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0 pointsbhauer7y ago0 comments

My opinion is that the overall demeanor of desktop user interfaces have steadily become overrun with that of mobile UIs. The "mobile first" mantra has taken a toll on desktop computing, and it's difficult to measure because the desktop computing of a 2019 unmolested by that infantilizing influence (as you rightly put it) cannot be seen from the timeline of reality.

But most of us who have been around for a while can imagine a modern computing environment that still treats desktop computing as desktop computing (and not just large form factor mobile computing).

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7 comments · 1 top-level

antt7y ago· 6 in thread

Tilling window managers. It's not a new idea and really the only way to be productive on a computer.

AnIdiotOnTheNet7y ago

They're a half realized idea though. The value of tiling WMs is that they allow you to compose what is essentially your own workflow dashboard and save it. What needs to happen is to complete the idea: entirely composable GUI interfaces.

antt7y ago

Xmonad allows you to launch programs in a configuration of your choice. Hell even tmux does.

kirion257y ago

The only way to be productive... for a developer. The great majority of computer users have little to no need to tile anything, to be productive.

idle_zealot7y ago

I'd argue that the desire to have windows side-by-side when multitasking is far more common than to have them be particularly overlapping and hiding one another. Certainly a lot of what I do on a computer is development, but tiling makes composing emails, image editting, writing, and web browsing less painful too. Floating windows seem to be prioritizing a metaphor over usability.

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swah7y ago

The widespread shortcut/gesture for making a window full height and half-screen width was a good middle ground for me.

Tiling WMs (which I tried 10 years ago?) would always break on some programs (say Gimp), then you had to run that program in "floating mode" and its already too much overhead for me...

anthk7y ago

Nah, CWM is better. Floating, not decorated env with a menu switcher and tags everywhere. Just open a FEW windows per tag, learn to context switch LESS, that's it, keep a kiss approach ;).

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