[CS-FSLUG] NI: Why Linux isn't too fat & MS hurts customers

[David Aikema]

On 10/13/05, dmc <edoc7 at verizon.net> wrote:
> >> "Apple is so far ahead of everyone else in desktop environments that
> >> it's not even funny."
>
> Do they bother to qualify this or is just someone's
> unsubstantiated opinion?

It's the same opinion that's making those claims about Linux not being
"too fat" and MS hurting customers ... so take it as you wish.

> I have used all three OS's and don't see a dimes
> worth of difference between them for most purposes.

Well, Apple's development tools provide a fair bit of enforcement of
human interface guidelines -  such issues as the position of buttons
and whatnot.  I think that the applications do generally tend to
adhere closer to these guidelines as the result of this.  Menus and
menu options are also quite consistently placed.

The other part that is for Linux a definite negative in my book is the
multiple toolkits and GUI libraries that are being used.  Thus many
applications look different stylewise, and I also can't for example
copy a URL from Konqueror into Mozilla.  Programs wlll often have
different hotkeys, and also many different yet similar dialogs for
such things as print whereas for both Windows and Mac OS this is quite
standardized.  Take a look at the difference in the print dialogs in
Mozilla and Konqueror for example - there a whole lot of difference
and some redundant configuration can also be required.

David