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Elementary OS – Fast, open, privacy-respecting replacement for Windows and macOS

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Re: Elementary OS – Fast, open, privacy-respecting replacement for Windows and macOS

#351

Post by andrepd »

adar wrote: post #247
andrepd wrote: post #198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why are you comparing Elementary OS with a version of Linux Mint that's at least 5 years old? Especially when they had such a big design shift in the last year or two. Up-to-date screenshot (still with the "old" theme Mint-X, but actually Mint-Y (based on arc) is the default as of the latest version): https://linuxmint.com/pictures/screenshots/serena/gallery/5.... The choice isn't between ugly and Elementary. It's a…

With all due respect, that screenshot you linked looks straight out of 2008.

I genuinely take that as a compliment. I wouldn't be caught dead using a monstrosity like, I don't know, windows 10 (or even the hideous interfaces of Google products) just because it's ""modern"".

Re: Elementary OS – Fast, open, privacy-respecting replacement for Windows and macOS

#352

Post by BenjiWiebe »

michaelmrose wrote: post #256
LeoPanthera wrote: post #12

I've recommended Fedora to several "I'm scared of computers" people recently and the experience has been very good. The new GNOME does require 5 minutes of tutorial, but after that they've been completely happy exploring on their own. The new "Software" app is an excellent GUI for installing new apps and updating the system. Personally I use Macs but if I didn't, Fedora would probably be my next choice. It has by far…

This is quite frankly a sub optimal recommendation. Fedora adopts crap that quite frankly doesn't work at time of adoption and only offers support for 6 months. It also used to be true that updates between version x and x+1 were a crap shoot. Regular users don't want to reinstall twice a year even if its easy to do so. They also want to use stuff after others have found the showstopper bugs not help find them. I used…

I started in the low teens of Fedora. It was a lot worse then. The issues you mention are almost non-existent now.

Re: Elementary OS – Fast, open, privacy-respecting replacement for Windows and macOS

#353

Post by jethro_tell »

driverdan wrote: post #165
coned88 wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Been using linux for decades and have never had to do any of this. Even 15 years ago I didn't need to.

You haven't tried running it on a laptop then.

Or I have? Everyone has a different workflow. I've been linux only for 12 years about. I rubbed the license key off my laptop and when I went to re install and I just couldn't afford it. Been using linux ever since.

Re: Elementary OS – Fast, open, privacy-respecting replacement for Windows and macOS

#354

Post by sjellis »

msiyer wrote: post #319

Linux is not ready for mass market. I think, proprietary file formats, vendor lock-in, monopolistic and restrictive trade practices etc. are reasons why users dread switching OSs. I my opinion, OS itself has very little value to the end user. The end user needs a fertile userland. The end user should be free to trivially switch platforms without disrupting the userland one bit. This is not some pipe dream. It is very…

> proprietary file formats, vendor lock-in, monopolistic and restrictive trade practices etc. are reasons why users dread switching OSs.

That certainly used to be true, but I think most of those issues have fallen away, and it's mostly just about applications and unpredictable hardware support. Despite the efforts of proprietary OS vendors to invent new whiz-bang features, most people use the OS as a launcher for their Web browser and the collection of applications that they actually care about (office suite, games, professional tools like Photoshop). Proton is a really big deal because it unblocks migration for the people whose key applications are games from Steam.

Re: Elementary OS – Fast, open, privacy-respecting replacement for Windows and macOS

#355

Post by dorfsmay »

solarmist wrote: post #263
dorfsmay wrote: post #226

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your country mandate digital signature that aren't cross platform?

"Cross platform" is in the eye of the beholder. How easy is it to use for someone that thinks their browser IS the internet to install and use?

Browser extensions?

Re: Elementary OS – Fast, open, privacy-respecting replacement for Windows and macOS

#356

Post by ryneandal »

black-tea wrote: post #275
zapzupnz wrote: post #230

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm inclined to agree. The design is fine, functionally, but there's a certain harmony missing from it and most Linux desktops (even elementaryOS') that makes them feel like using toys rather than proper desktops. Mind you, I say that as a macOS user (although I did run Linux full-time for a good six years in a past life), and I'm sure many a Linux user will call the macOS interface toy-like to their eyes. Even thoug…

> makes them feel like using toys rather than proper desktops. Fascinating. I consider systems like Android, Windoze and MacOS to be like toys for the same reason: superficially beautiful, but not actually a good tool for work.

This is a bad take

Re: Elementary OS – Fast, open, privacy-respecting replacement for Windows and macOS

#357

Post by finchisko »

zwaps wrote: post #81

Some of the comments here feel weird. Elementary OS has picked a specific niche, and its arguably the best distribution in it. It has a really well designed and consistent UI experience, and you can't break it. I think most of you just don't realize how difficult linux is for people who barely understand how to use a Mac or Windows machine. Furthermore, linux is a world where mainstream distributions still release wi…

I totally agree. Linux pro users seems not care much about the detail. I'm the exception. Can live with Ubuntu, but most distros have terrible ui (you can see the misaligned items from miles away).

Re: Elementary OS – Fast, open, privacy-respecting replacement for Windows and macOS

#358

Post by framp »

Folcon wrote: post #340
secure wrote: post #334

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The look & feel of applications can be changed by using GTK or Qt themes and there’s entire websites dedicated to sharing these. Isn’t this what you describe? Side note: Window managers are only responsible for the window decoration, i.e. the frame around the contents and the title bar. Not a lot to tweak there, but most window managers do actually allow changing pretty much every aspect of it. GTK/Qt are toolkits, n…

Right, but that seems to be something that requires the user specifically to be a dev? And to know how to compile each program they need to tweak? I'm thinking of something where say I load up a program UI Tweak , I don't need to know anything about the software I'm working with, I just select the element that I want to adjust, the label sizes for text in the dialogue, or the colour of the text by clicking on it. Thi…

I can't speak for GTK as I don't use it much, but there are Qt engines that let you configure all the options without needing to write a theme.

I never went that way as I prefer to just use a theme designed by someone who knew what they were doing.

Re: Elementary OS – Fast, open, privacy-respecting replacement for Windows and macOS

#359

Post by xur17 »

gnulinux wrote: post #205
zwaps wrote: post #81

Some of the comments here feel weird. Elementary OS has picked a specific niche, and its arguably the best distribution in it. It has a really well designed and consistent UI experience, and you can't break it. I think most of you just don't realize how difficult linux is for people who barely understand how to use a Mac or Windows machine. Furthermore, linux is a world where mainstream distributions still release wi…

I'm starting to think the whole is plotting this weird conspiracy against me... I think linux is very comfortable, I think it looks pretty, it gives me power to make it prettier. Windows comes with fucking ads in the UI how is that any prettier? OSX is supposed to be polished, but I constantly experience problems like my screen randomly flickers, it forces me to login twice every time, sometimes all windows suddenly…

I'm in the same boat - I used a Mac at my last job for ~4 years, and if given the choice I'll choose linux hands down. I find it more comfortable, but maybe that's just because I'm used to it?

Re: Elementary OS – Fast, open, privacy-respecting replacement for Windows and macOS

#360

Post by finchisko »

coned88 wrote: post #210
driverdan wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You haven't tried running it on a laptop then.

I don't understand. I run linux on an IBM Thinkpad T40 for the better part of a decade.Then I moved to a Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon which also runs Ubuntu fine. IN fact installing linux takes at most 20 min and I am done. Drivers and everything are all automatic. Windows on the other hand can take hours to install from scratch. God forbid you need a service pack or to find a driver that's not easily found anymore. Peo…

Linux issues are not about hardware support anymore (well mostly). The guy was talking about ui inconsistencies and overall ugliness of some distros (there are of course exceptions).
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