Re: Proposed: Rhythmbox

[Jens Bech Madsen <jbm oncable dk>]

On Mon, 2004-01-05 at 11:19, Eugenia Loli-Queru wrote:
> Jeff Waugh wrote:
> 
>  >Not being included *DOESN'T* mean the application is not available to
> users.
> 
> No. You only limit it to ~10% of its potential market. That's how big it can
> get if it is not included by default.
> 
> > We will all continue to use Rhythmbox regardless of its inclusion in the
> Desktop.
> 
> You will be using it. I will too. But most of new Linux/Unix users won't,
> because most people don't bother. If an OS doesn't do what they need, half
> of them will leave the OS altogether. The other half will try to download
> third party apps but if the OS in question doesn't have binaries ready for
> it, half of them won't bother to compile it. So you end-up with 25% of your
> users ending up using Rhythmbox. And from these 25%, you will only get a few
> percentage of them who they will actually LIKE the app and will do what they
> need it to do. Kaboom! You just destroyed not just RB's potential, but the
> Gnome multimedia experience as well. The disantvantages of not including
> such a needed app with Gnome *outweigh* the ones if you do include it. I
> suggest that you do the math.

I say that is absolutely untrue. Newcomers to Linux (yes, I know there
are other free OS's, but most newcomers do choose linux) will go for
either a) the big branded distributions or b) desktop oriented
distributions which they can pick off a shelf. They will _not_ choose
server oriented distributions like Slackware.

If a distribution is made as a desktop distribution it will focus on
what desktop users want and need. If it doesn't, it will fail, because
users will switch.

Please name some desktop oriented linux distributions which have had a
release recently and does not include rhythmbox or a similar
application. Remember, a working Rhythmbox is a fairly new thing.

Foretelling the death of Gnome multimedia if Rhythmbox isn't included
into the Desktop is a bit over the top.

> >TOTEM is convincingly the best media player in the GNOME world
> 
> Agreed. However, Totem is not nearly as popular as other apps for the exact
> same reason I explained just above.
> 
> Bottomline, Gnome needs some multimedia presense for the reasons I explained
> in my previous email to Havoc. Be this will happen with Storage, or a
> special Totem version that supports with playlists and stuff, or via RB, or

Totem supports playlists.


As for including Rhythmbox, I don't really care. I don't find it
particularly essential since I don't like the interface.

One other note: Totem is listed in my Applications menu as "Totem Movie
Player". Maybe that should be changed to "Totem Media Player"?


Cheers,
Jens