the looks of Linux

[daghenningsorbo]

I've been searching kde-look.org and those other kde sites and I have seen a lot of what I would call a negative trend for linux. there is a lot of look-a-likes to windows and mac. there are many mac wannabes out there I can see. but what is the point? if you want a mac, then get yourself a mac. if linux is going to continue to grow, then we need to have something that people can look at and say: "yes, that Linux!" right now there isn't. (and the copying of other OS' user interfaces don't make the situation any better)

are there others who have opinions about this?
then reply to this...

[Stealth Prawn]

Re: the looks of Linux

That confused me as well, especially the amount of themes that incorporate the Windows logo in some form, or the OSX type tool bar, even if they aren't copying it fully. Lots of the screen shots I see look more like Windows that my Windows box did. :P

It would be nice to have a more unique feel but I don't see how it could happen, not to say it won't though.

[dibl]

Re: the looks of Linux

Two thoughts:

1. To the extent that (K)Ubunutu is all about individual preferences, having "A Look" would be contrary to that goal.

2. There are already far more available choices regarding desktop styles than I personally can absorb -- there are plenty of problems with Linux (a different subject), but lack of sufficient visual display options is not one of them, IMHO.

[Fenyx]

Re: the looks of Linux

Some thoughts (on topic or not):

1. This isn't a trend in Linux... It just so happens that there's a greater demand for themes that imitate other OS'es, precisely because there's so few of them. KDE-Look (or any of the *-Look sites) are not representative of any trend in Linux.

2. It's a free/open source world... Unfortunately, that also means we let these people with different (perverted :P) tastes get what they want. The great thing about it is that these people who make these "themes" share them openly. So you get the looks of some OS, but not their culture. That's always a plus.

3. Most of the well known distros don't copy the looks of other OS (with the exception of Linspire). GNOME and KDE don't either.

4. Having a single look for all Linux distros and desktops would be hell, and would go against the very freedom that the Linux/Free and Open Source Software world is based on.

5. Just because some OS has done it, doesn't mean that it's wrong. For one, Mac OS X has been known for having some good usability ideas and fancy UI. As for Windows... hm... I don't have one in mind at the moment, but not everything they did is entirely bad. So if something in Linux just looks like something from another OS, it's not necessarily a bad thing. But of course copying the entire look is a different matter. :P

[obnascar]

Re: the looks of Linux

I've been searching kde-look.org and those other kde sites and I have seen a lot of what I would call a negative trend for linux. there is a lot of look-a-likes to windows and mac. there are many mac wannabes out there I can see. but what is the point?

My thoughts are for the Linux desktop user there are more important things then just the looks.
The things that will draw more users away from Microsoft are the power of Linux, no defraging, no anti-virus, spyware, addware, no complicated registry, less crashes, free software and does not cost $200 for a new version of the OS.

The biggest of all problems for Linux is:

1. The lacking of funds for advertisement
2. For the most part, people do not like change, learning a new OS is a challenge, they have grown up using Windows all of their life.