Re: A stupid question (or two)

[Haukur Hreinsson <hawk gagarin is>]

Jeff Grammer wrote:
> 
> I've read a great deal about KDE and GNOME having been a Linux user since
> v1.95 and 6 years now.  But I have very stupid question.
> 
> Being someone who absolutely HATES (and I mean HATES) GUI.  If someone was
> going to create a completely new end-user graphical interface for computers,
> why did you model it after "ancient" technology?  What I mean is, even
> MS-Windows is literally based on the same "look and feel" and the original
> Macintosh computer from the mid to late 1980's.  Why didn't you look at
> completely "revolutionizing" the end-user interface completely?  KDE AND
> GNOME are already "tired", because all they both are, are just
> "re-inventions", no strike that, "ports" really of an old user interface.

Part of the reason why these desktop environments exist is that there's
a desire to get Windows users to join the Linux camp. People find it
much easier to switch environments if they feel at home in the new one.
It doesn't have to be identical, but there needs to be some degree of
overlap with the person's pre-existing computer knowledge.

Perhaps another reason is that the developers just implemented whatever
they were used to using without really thinking about alternatives.

Haukur Hreinsson