just aren't computer savvy.
bait and switch and switch... (Score:5, Informative)
I started the video, and it stuttered, and started over... with an actual demonstration of Windows 7. I had to reload the page to get the KDE4 prank video.
Was that supposed to be some kind of Zen test?
Re:Is KDE4 actually usable yet? (Score:5, Informative)
I blame the distro. They should not have made KDE4 the default so early - they should have stuck with KDE 3 until at least 4.2.
AS far as I can remember KDE 4.0 was well know not to be really ready.
Re:eye candy (Score:5, Informative)
Xfce is your friend.
I use Xubuntu. Plain, clear, simple and *fast*. 8.10 runs out of the box everything on my ThinkPad laptop including Bluetooth. Get it.
Re:"I use Windows iMac" (Score:4, Informative)
KDE4 user (Score:5, Informative)
I've been using KDE4 since openSUSE started including the previews.
I felt the KDE team (and Suse) had, to be polite, been rather dishonest about it.
I don't know but to me it always seemed clear that the 4.0 was more a "early tester" release.
By now KDE4.2 is starting to get really usable and really configurable and could be used by more casual users.
Sure, if you have tons finely tuned stuff in KDE3.5, you'll really miss them.
But KDE4.2 offers enough basic functionality to be usable by most people.
Is it worthwhile looking at it yet or should I just stick to 3.5 for the forseable future.
If you don't depend on highly specific KDE3.5 customisations,
or if you're ready to spend time re-tuning everything again in a slightly different way,
then KDE4.2 is definitely worth giving a try.
On the other hand if you absolutely require the same level of ultra smooth-polished user experience that KDE3.5 offers, you'd better stick with the KDE3.x branch for now and probably wait until somewhere around the KDE4.5 version. (maybe just giving quick shot to KDE4.3 and 4.4 just to watch progress).
Ditto for KDE5.x in a couple of years : stay with KDE4.5 until that one matures. ;-)
Re:eye candy (Score:2, Informative)
Wobbly Windows in KDE are nice and smooth.
They serve the same function as a "slurp" down to minimize. They make the motion organic and natural feeling when moving a window.
In Compiz it feels glitchy too much though, with weird jerking when dragging to a new desktop.
I will concure on the Ubuntu Default for extra desktop effects being too much, they chose the least intuitive animation for some things (however new windows come in, it is not natural or organic).
Re:eye candy (Score:5, Informative)
Can I legally play a DVD on a Linux box in the US?
Yes.
Ask Dell. They now include a closed source DVD player app to cover this niggle. The rest of the world uses the free codecs and the libdvdcss library just fine.
Another Linux roadblock gone eh.. Soon people will have to come up with real arguments.
Re:not surprising (Score:5, Informative)
I'm sure that most people will see the difference when trying to install a game, sync their PDA (with the instruction on their constructor webpage not matching what they see on their screen) or try to open the crappy humor Powerpoint filling their mailboxes. No need to be a admin to see a subtle difference between linux and windows if you don't have a diligent kid/friend that take care of every single installation problem for you.
This video reminds me of all those "infomercial" showing the latest innovation in carpet cleaning or kitchen robot ...
Re:eye candy (Score:3, Informative)
WindowBlinds, huh?
Ahhhhh! My eyes!
http://www.draginol.com/images/WindowBlinds6screenshots_CE30/image_10.png [draginol.com]
Wow, after seeing that desktop, I see why Ubuntu went with brown instead of bright, fluorescent orange :)
Re:eye candy (Score:3, Informative)
And what is RA3? Red Alert 3? If you're wanting to run a program designed for WINDOWS you need Wine installed first. Linux isn't Windows, which is apparently very hard for lots of people (like you) to understand. After that, you just pop the disc in, and install [winehq.org]. You might consider playing a better programmed game, though... even under Windows, the entire C&C series network code and performance sucks balls.
Re:eye candy (Score:1, Informative)
PowerDVD for Linux, only $50
Re:Thats it just show the eye candy. (Score:1, Informative)
KDE and GNOME while have a rather niced polished UI, you still need to do things the Unix/Linux way.
In every OS but one you do things the Unix way. Mac, BSD, Linux, Xenix, you name it, everything is Unix-like EXCEPT Microsoft. It would be nice if the clueless folks in Redmond got with the program.
BTW, MS, your slash is on backwards. That's more embarrassing than having your underwear on backwards.
Re:eye candy (Score:3, Informative)
Re:not surprising (Score:4, Informative)
Then just give her "a" password, not "that" passord. It's pretty easy to create a user and not make them show up in the login screen ;)
Or just make a TrueCrypt File called "corruptedVideo.mpg" and put all "that" stuff in there.
If there's one thing I've learned from women, it's that the only way to win a fight is to make her think SHE won!
Re:Thats it just show the eye candy. (Score:4, Informative)
Re:not surprising (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Is KDE4 actually usable yet? (Score:3, Informative)
I run X-plane all the time under Gnome and compiz-fusion. It's almost as fast as without compiz running (indirect rendering does take a hit), and it still gets a very reasonable frame rate. Maybe Kwin's compositor prevents #D apps, but in general composite managers should not and do not. Now I do prefer to turn off the effects when I do run a game. But yes, 3D apps certainly do work under compiz-fusion. Kind of fun to run X-Plane at 1920x1080 and then rotate the cube, or enable "expose" mode.
Re:KDE4 user (Score:3, Informative)
Hey.
I have a fix for you.
Add krandrtray to your list of Autostarted applications.
See this bug for more information:
https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=163707 [kde.org]
Re:Set her up on another VT... (Score:3, Informative)
It only works in XP if you aren't connected to a domain, otherwise you get a Windows 2000 style login.
Re:eye candy (Score:3, Informative)
You're an outlier.
Ad Hominem - You seek to label me in an attempt to diminish my opinion. FUD Warning FUD warning Danger Will Robinson.
It's only been since about 2003 or 2004 that Linux has been good enough for me to consider using it exclusively.
That may be your opinion, and you have every right too it, but Windows has NEVER been good enough for me.
That's just for software quality,
Nice generalization. Which software would that be? Come on, dig deep make up something.
and completely discounting software configuration,
Yes, because we know that "configuration" was such a problem in 2002.
I don't, in fact, remember configuring anything per se most of the time. Sure, databases and web servers had there setup stuff, they do on every platform, but everything else was just as easy or easier than Windows. Star Office and Open Office just installed and worked. What are you talking about?
which can be a nightmare to do from scratch,
Yes, I know, I've installed many versions of Windows professionally. If you don't have the right driver for your Dell system, you'll spend hours finding the right one.
given the state of documentation for some programs.
Yes, those Microsoft programming manuals and the SDK/DDK docs are a joke.
I wouldn't expect the average computer user to be *capable* of configuring a Linux system from scratch, let alone wanting to, and finding the time to do so.
I wouldn't expect the average computer user to install application software without the help of their guru friend, because they don't.
As Linux continues to mature,
Well, 50% for a half truth. To say "continues to mature" you are implying that it is not yet mature, and I'd like to have some sort of quantitative metric for that opinion. Linux is very mature, and is keeping up and even out pacing Microsoft technologically.
but there will always be *some* program that keeps *some* segment of the population from being able to use the OS that you have smugly called home these past 14 years.
Yes, as long as people *need* (want actually) a particular vendor's "Windows only" program, they will be stuck with Windows (or at least Wine or VMWare), but that is not a problem with Linux. It is a problem with ISVs.
If you look at systems like Skype you see an ISV and service provider making real money from Linux users. As other ISVs realize that Linux is a real and viable market, there will be fewer and fewer Windows only programs. Right now, Linux software vendors that have a real "value" are making money in this economy. Its a pretty well kept secret.
One of the differences between Windows and Linux is the revenue model. Linux software operates on the *new* revenue model, Windows operates off the *old* revenue model. For instance, The old time Windows revenue model is you buy a box, and you pay for newer boxes to fix bugs. The Linux revenue model is you get the software for free and pay for services.
There is money in the service model, but the problem for Microsoft is that you have to add value to make money. Microsoft's products are all dead. They have no killer application to drive a value based model. Why would anyone pay for Microsoft Office if it weren't for their monopoly? Once the monopoly is broken sufficiently, they will become irrelevant very quickly.
The "Next Big Thing" tm. will be OEMs creating their own versions of Linux on VERY LOW COST systems like sub-notebooks and netbooks. HP is doing it now, and ASUS will be back with a new Linux version of the EeePC, just you see.