the ugly desktop thread

[chucky chuckaluck]

while beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, true ugliness seems to be an assessment that is more easily agreed upon. my grandfather loved limburger on crackers and i think it's digusting, but, neither one of us wanted to be licked by a dog who had just been drinking out of the toilet. so, with that in mind, i'm opening this thread in search of the ugliest, toilet drinking desktop we can come up with. enter as often as you like. (i'll be back with my own, shortly.)

[chucky chuckaluck]

this is harder than i thought it would be. my first attempt is just kind of bad, rather than ugly (might even look nice at christmas).

http://e.imagehost.org/t/0810/uglyscr.jpg (http://e.imagehost.org/view/0810/uglyscr.jpg)

back to the kitchen...

[beercz]

Sorry, just couldn't resist!

[squeabs]

Quick ugly desktop.

[chucky chuckaluck]

squeabs, i think you've made the same mistake i made - too festive.

i'm going to overlook beercz's attempt to cheapen this thread.

[beercz]

squeabs, i think you've made the same mistake i made - too festive.

i'm going to overlook beercz's attempt to cheapen this thread.
And so you should :-)

Someone had to do it!

I don't have an ugly desktop at the moment though (well, at least I don't think I do):

[beercz]

Ooops - forgot to post my desktop:

[Valok]

How can you think with all that stuff on your desktop? My desktop is always void of any shortcuts or icons, I have gnome-do for that!

[aaaantoine]

squeabs has the better attempt so far.

Use that nasty high contrast theme, with a muddy brown background.

Edit: Combine squeabs' high contrast widgets with Valok's icon clutter. And throw in a clashing wallpaper.

[squeabs]

Alright. Mud background, ugly colors, and trying to stay away from festive.

[chucky chuckaluck]

i should probably be DQ'ed for resorting to the icewm theme collection, but why not?

http://e.imagehost.org/t/0600/fordscr.jpg (http://e.imagehost.org/view/0600/fordscr.jpg)

[brunovecchi]

i should probably be DQ'ed for resorting to the icewm theme collection, but why not?

http://e.imagehost.org/t/0600/fordscr.jpg (http://e.imagehost.org/view/0600/fordscr.jpg)

ugghhh *shivers*

[aaaantoine]

i should probably be DQ'ed for resorting to the icewm theme collection, but why not?

http://e.imagehost.org/t/0600/fordscr.jpg (http://e.imagehost.org/view/0600/fordscr.jpg)

Needs more icons.

And for that extra dose of classic Windows, the icon text needs a solid color behind it.

[rotwang888]

Awww...you're just MAKING ugly desktops?? I thought this was gonna be a bunch of hideous pics found "in the wild". I've sure seen some good ones. Oh well. Goin' huntin'!

[brunovecchi]

Ugly.

[brunovecchi]

Awww...you're just MAKING ugly desktops?? I thought this was gonna be a bunch of hideous pics found "in the wild". I've sure seen some good ones. Oh well. Goin' huntin'!

If they look made up, I don't find them annoying... but when there is room for doubt of whether it was made on purpose or it's just accidentally ugly, then it really gets me.

[chucky chuckaluck]

Ugly.

wow! that's obnoxious.

[chucky chuckaluck]

whoa! i don't know, these might ought to go in the regular screenshots thread.

http://e.imagehost.org/t/0114/egypt_bling.jpg (http://e.imagehost.org/view/0114/egypt_bling.jpg) http://e.imagehost.org/t/0769/egypt_bling2.jpg (http://e.imagehost.org/view/0769/egypt_bling2.jpg)

(might be a good default look for the 'sanctimonious sphinx' release.)


edit: damn! that's sharp!

[grotto]

Behold the glory of Windows 3.1's "Hot Dog Stand"

[brunovecchi]

Some random desktop with wm2 window manager.

[Rokurosv]

Behold the glory of Windows 3.1's "Hot Dog Stand"

Arrrg my eyes!!. That thing should be ilegal.

[oedipuss]

3 pages and still no full Comic Sans windows xp desktop, with a badly resized blurry picture of a puppy as background, covered in spyware casino icons?

[favadi]

It's mine. :(
http://xs433.xs.to/xs433/08473/untitled-4823.jpg.xs.jpg (http://xs.to/xs.php?h=xs433&d=08473&f=untitled-4823.jpg)

[chucky chuckaluck]

i guess, like a belching contest, we won't be really warmed up for another page, or so.

[grotto]

i guess, like a belching contest, we won't be really warmed up for another page, or so.

I was the state champion belcher in an Indiana county 4-H fair.

[billgoldberg]

Lol @ http://www.gnome-look.org/content/show.php/BeOS?content=69

I don't think anyone will be able to top "Hot Dog Stand".

Damn that is one ugly theme.

--

But like someone said,

Windows xp blue and green colors, together with a ultra low res picture from some pet and a trillion desktop icons, including zip and rar archives, online casinos, ... run at a 800x600 resolution.

That is not only ugly, it's common. I know at least two people with desktops like that.

[chucky chuckaluck]

Lol @ http://www.gnome-look.org/content/show.php/BeOS?content=69

what year is that from?


btw, i like the hot dog stand. it looks like something matisse would post in the screenshots thread.



I was the state champion belcher in an Indiana county 4-H fair.

our hearts swell with pride.

[K.Mandla]

I was told this is ugly.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=6187821#post6187821

Beauty, eye, beholder, etc.

P.S.: I'm proud of the fact, and embrace wholeheartedly, that this is very ugly.

http://xs231.xs.to/xs231/08401/screenshot-2008-09-30-082516-174.jpg.xs.jpg (http://xs.to/xs.php?h=xs231&d=08401&f=screenshot-2008-09-30-082516-174.jpg)

[Onyros]

I don't think it's ugly... it's just alternative.

I actually like GTK1 apps :)

[m_ad]

Just found this one :shrug:

[Onyros]

Now, my wife told me THIS is ugly:

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/4196/200811200157021280x1024fq0.th.png (http://img522.imageshack.us/my.php?image=200811200157021280x1024fq0.png)http://img522.imageshack.us/images/thpix.gif (http://g.imageshack.us/thpix.php)

Beauty IS in the eye of the beholder :)

[Snappo]

http://www.tehupload.com/uploads/5706a9b51168651Screenshot-4.png

[cardinals_fan]

http://www.nelug.org.uk/pix/twm.png

[chucky chuckaluck]

i'm thinking snappo just raised the bar.

[sertse]

Ugly.

How so? I can see how its....impractical, and could be improved.. but it has a cute idea. An actual blackboard! and it the elements (panels the blackboard frame, text looking that chalk writing) are somewhat consistent.

Then I either have odd tastes are missing something big.

[brunovecchi]

How so? I can see how its....impractical, and could be improved.. but it has a cute idea. An actual blackboard! and it the elements (panels the blackboard frame, text looking that chalk writing) are somewhat consistent.

Then I either have odd tastes are missing something big.

You are entitled to your opinion of course! Maybe I'm the one with odd tastes. I won't deny that the idea is original, but I find the implementation grotesque, unusable and, again, f ugly.

[K.Mandla]

I won't deny that the idea is original, but I find the implementation grotesque, unusable and, again, f ugly.
I thought more or less the same thing ... good idea, imperfectly executed. Perhaps someone else will take the same idea and make it a little more palatable.

And the sticky note is thumbtacked to the chalkboard. :|

[w4ett]

I think back (rather fondly) to my Commodore 64 days :guitar:
http://toastytech.com/guis/c64gpages.gif

[K.Mandla]

I loved the Geos desktop!

Uh-oh ... I have a sudden desire to create a theme like it. ... :shock:

[oedipuss]

I think back (rather fondly) to my Commodore 64 days :guitar:
http://toastytech.com/guis/c64gpages.gif

hehe that's not ugly, just old...
In fact I find it kind of cute how they tried to fit so much information in that tiny preference manager icon

[beesthorpe]

Crux FTW!

http://website.lineone.net/~beesthorpe/desktop.jpg

[bonzodog]

You want ugly?

I went web hunting, and found some classic old linux desktops. KDE 1 anyone?

http://itpencil.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/kde1.jpg

or how about CDE?

http://www.kefk.net/linux/Desktop/CDE/Screenshots/cde-jzaremski.jpg

[w4ett]

I have a sudden desire to create a theme like it. ... :shock:

I've seen a couple attempts on the web....also Amiga style desktops....

Sigh....what we used to do with 64k and a 512k expansion pack :P

[Daisuke_Aramaki]

I loved the Geos desktop!

Uh-oh ... I have a sudden desire to create a theme like it. ... :shock:

ossum! :guitar:

[chucky chuckaluck]

no on crux and kde1. yes and yuk on cde.

[wersdaluv]

I really never understood fuscia's taste. hehe

[chucky chuckaluck]

I really never understood fuscia's taste. hehe

join the club. what's that all about?

[lukjad]

squeabs has the better attempt so far.

Use that nasty high contrast theme, with a muddy brown background.

Edit: Combine squeabs' high contrast widgets with Valok's icon clutter. And throw in a clashing wallpaper.
I'm running Windows XP at the moment so it's not really fair but...

[EnGorDiaz]

Behold the glory of Windows 3.1's "Hot Dog Stand"

screams no that thing is more worse than prince charles dressed up as a hooker

[chucky chuckaluck]

I'm running Windows XP at the moment so it's not really fair but...

that wallpaper looks like something from the motel6 collection.

[lukjad]

Is there going to be a definite winner?

[rax_m]

You want ugly?

I went web hunting, and found some classic old linux desktops. KDE 1 anyone?

http://itpencil.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/kde1.jpg

or how about CDE?

http://www.kefk.net/linux/Desktop/CDE/Screenshots/cde-jzaremski.jpg

Damn! I remember using linux when it looked like that.. Red Hat if I remember 0_o

[Tux Aubrey]

Just to prove it could be done, here's an Enlightenment desktop using my cerium_ugly theme:

http://cafelinux.org/forum/gallery/74_05_08_08_8_14_35.png

[chucky chuckaluck]

Is there going to be a definite winner?

who knows?

[chris4585]

heres a pretty ugly one...

http://www.kde.org/screenshots/images/large/kde2final_2.jpg

[chucky chuckaluck]

heres a pretty ugly one...

http://www.kde.org/screenshots/images/large/kde2final_2.jpg

aside from the hospital wallpaper color scheme, it just looks old fashioned. i've always liked that kde theme, especially that oyster shell icon (forgot what it was for).

[Mark76]

Bash?

(Shell. Get it?)

[chucky chuckaluck]

Bash?

(Shell. Get it?)

nyuk, nyuk.

[renzokuken]

heres a pretty ugly one...

http://www.kde.org/screenshots/images/large/kde2final_2.jpg

wow, that brings back a few memories, i actually quite liked that.

[finferflu]

I actually think CDE looked more elegant than KDE1 :P

[Mark76]

Wasn't xfce based on CDE?

And are we confusing primitive with aesthetically unappealing?

[chucky chuckaluck]

And are we confusing primitive with aesthetically unappealing?

i think so. though, some of the color schemes can't really be excused.

[Mark76]

True. Here. Behold... Arthur!

http://xs233.xs.to/xs233/08475/bigarthur748.gif

[finferflu]

OT: Talking about ugly, may I draw your attention to the fact that back in 1988 they used the same WIMP interface we use today? Think. :P

[cardinals_fan]

Wasn't xfce based on CDE?

No. It was to a limited extent inspired by CDE, but that's it.

[Sealbhach]

Just messing about...

[grotto]

OT: Talking about ugly, may I draw your attention to the fact that back in 1988 they used the same WIMP interface we use today? Think. :P

Even worse. The WIMP GUI and mouse goes back all the way to 1973 with Xerox. I think it was the Xerox Alto. It is amazing that it took a decade before it became popular with Apple, and latter still with Microsoft.

[etnlIcarus]

Behold the glory of Windows 3.1's "Hot Dog Stand"Blast. I saw this thread and just as Win 3.1 was booting up, I noticed you'd beaten me to it.


Just found this one :shrug:


I think back (rather fondly) to my Commodore 64 days :guitar:
http://toastytech.com/guis/c64gpages.gif

Nothing ugly about those. They're classic.

Also, anyone got any shots of the, "Plus!", themes for Win 98? Science, Underwater and Win98 were the worst, IIRC.

[Bungo Pony]

I'm constantly pulling PCs out of the trash, and I think I can safely say that Windows 3.1 was the biggest victim when it came to terrible color schemes. Here's a screenshot of one:

[Giant Speck]

I think this is turning into more of a "really old screenshots" thread rather than an "ugly desktop" thread.

It's kind of cheating when you're offering a screenshot from years ago. Of course those are going to look ugly.

[etnlIcarus]

I think this is turning into more of a "really old screenshots" thread rather than an "ugly desktop" thread.

It's kind of cheating when you're offering a screenshot from years ago. Of course those are going to look ugly.

It's got little to do with the age, per se. Aesthetic standards have simply improved with time, limiting our options when it comes to modern systems.

[chucky chuckaluck]

how about this one? little hard to read, maybe?

http://e.imagehost.org/t/0620/yuk.jpg (http://e.imagehost.org/view/0620/yuk.jpg)

[notwen]

that one is pretty nauseating chuck, bravo.

[chucky chuckaluck]

that one is pretty nauseating chuck, bravo.

gosh, thanks!

[Tipped OuT]

http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/5796/ugly1.png

[CK05]

Behold the glory of Windows 3.1's "Hot Dog Stand"

She's beautiful.

[Koori23]

Behold the glory of Windows 3.1's "Hot Dog Stand"

You're joking right? That color scheme really was available for Win 3.1?

[penguindrive]

Just messing about...

That actually hurt my eyes....

[Islington]

http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/5796/ugly1.png

good grief. :)

[swoll1980]

FTW!

http://www.themeworld.com/themes/previews/steeler3.1.jpg

[Sarai the Geek]

Here's mine!

[sim-value]

Cant you just let this thread die in peace ?

[Dimitriid]

I like to keep things neat and minimal, however everytime a co-worker asks me for help I seem to see something like this on their computers:

http://cybernetnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/cluttered-desktop.jpg

Thats just...ugh.

[Mateo]

I like to keep things neat and minimal, however everytime a co-worker asks me for help I seem to see something like this on their computers:

http://cybernetnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/cluttered-desktop.jpg

Thats just...ugh.

ugly, but reality. when you have a million ongoing project sometimes you don't have time for cleanliness. and that's coming from a very organized person.

[Dimitriid]

ugly, but reality. when you have a million ongoing project sometimes you don't have time for cleanliness. and that's coming from a very organized person.

Well yes but I just don't think storing things on the desktop is a good idea in general.

[Swagman]

http://www.gregdonner.org/workbench/images/wb_12.gif

[Mark76]

Ah... The Amiga Workbench.

Luvverly :D

[Sarai the Geek]

http://www.gregdonner.org/workbench/images/wb_12.gif

That's not ugly... it's just old.

[JordyD]

That's not ugly... it's just old.

How many times are we going to say this before people get it?

[CJ Master]

Enough Amiga screenshots. Just look here: http://chiptune.com/

Glad this was bumped, I liked the concept of this thread :D

[kmg90]

My EYES

http://img374.imageshack.us/img374/3580/killlmeee.gif

[Sarai the Geek]

How many times are we going to say this before people get it?
*shrug*
I guess everyone has a different definition of ugly. I myself have something of a soft spot for retro-looking desktops (not enough to give up my graphics-card exploding compiz settings, though :p) so I rather enjoy looking at them. I think there's a big difference in being ugly because you technologically cannot do better, and being ugly because you have no sense of taste!
That does NOT excuse the hot dog stand theme, though. Whomever designed that beast should be tried for crimes against humanity!
It also doesn't excuse this... I'm surprised no one has brought it up...

http://catb.org/%7Eesr/writings/taouu/html/graphics/bobhome1p.png

IT'S BOB!!!



My EYES


Agh... 265 colors!! Come on, it takes like five seconds in the appearance settings to fix this... oi.

[Dustin2128]

this thread's been going for months....

[swoll1980]

Here's mine!

Nice!

[lykwydchykyn]

FTW!

http://www.themeworld.com/themes/previews/steeler3.1.jpg

That's pretty bad, but I have a few co-workers who tile the University of Tennessee "Vols" logo on their desktop -- it's a white T on a BRIGHT orange background.

I wish I'd taken a screenshot when I worked on one of those machines now...

[David Ostrom]

How's this for ugly?117584

[lykwydchykyn]

Just so we weren't exclusively beating up on old desktops, I put this one together in shiny new KDE4.

[Sarai the Geek]

Just so we weren't exclusively beating up on old desktops, I put this one together in shiny new KDE4.

Oh, it's hideous!!

Actually, the rotated filesystem applets are kind of cool, in an abstract way. Not sure I'd want it on my desktop, but it's interesting to note that you can actually do that.

[chucky chuckaluck]

Just so we weren't exclusively beating up on old desktops, I put this one together in shiny new KDE4.

that's awesome!

[hanzomon4]

Nice!

That looks pretty cool actually

[Sarai the Geek]

That looks pretty cool actually
Dangit, no it does not! It's ugly!!

[Tipped OuT]

Dangit, no it does not! It's ugly!!

Maybe your definition of ugly is a little off then...

[Viva]

I find most windows desktops fugly

[Sarai the Geek]

Maybe your definition of ugly is a little off then...

Man, I can't even make an ugly desktop when I try.