Author: Stuart Matheson Date: To: Hampshire LUG Discussion List Subject: Re: [Hampshire] Macbook Air (ok,
it's not factory linux but you can install it)
> If you're asking for opinions, here's mine: > If you know a lot about computers, OS X makes it a pain to just "get
> things done". If I want to do something at the command line on
> Linux, I
> just hit a key and it's there. On OS X, I have to find the
> Applications
> folder, then work out whether it's considered an application or a
> utility,
> then find the Terminal icon. It's still Bash, but it's not useful
> unless
> it's as readily available as the GUI.
> The same goes for any application that's not in the dock. (By
> comparison
> on KDE I can hit Alt+Space to bring up Katapult and type the first few
> letters of the app's name, and it's there).
I have the Terminal icon on the Dock and almost always have it
running. There is probably a way to emulate the KDE way but I agree
that the interface is kinda simplified for the masses.
> There's various other things that bother me about the interface in
> general, like how closing an application's window leaves the program
> running in the dock, so it's essentially another minimise button.
> Also it
> lacks the level of customisability I get from KDE, and the versions
> I use
> don't have multiple virtual desktops (although I believe they're in
> 10.5?)
Fair point here. I think virtual desktops (aka 'Spaces' is
AppleSpeak) are in 10.5 but as I have an 800Mhz G4 iBook I can't run
it (officially, there is a hack though). Although on my measly
1024x768 display every application's window is 'full screen' anyway.
Actually come to think of it the maximise button doesn't really work
as you'd think which is a bit of a pain really. Exposé is nice, as is
the ability to drag a file to an 'Open File' dialog window and have
the window select the dropped file.
> In summary, I can use OS X, but I don't unless I'm doing something
> like
> web browsing that doesn't involve more than using 1 GUI application.
Command + Tab for cycling through applications and then Command + `
for cycling through windows in that application seems to work well.
Especially when you've loads of windows open.
> Just my 2 pence.
>
> Cheers,
> Mark
Thanks for the comments. I'm just about to buy a laptop and chuck
linux on it and have been keen to check out KDE so your suggestions
could turn out to be very handy.
