(Virtual Dimensions) Re: Possibly PuTTY, possibly something else. It's still hate.

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From: Hakim Cassimally
Subject: (Virtual Dimensions) Re: Possibly PuTTY, possibly something else. It's still hate.
Date: 11:07 on 24 Jan 2007
On 24/01/07, Andrew Black - lists <andrew-lists@xxxx.xxxxxx.xxx.xx> wrote:
> DO I get the feeling that virtual dimensions is worth avoiding.

As per muttley's conundrum, I'm not sure whether to hate Virtual
Dimensions or XP.  Allegedly XP now supports virtual desktops.  Yay!
we all cry.  Windows could now have something that Linux has usably
had for years, without having to go through the hackery that made the
various widgets that emulated it (buggily) on WinNT.

I tried EvilDesk (nice, but ultimately annoying) and a couple of other
alternative windows managers which all sucked in various ways.
Finally I installed Virtual Dimensions, on the basis that it more or
less leaves the default Windows desktop the same, and therefore should
break less.

It more or less works.  Changing from desktop to desktop is a bit
slow: the task bar entries don't immediately switch but sit stupidly
there for a bit before realising that they have to replace themselves.
 This doesn't really sit comfortably with the idea that the desktops
are supported natively.

Some apps, notably Firefox will occasionally decide that they want to
make a break for freedom and sit on all desktops.  Other apps, notably
Thunderbird, will decide not to register their presence in the taskbar
anymore (until you Alt-Tab to them).

Simon's PuTTY hate could well be VD related too, as the data points in
the thread suggest.

VD adds items to the window menu -> move to another desktop, set
transparency, or "always on top."  Transparency works ok, (though
without being settable by slider it's frankly unusable to me, I don't
like transparency except to enable it quickly to peek behind a
window).  "Always on top" (basic functionality in Gnome anyway)
doesn't work at all.

I wasn't sure whether to really hate VD (it has some functionality),
but as it would be off topic if I didn't, I will.  It is a hateful
buggy piece of shite that doesn't even provide the basic functionality
that would bring this part of the WinXP experience to the basic level
of usability that Linux desktop has (and believe me that's not a
fantastic or unattainable level to aspire to).

Hate,

osfameron

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