Compiz Fusion Updates/News (Updates for KDE4!)

[xarquid]

http://smspillaz.wordpress.com/2008/...8-kde-4-is-in/

Quite interesting...I really do think they need to fix bugs and get Compiz stable BEFORE they go down the path of adding more 3D effects and "features." They are kind of taking a dangerous path, in my opinion.

Eventually I think compiz-fusion needs to stop with the effects and start thinking of USABILITY _MIXED WITH_ effects. Then they would have something. They already have 40 - 50 effects. Now like 60 - 80? I mean how many effects can someone have turned on. Eventually it does (and really it already does) affect productivity. It should really go hand-in-hand.

If the developers could figure out ways around this and mix the two then they would really have something. Eventually eye candy just for the sake of eye candy is useless. But maybe they just have one track mind...focused on eye candy and not productivity or anything else.

I'm not quite sure.

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On another opinionated topic (AWN vs. Cairo / Kiba [docks])

AWN is starting to suck. I am so glad Cairo development has started to pick back up! Kiba is quite nice too in my opinion. What do you guys think?

[recluse2]

I tried AWN, and yes, it sucks. I might try the others you mentioned. As for Compiz, I think adding more effects is just fun, while working on stability is real work. Yes they do need to concentrate on stability, and let others work on effects.

[rogun]

I entirely agree, although it has come a long way in a short time. I find 2 or 3 effects indespinsible, but the rest are just resource hogs, and most of those quickly become annoying, after the initial fascination.

I'm not sure what to make of KDE4. It looks neat, but feels too much like a kiosk. I like neat effects, but not at the cost of usability. Eye candy is good, but it's not the most important thing for most users.

[xarquid]

I entirely agree, although it has come a long way in a short time. I find 2 or 3 effects indespinsible, but the rest are just resource hogs, and most of those quickly become annoying, after the initial fascination.

I'm not sure what to make of KDE4. It looks neat, but feels too much like a kiosk. I like neat effects, but not at the cost of usability. Eye candy is good, but it's not the most important thing for most users.

I could not agree more. I think Linux, in general, is about usability, scalability and REALLY -- when it comes down it -- NOT CRASHING. This includes not being a resource hog. I understand turning off features. and the touch, but KDE and Gnome will continue to be base X Window Managers for Ubuntu (no matter how we look at it).

Both are intuitive to the casual user (and migrating Windows user...). XFCE is very efficient and not as much of a memory/resource hog as KDE or Gnome but has a higher learning curve for most people.

So, with this being said, Ubuntu and Linux when they started many years ago had a primary focus of scalability, usability and primarily STABILITY. If Compiz/KDE4 and anything start to look like an "over painted kiosk of insane effects" that could give the audience motion sickness -- well, it really does need to stop somewhere. Because we really need to come back to the point, as a community, where we can support older hardware and not force our community to have the latest and greatest just to be able to use KDE as their window manager.

Great points here.

Sincerely,

xq