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

List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: KDE not ready for the desktop
From:       Gérard_Delafond <gerard () delafond ! org>
Date:       2003-12-08 14:52:20
[Download RAW message or body]

Le Mercredi 03 Décembre 2003 17:03, Casey Allen Shobe a écrit :
> On Tue, November 25 2003 09:52, Luke Chatburn wrote:
> > Just to deflate this situation somewhat, it is worth pointing out that
> > desktop users very rarely use faxing. One of the great disadvantages has
> > always been that people generally need to receive faxes as well, and
> > haven't provided a unique line to do so. Moreover, if there is a phone
> > line for the internet which the user has dedicated, they tend to use that
> > for internet access, at which point, they can't send or receive faxes
> > either.
>
> And this is changing rapidly as people are moving to broadband, but think
> "Well I can just use my old modem for faxing!".
>
> > In general, people who want faxing buy a fax machine, not a computer.
Not always.
Computers are more convenient for receiving, because you don't waste paper 
when you receive SPAM. And you can store the faxes and print them many times. 
And you can dens faxes directly from you text editor.
>
> Well, some years ago I went to the store and paid good money for a
> Fax/Modem, not a Modem.  One of the reasons I bought such a device was
> because even though the need to fax is rare for me, it promised to
> accomodate my needs.
The same for many people.
(...)
> When I moved to linux some years ago, faxing disappeared from my life
> simply because there isn't any good support for it.  In Windows 95 with
> Microsoft Fax, I could simply hit print, choose the fax, and get an address
> book selection prompt.  Simple, but powerful.  How I'd love to be able to
> hit Print from a KDE application, select the fax, and get to pick contacts
> from the kaddressbook to send the content to.
The same for me.
>
> > That is not to say that fax facilities aren't useful to a few people, but
> > it is rare. I do plenty of work for multiple clients, but they just
> > e-mail me their documents these days, because what they would want to fax
> > is in fact just a print-out of a document they just produced. As a
> > result, I sent precisely one fax last year, and an e-mail would have
> > sufficed, except that the recipient was out of the office.
>
> There are many cases when faxing is required.  For example, when I decided
> to move to the state I'm living in now, I prearranged a lease with an
> apartment complex before moving.  They faxed me a rental agreement, which I
> signed and faxed back (by utilizing my scanner in addition to my
> fax/modem).  Without this ability, I would have had to stay in a hotel for
> a while after arriving here (costing a lot more money), or paid somebody to
> handle the faxing for me (also more money).
>
> > At the same time, however, they are needed by very little of the market
> > indeed, and therefore are not, by any means a showstopper for KDE on the
> > desktop.
>
> I agree, but they would be very nice to have.  As a previous boss used to
> tell me about some projects "This isn't required, but it's a nice-to-have
> if you can find the time".
I think it IS required.
Should KDE be a developer environment or a Desktop Environment ?
Easy faxing is part of Desktop environment (probably still for a few years)
>
> > So by all means, let's fix Kfax to your satisfaction, but let's not
> > engage in extravagent overstatement that it stops KDE being useful on the
> > desktop
>
> Yes.
You know, when you want to change your system, if you miss one only thing, you 
find the new system useless.
When I got my first computer in 1994, faxing capabilities were far better than 
Linux/KDE today.
>
> > (let's remember that Windows < 2000 didn't have built-in faxing, and you
> > needed a 3rd party app anyway, so does that mean that windows 98 was not
> > ready for the desktop?
Win >= 95has built-in capabilities.
Win 3.1 could fax quite well with the programs bundled with the faxmodem 
device.
>
(...)
> > I think most would disagree, and KDE and Linux are now far better than
> > Win98 ever was).
>
> "Better" cannot be said.  Overall better when you add together all of the
> functionality, probably; but in some regards, NT4 or even 95 (and probably
> even older UIs by all different people) still have a few advantages over
> Linux/KDE.
Most of functions are far better in KDE than in Win 9x or else.
But all fax functions (configuring/sending/reading/printing/scanning) are far 
behind.

Friendly

Gerard
(I filled lots of bugreports/wishlists about this topic) - hope some developer 
will be interested in it.
_______________________________________________
kde-usability mailing list
kde-usability@mail.kde.org
https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-usability

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