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List:       kde-look
Subject:    Re: kde's future
From:       Henry Stanaland <henryst () MIT ! EDU>
Date:       2001-01-10 8:12:06
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Bart Szyszka wrote:
> 
> > Too often, I hear Linux users and developers say (or imply) "I think it
> > should be this way since Microsoft does it that way..."  However, I'd like
> > to see KDE/Linux flourish... with new users and new development.
> > I think it'd be nice if KDE developers would notice the font selection,
> font
> > size, color scheme, icons used, icon sizes, the spacing between
> icons/items,
> > etc. from Whistler's GUI... and make changes to KDE that would improve its
> > overall look and feel.
> Personally, I think any shortcomings that KDE has in terms of GUI are
> as a result of following Window's conventions much too closely; old
> conventions
> that are being abandoned with each new Windows version. I think it would
> be great if KDE2 continued to have bold new features like the ones that
> MS is starting to make with Whistler and that KDE has recently been making.
> It's a shame that this project doesn't have the amount of money MS has to
> come up with and research the features.
> 
> - Bart


All this "whistler" speek gives me the chance to bring up 
an idea I had for KDE recently.  You say KDE should break
Microsoft conventions(when practical).  Here are a couple 
of ideas I've had for a while for those developers looking
for inspiration:

I have heard recently of people complaining that KDE & Gnome's
"copying" of the Window's start menu was pretty bad because it 
is one of the most non-intuitive interfaces of Windows.  Funny,
because I remember spending days with Win95 after it first
came out before I realized what that Start Menu was for
(Seriously, it was a lot different from Windows 3.1).  But why
do we have to have that little menu hidden in that corner of 
our screen be the most important part of our user interface?  
And 97% our desktop taken up by a wallpaper?  A stinking useless 
wallpaper!  I'm not saying that we shouldn't have a pretty pictures 
up there, but what if KDE abandoned this notion and came up with a 
much more amazing way to take up this space.

My idea is to make the KDE background into one huge KParts "Canvas"
(Note:  This word is borrowed from Bill Gate's speech about Whistler,
but I haven't used it so I don't know if this is similar to the 
canvas he was talking about).  So we have this KParts "Canvas"
and we can put anything on our desktop.  Can you imagine?  You 
could have your KCalendar's "Daily View" in one corner, and perhaps
a mini-konqueror view of your Home in another.  And we could still 
put that picture of Ol' Yeller in there(since images can be used 
as a KPart).  This could open up  more possibilities for those 
applets we are always trying to cram into the taskbar.

A long-term idea:

Does anyone know of any Open Source "Natural Language" software
(there must be, I think one particular one was created by a university).  
I think it would be awesome if KDE integrated this kind of search into 
the desktop.  That would allow you to type things like "Create Spreadsheet" 
or "Help with Configuring Network" or "Find CindyCrawford.jpg."  Maybe even 
offering Internet searches (like Apple's Finder: i.e. "Call of the Wild" 
at Barnes & Noble/Ebay/etc.)

Let me know what you think.  I doubt anyone will care since we are 
usually trying to "Catch up to Windows" rather than surpass them
(with our limited resources that is). But an idea is an idea.

Regards,
Henry Stanaland

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