This is the perfect time for Linux to become huge on the desktop

First off all let me say this, I am an advocate of linux, a network administrator with my systems stuck in Windows because of upper management. I use linux to keep our budget in line, and ease of managing windows system setups.

I have always hated Ubuntu as a professional user, feeling as if linux is a server tool, not a toy for people who want to check their email. My feeling on this has waned overtime and seeing the next wave of Windows operating system coming out as something more stripped down, more restrictive, and heavier license fees, this is the time to strike!

Ubuntu needs to get some DESIGNERS, and programmers together to create a beautiful intuitive gui, something that has a unique but uninhibiting flow.

Windows 7 has beauty and simplicity for its users, this is IT, no security, no special benifits, why dont we show them what we have for once! Balmers famous rant about "DEVELOPERS!" shows the problem here, we are the developers, steal some of there damn designers before 7 ships. or hell, use their tactics and promise them something better and dont deliver for a while ;)

I believe this belongs either in:

Testimonials & Experiences OR The Community Cafe

I favor a DE that provides tools for uninhibiting workflow, but do not favor a more beautiful GUI that eats up more resources than it already does.

Conical has put money behind a UI development team and there is definitely a movement in the community to improve the look of Linux.

Its easy to customize things to add in AWN, Compiz, and Emerald and make a Linux box look better than a Mac, but its not by default.

duox said:

Ubuntu needs to get some DESIGNERS, and programmers together to create a beautiful intuitive gui, something that has a unique but uninhibiting flow.

KDE 4?

http://www.petesodyssey.org/files/kde4screenshot1.png

i couldnt agree more.... i made the switch to ubuntu around a year back, and have 4 computers at home that are now running it. i still need xp or vista to connect to work (company policy, vpn + ms remote desktop) for which i have VM Ware :D, i also have a mac that ive been using to play around with the iphone sdk.

i did try a number of other distros a few years back, but nothing really jumped out at me enough to take the plunge, ubuntu however really struck a chord...

once u have your installation configured the way you want even after adding all the eye candy like compiz, awn, or kiba-doc or what ever else it runs so much more better than any other OS out there.... and if any of you have ever tried to get stuff working on 64 bit vista u vud know to stay away from it, ubuntu 64 bit on the other will get majority of the stuff working out of the box, minor things like flash etc. have detailed tutorials online to get the small sub-set of missing items up & running without any issues, the bigest issue of device drivers on 64 bit is solved by the beauty of open source, if u find something that doesnt work all u need to do is recompile.... :)

my wife & friends are amazed by how KOOL everything looks and how well it all runs. ive been saying for a long time that if apple released mac os for PC it could easly kill MS (or atleast hurt them bad), but i suppose apple still wants to keep selling its expensive hardware - looking at where ubuntu is now, im not sure why anyone would ever pay MS or Apple to get less than half of what they can get out of ubuntu for free.

it is making an impact as i see that dell now has the option to get new computers pre-installed with ubuntu instead of the market norm of MS XP/Vista.

my wife's been eying my new supped up laptop running ubuntu 64, and wants me to install ubuntu on her laptop as well.... so i might actually have another ubuntu box on my home network soon, converting one believer at a time :)

peace out! oaqster

duox said:

Ubuntu needs to get some DESIGNERS, and programmers together to create a beautiful intuitive gui, something that has a unique but uninhibiting flow.

And therein lies the rub. Each person has their own needs and therefore will find different graphical interfaces uninhibited and streamlined. For me, this does the trick.