[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       kde
Subject:    Re: What can be done to accelerate KDE 1.
From:       jens () pinguin ! conetix ! de
Date:       1999-02-18 0:22:26
[Download RAW message or body]

On Tue, Feb 16, 1999 at 10:05:52AM -0600, Patrick wrote:
> 
> > The only slower Linux app (Not KDE I know) I have found is StarOffice,
> > it loads much slower than Office 97, but I haven't seen StarOffice load
> > on a Windows machine.
> The reason that StarOffice is so slow vs Office 97 and, well...just about
> everything/anything else is that it is one huge superapp.  When you start
> SO, the wordprocessor starts, the graphics app loads, the presentation app
> loads, the browser, email, etc, etc.  It is not a modular app - everything

that is wrong. Completely.

When staroffice loads up, all that starts is the desktop, the basic GUI
libraries, and that's it. EVERYTHING else (at least thats what I've been
told in the staroffice support newsgroups) loads only when needed, and if
you use a spellchecker, there is only ONE (in MS Office 97 there are three -
using three seperate dictionaries!), and a search/replace dialog, there is
only ONE for ALL aps (in Office97 again, there are four, and if you debug a
couple of the DLLs you'll find another two, which are never used - and they
all look different).

The main reason that MS Office 97 starts so 'quickly' is that half of the
code is already loaded when Windows starts up, without the user realizing
this, hogging memory and just waiting for the rest of the applications.
Compare bootup time before and after installing full MS office 97. On one of
the machines I installed, it was 30sec vs. 65sec!

> has been folded into one big soffice binary app.  If they would break it
> up into modular apps that start only when needed, then it would be much

That's what they do - at least in Windows it really works well. I don't know
exactly what technique they use in Linux. What I know however is that the
big Staroffice window is a plain X11 window, everything inside is
Staroffice-specific.

That is the second main reason why the thing is slow. They ported their own
class library to a dozen different operating systems on top of what was
there. And that port is not too well done, I suppose. Not very efficient
anyway. They might have done better with Qt or Motif, FWIW.

> quicker.  Thing is, the app is actually designed to be a full desktop,
> complete with that Win95-esque start button.  I guess StarDivision

And in Win95 it by default actually REPLACES the complete desktop. If you
noticed, the "start" also shows you your personal KDE menu. :)

> envisioned that users would leave soffice up and running all day, in which
> case the loading speed is essentially irrelevant.

Correct.

> I prefer a modular approach...or perhaps offer an ability to not install
> certain parts.  I simply never use the spreadsheet nor the presentation

You can still choose to not install some of the modules.

What I hate about MS office (any version) is that you essentially have to
learn half a dozen different applications if you want to get to work.
NOTHING is unified, and there is a word processor with tables and drawing, a
spreadsheet with text fields and graphics, a presentation program with
tables and word processor capabilities, and a drawing program with text and
presentation bits. 

Not that they would re-use their code somehow. It's no wonder that MS Office
takes up to 230 MB on your hard drive. Staroffice (130MB) is slim in
contrast to that. I *hope* KDE will never be that bloated.

</RANT>


-- 
_ciao, Jens_______________________________ http://www.pinguin.conetix.de
    cat /dev/boiler/water | tea | sieve > /cup
    mount -t hdev /dev/human/mouth01 /mouth ; cat /cup >/mouth/gulp
-- 
Send posts to:  kde@lists.netcentral.net
 Send all commands to:  kde-request@lists.netcentral.net
  Put your command in the SUBJECT of the message:
   "subscribe", "unsubscribe", "set digest on", or "set digest off"
PLEASE READ THE ARCHIVED MESSAGES AT http://lists.kde.org/ BEFORE POSTING
**********************************************************************
This list is from your pals at NetCentral <http://www.netcentral.net/>

[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]