Adventures in Linux: I can has multiple desktops?! (Part 2)
So I've decided to start a series on Linux. Here's part 2 of "I can has multiple desktops?!"
Xfce
Wiki // OS associated with Xfce
For those of us who are not so incredibly blessed with a super fast computer with hard drives the size of Bill Gates' paycheck, there are alternative desktop environments. This is for those who likes the bare bones (for the most part) and a lightweight system.
True to the claim, xfce loads quick. Less than a minute. So it's ok to shut down and turn on your laptop or desktop with almost a 5 second load time. This is particularly useful during class/lectures when you need to make a quick exit or start up quickly.
Visually, it looks a LOT like GNOME. However, there are quite a few differences. It's not orange. hahaha. Ok ok. I kid. Ok, honestly, the interface looks practically like GNOME. However, all the animations that accompany GNOME (i.e. fading out when clicking x on a window, etc) are gone. The icons are a bit smaller (I'm gonna guesstimate about 50x50 or 25x25 pixels) but they aren't so small that you can't tell what they are.
Quite reliable. Again, the set up is almost exactly like GNOME so there isn't much I can say without repeating what I've said about GNOME. Menu bar is still there. It looks like the old Mac OS. There's applications, etc. Oh! The menu is even compact. What they did was combine the Systems menu with Applications so if you can't find all the admin stuff where it usually is, chances are it's in Applications.
I put this baby to the test in my American History class and it worked out fine. I ran Open Office and was able to take notes without incident.
I DO have a few grudges against Xfce that I probably will solve as time goes on. And that would be the System Beep. As a Windows user for so long, I too have learned to fear the System (or Console) beep. What drives me nuts about Xfce (and just about the ONLY thing that drives me nuts about Xfce) is the system beep for when it shuts down. Not good if you're in a quiet library or whatever.
The other grudge was that it sort of froze up and stopped working when I put it in hibernation for 10 min and started it up again. When I activated my touchpad (that thing that replaces a mouse on a laptop), the whole thing froze. Then again, it could be a battery thing because I took the battery out then put it back in and it worked just fine.
Xfce
Wiki // OS associated with Xfce
For those of us who are not so incredibly blessed with a super fast computer with hard drives the size of Bill Gates' paycheck, there are alternative desktop environments. This is for those who likes the bare bones (for the most part) and a lightweight system.
True to the claim, xfce loads quick. Less than a minute. So it's ok to shut down and turn on your laptop or desktop with almost a 5 second load time. This is particularly useful during class/lectures when you need to make a quick exit or start up quickly.
Visually, it looks a LOT like GNOME. However, there are quite a few differences. It's not orange. hahaha. Ok ok. I kid. Ok, honestly, the interface looks practically like GNOME. However, all the animations that accompany GNOME (i.e. fading out when clicking x on a window, etc) are gone. The icons are a bit smaller (I'm gonna guesstimate about 50x50 or 25x25 pixels) but they aren't so small that you can't tell what they are.
Quite reliable. Again, the set up is almost exactly like GNOME so there isn't much I can say without repeating what I've said about GNOME. Menu bar is still there. It looks like the old Mac OS. There's applications, etc. Oh! The menu is even compact. What they did was combine the Systems menu with Applications so if you can't find all the admin stuff where it usually is, chances are it's in Applications.
I put this baby to the test in my American History class and it worked out fine. I ran Open Office and was able to take notes without incident.
I DO have a few grudges against Xfce that I probably will solve as time goes on. And that would be the System Beep. As a Windows user for so long, I too have learned to fear the System (or Console) beep. What drives me nuts about Xfce (and just about the ONLY thing that drives me nuts about Xfce) is the system beep for when it shuts down. Not good if you're in a quiet library or whatever.
The other grudge was that it sort of froze up and stopped working when I put it in hibernation for 10 min and started it up again. When I activated my touchpad (that thing that replaces a mouse on a laptop), the whole thing froze. Then again, it could be a battery thing because I took the battery out then put it back in and it worked just fine.