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List:       kde-look
Subject:    Re: PROPOSAL: "Mac" menubar as default
From:       "Andrew B. Arthur" <arthur99 () global2000 ! net>
Date:       2000-04-30 18:36:27
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Steven D'Aprano wrote:

> I'm sorry, but I disagree. Its realistic. I cannot see how you can
> possibly expect consistancy between all applications when there are so
> many different UI models being developed. For instance, KDE has
> dropped support for draggable menubars. What will people do when they
> find that their Gnome apps have draggabe menubars, but not KDE apps,
> and Netscape Navigator completely different menus, and the Gimp
> doesn't have a visible menubar at all?
> 
> There is no Interface Police under Linux. Users will just have to
> cope.

However, it is important to note that users are already "standardizing"
on a desktop today, and will even do more in the future. If you have KDE
installed, you are going to want and will primarly use KDE/qt apps.
That's a given. The same with GNOME -- if you use GNOME, you'll want
primarly GNOME/gtk apps. The main reason why users are forced to use
apps of the other "Desktop Platform" is they don't currently exist on
their current platform, or they are more advanced/stable on the other
platform. 

As desktops grow up, you are going to see good GNOME and KDE apps
avalible. Companies will have to choose what desktop they prefer, and
want to support -- and some will choose GNOME and others will choose KDE
(for different reasons). Don't be too surpised in 5 years if you see
both GNOME and KDE become their own unique platforms, with fairly large
differences between them (but lowlevel compatible with each other --
with standards set by the XDG).

Motif, Tk, etc. apps on Linux are pretty much just for legacy use -- few
would use Motif, Tk, etc. any more if they didn't require such apps or
such features provided by the toolkits. 

Users will end up choosing what Desktop they want to use on their
machine, which is a good choice. 

-- 
Andrew B. Arthur               |  Linux for iMac, iBook and PowerMacs:
arthur99@global2000.net        |  http://imaclinux.net

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