OT - configuring PAN newsreader -Xpost

[Bob Eager]

Yes, I'm using a (slightly tweaked) LXDE, having grown tired of the KDE bloat.

[Huge]

I ran it in a VM for a while. It's horrible.

[Terry Fields]

I just tried this here; the menu bar is located in the main screen window (the bar at the very top of the screen) rather than in the reduced-size Pan window.

[Rob Morley]

That's default behaviour for Unity desktop manager - takes some getting used to.

[David WE Roberts]

Thanks - probably explains some of my problems.

[Daniel James]

I sorta agree ... Unity is a brave attempt to do something new with the desktop in the hope of making it easier (especially for non-techies) to pick up and use. It's nice to see Canonical trying to improve on the desktop metaphor rather than blindly copying Microsoft as just about everyone else seems to have done ... and a shame they haven't made a better job of it!

Unity grew out of Ubuntu Netbook Remix when Canonical (or rather, Mark Shuttleworth) began to be dissatisfied with what the Gnome team were doing. I can see why that was done. It's unfortunate that staying with Gnome 2 wasn't a viable option, but there it is.

I don't particularly like the way the dash is evolving, but as long as I can turn off the Amazon links (I'm one of those rare people who has still never bought from Amazon) I don't find it too bad.

The global menu, though, on anything but a maximized window, is an piece of arrant lunacy that deserves all the scorn and contempt that it has received. And more.

Cheers, Daniel.

[Huge]

Skipping lightly over the fact that Microsoft didn't invent it in the first place.

[Rob Morley]

I think we probably know that Apple produced the first commercial WIMP interface, borrowing ideas from Xerox PARC, and Microsoft has never invented anything much, but he didn't say that they have, just that the Windows interface has influence (as it's the one with which most people are familiar).

[Huge]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ stealing wholesale

[Rob Morley]

Did Xerox ever say they couldn't/shouldn't use it?

[Huge]

TBH, I don't think the truth of this will ever come out, and I worked there, especially given that some of the people involved are now dead and the lawyers have been involved.

[Daniel James]

They did not, indeed. But they have made it ubiquitous, so it is they who are being copied. For better or for worse.

Cheers, Daniel.

[Daniel James]

IIRC Apple (unlike Microsoft) actually licenced (or something) the WIMP design from Xerox.

Wikipedia sends me here:

is an interesting article ... but may not be telling the whole story, any of the story, or anything like the true story. Who can say?

Anyhow, it would /appear/ that Apple's use of Xerox's ideas has slightly more legitimacy that Microsoft's.

[Huge]

The latter paragraph is true enough.

(TBH, ICBA to read the article. I worked for Xerox when all this was going on, and I have no idea what I heard via RumorNet(sic) is The Truth or not.)

[Jules Richardson]

And didn't Xerox borrow many ideas from NLS, anyway? It's never about "first", only about who has the best marketing department.

cheers

Jules