DSL Ideas and Suggestions :: icons look and feel

Quote (^thehatsrule^ @ Dec. 04 2007,16:14)

jpeters:

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Linux offers a lot of flexibility and power that windows doesn't, such as command functions, but they have to be learned.

What?

I was referring to commands with options that would require a terminal. Most windows users don't get beyond clicking icons. (just getting a command window requires going into the start menu, clicking on "run," and then typing "cmd" just to generate a terminal window).

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Windows still accepts commands from terminal. It's my first option in my misc folder on my XP taskbar:
http://lucky13linux.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/menubar.png

(Can't embed png?)

The reason most Windows, Mac, Amiga, BeOS, etc., users use icons over console commands is because the interfaces are optimized for that. You can still open a Windows console and launch apps if you want. You can also configure links (shortcuts), scripts (bat), etc., to run from console or iconify them. And many of the graphical interfaces for handling tasks allow customizing of command parameters -- it's a lot easier for most users to tick off options than run man or a help flag to see what's available.

I think that last point is one of the things that "terminal snobs" lose sight of -- that a GUI doesn't necessarily hide everything behind the scenes or limit users from accessing the power of commands or applications. Interfaces for the most common applications generally don't offer many options because there aren't many. But interfaces for file managers and for processes often have things for users to click to handle things in different manners (such as front-ends like peazip that make 7zip easier for most users). The only issue is how much flexibility users want. For "power users," they like more options. Most users, though, want the simplest interface with the least details to worry about.

Wow, and you even use Windows Media Player; that's loyalty!

The link for WMP is there because my default is WinAmp (next to the blue QuickTime icon in the app tray).

Quote (^thehatsrule^ @ Dec. 04 2007,16:14)

maybe there can be a way to choose if you want to include all 22 icons. Perhaps that would satisfy those who want icons but don't want to copy them to the desktop manually.

That's a very interesting idea. Maybe a boot option "allicons" or something equally unimaginative could trigger copying icons from a directory that would be ignored by default.

Quote (lucky13 @ Dec. 04 2007,17:38)

You can still open a Windows console and launch apps if you want.

The drawback there is that the Windows console is very simple compared to the typical Linux console (or at least has been until recently...i have no idea about the optional super commandline thingy MS has now). With the typical cmd prompt you can start programs and do some other tasks, but it is generally seen as a tool that is used only when you've messed up your system and can't click. The commandline in Linux is still seen as a very useful part of any Linux system, with the exception of those people who hate typing so much that they would rather click twenty times than type ten characters.

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