Re: [tlug] Managing Windows

[Viktor Pavlenko <vvp@example.com>]

>>>>> "SJT" == Stephen J Turnbull <stephen@example.com> writes:

>>>>> "Botond" == Botond Botyanszki <tlug@example.com> writes:
    Botond> On Mon, 08 Mar 2004 10:40:32 +0900
    Botond> "Semi Malinen" <semi@example.com> wrote:

    >>> Why must I click with the mouse to focus? Why must the focused
    >>> window be the top window? Why is there no easy way to tell the
    >>> top window to lower itself?

    Botond> Because it would make the life of M$ and other programmers
    Botond> for the platform much harder. This way there would be a
    Botond> lot more cases to consider which would mean windows would
    Botond> crash on every second mouse click...  Not to mention: "You
    Botond> have resized an unfocused window. Please click ok to
    Botond> reboot windows for the effects to take change."

    SJT> Nonsense.  Those are deliberate design decisions.

Deliberate design decisions??

What about frames of C++ Visual Studio (I use it only to compile,
while editing code in emacs under cygwin, but all this shame may end
up soon ;) ? Each frame has a horizontal scroll bar and is about 1000
characters wide -- no run-time calculation if the scroll bar is
required.

What about menus that are enabled regardless if they make sence? And
that thing like xload (forgot what it's called on Windows) when it is
showing 100% CPU load and no process that takes more than 5% of CPU
and all of them approximately 20%? Deliberate? I don't think so.

    SJT> Possibly they are wrong, but in general they are shared with
    SJT> Motif (vendors always provide the option of
    SJT> focus-follows-mouse, but the Motif standard specifies
    SJT> click-to-focus) and the Mac.

Motif is ancient. Not sure about new Macs. At least this behavior
should be configurable for those who need it.

    SJT> I think that they actually make some sense if you think in
    SJT> terms of people who only use computers because it's part of
    SJT> their job description, and would rather not become skilled
    SJT> with them.  It's a relatively simple set of rules, easily
    SJT> learned, and well-suited to unionized labor mentalities.

And small convenience of not able to view two windows simultaneously
in a Lotus Notes client (it's not Microsoft but inspired by it, I'm
sure). Examples can go on and on.

    SJT> Let us not underestimate the enemy, and especially not the
    SJT> enemy's market research department.

Yes, I've been wondering why such rich enemy can't make a simple and
intuitive GUI at least as fluxbox provides... And why they can't make
pleasant to watch commercials. But that's good after all. That's why
they are going to loose :)

Just my 2 cents (Canadian:)

-- 
Viktor