[arch-general] kde4 tip - quicklaunch in your panel -- convenience at your fingertips!

[David Rosenstrauch]

On 11/11/2009 08:41 AM, David C. Rankin wrote:
> On Monday 26 October 2009 13:34:43 and regarding:
>> I disagree.  The problems (at least from my perspective) stems from the 
>> KDE devs' decision to "start fresh" with all their apps in order to 
>> "simplify" them and/or apply their new philosophy/approach of desktop 
>> GUI design to them.
>>
>> That decision resulted in them dumping loads of features from out of 
>> their apps - features that many KDE3 users liked and relied on.  The 
>> result has been a less-useful and less-productive GUI.
>>
>> So really more of a problem with fundamental design decisions, IMO, than 
>> with their programming framework.
>>
> 
> From that perspective I completely agree. Konqueror is the perfect example. An 
> elegant, very functional file manager (wannabe browser) that was packed with 
> tons of advanced features with a -->very<-- efficient UI (from a minimal 
> mouse-click/keystroke standpoint) with proper focus control that was 
> completely thrown out and redone based on the new untried and untested dolphin 
> engine. That has been a complete fiasco and left kde with a substandard file 
> manager that has no ability to place focus without using a 2-part ctrl+click 
> (with the cutsie green plus markers turned off)

Huh.  I wasn't aware of the issues with Dolphin ... because I'm still 
using Konqueror for my file manager!  :-)

It's funny too - even though I'd say I'm now a very happy Xfce user, I 
still don't use Thunar.  Konqueror - with all the KIO network file 
system plugins - is just such an incredibly useful and productive tool 
that no other file manager even comes close IMO.  The power of being 
able to do things like transparently copy a file from one network box 
(using SSH/fish) to another network box (using SAMBA/smb) - all from the 
same file manager app, and without having to issue any mount commands - 
is just incredible.  These capabilities have pretty much raised the bar 
on what I expect from a file manager nowadays, and Thunar unfortunately 
pales in comparison as a result.


> So I guess when you take a working desktop and throw it out the window and 
> then start over with an overly complex framework -- you have probably just 
> signed up to shoot yourself in the foot :p

That's how I see it.  And - although I often disagree with him - "Joel 
on Software" wrote a great (and correct, IMO) essay espousing this same 
view a while back too: 
http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000069.html

DR