Windows Blackomb vs KDE 4

[Tsarevich]

Windows Blackomb or formerly 7 is expected to hit the shelves by 2009 or 10. KDE has already come to life now that the 4th major version is out. Do you think better of X or Windows? I think Microsoft is going too far ahead of the time. Currently, few have made the switch to Vista, then ever thought of Blackomb? I have read that the release of KDE 4 will make Linux and UNIX users outnumber Windows users. What do you think of it?

[ryokimball]

Sounds like someone was a little overzaelous, but not necessarily in a bad way.
I've heard only of the name "7," nothing about any plans though. I guess we'll just have to see what Blackcomb/Vienna/7 is before passing judgement, outside of "it's Windows" or "it's Microsoft."
I'm watching the video on the new UI from YouTube. It seems cluttered for a 2D display, but could be pretty neat if things besides keyboard/mouse to interface with. But I have not seen anything really about KDE 4 either, so...
pretty much everything's open-ended at this point, from what I gather.
---edit: sorry, I probably don't sound very comprehensive. It's passed midnight and I was sleep-deprived already.

[pcxman]

I think it looks like junk.

[ryokimball]

I think it looks like junk.

lol! I don't think the video was supposed to show a final version, or even a prototype --just a concept of a 3D workspace. At least I hope so.

The concept itself is one I thought would be cool since I was young; we (my older sister and I) had some sort of kid's desktop when we were growing up that my father had gotten us. It had a cartoony desk with various items on it (like a phone for contact numbers, a pad with tic-tac-toe or something for games, et cetera). Ever since then I thought it would be interesting to have an actual room as the "desktop," with things like a surf-board to "surf the web" and whatnot. Of course, the two problems I see with how Windows seems to be planning it is (a) it has standard keyboard/mouse control, and (b) it won't have nearly the customization I think would be necessary for such a GUI to be... as appealing as it should, I guess one could say.

[Freston]

It looks like someone dusted off ye olde Bob



It's cute, but is it functional? I guess we all find our own ways to cope with all the thousands of screens open at any one time. Some prefer the cube, some prefer the 2D multiple virtual desktops.

Inspired by Metisse, I set up KDE with a little (pager) navigator. Assigned easy keystrokes to navigating desktop or moving windows around. And the pager can be hidden, for all your full screen end user experience, whilst remaining functional.

[ryokimball]

It's cute, but is it functional?

I think you're right about about having different preferences; it really depends on how you feel about navigating and whatever else you are doing. Some people still prefer command-line navigation, and I must say this method does have a way of simplifying things over GUIs. The idea of the 3D environment is just to further the virtual reality concept. I could just imagine playing Morrowind for a job because it is how you do business... ^,^ But seriously, eventually I think the desire is to make a Matrix-like OS, but even the makers of the matrix realized that there is a need for new controls....
wow,I wonder if Windows is going to create the Matrix?

[ryokimball]

I could just imagine playing Morrowind for a job because it is how you do business...

Then again, I suppose that is almost exactly what Second Life is, but all I've seen is porn and ... well, softcore porn. I think I've seen one or two people or places that were not erotically themed in the SL world, but that just shows how those people are... and how many of them there are.

[Vergil83]

1) If Vista is any indicator Windows 7 is not going to be released on time while KDE4 is already released. It is unfair to compare the two on the same level.

2) They are doing very different things in my view. KDE4 isn't playing around with "3D" stuff, so why compare them?

[Dapper Dan]

Then again, I suppose that is almost exactly what Second Life is, but all I've seen is porn and ... well, softcore porn. I think I've seen one or two people or places that were not erotically themed in the SL world, but that just shows how those people are... and how many of them there are.

Hi ryokimball! I don't want to stray too far off subject here, but going into SL is kind of like going to Las Vegas. If you want sex, porn, prostitution and the like, it's not difficult to find. But if you don't want to be involved with those things, it's just as easy to avoid.

[ryokimball]

Hi ryokimball! I don't want to stray too far off subject here, but going into SL is kind of like going to Las Vegas. If you want sex, porn, prostitution and the like, it's not difficult to find. But if you don't want to be involved with those things, it's just as easy to avoid.

Is it that easy to avoid in Las Vegas? ^,^
Actually, I never knew until I finally moved to Memphis and had broadband to play with. I was looking for some MMORPG to mess with (always wanted to but never could because of location), and heard about SL. The "beginner's island" isn't that bad, but once you get out it's a whole new world... (and not a Disney world, either).
No matter, though. I don't even bother with SL anymore: too busy breaking and fixing stuff (and playing Morrowind again ).