XP look-alike interface?

[ScoTTie]

Implement both, most people are very familiar with the 'Luna' theme and either like it or dont care. While some people may not like it (Me included) its not hard to turn it off or if your a little more tech savvy, patch uxtheme and use a better theme. I dont see why it has to be one or the other.

Off topic, but most of these design threads have been about 'I like it this way, so it should be default'. If ReactOS wants to have the success Ubuntu is having they need to have a clean, easy to use and basic enough look by default.

And yeah, try not to revive 4 month old threads.

[shunt010]

Why not go for simple, it's fast.

Personally I loved the acorn GUI. I loved the middle-mouse button to bring up the menu. That is the best GUI I've ever seen, but nobody has ever taken it up.

If you want to look for a GUI look, I think that if you looked at how the Acorn looked and worked, that may be an excellent starting point. I found the Acorn interface to be simple, fast, but about the most effective I have ever seen, it was absolutely superb in my opinion.

[Matthias]

Perhaps that wasn't the clearest way to state it. Most users think "Open Source = Garbage". I know because I used to be one of them (Gosh, have I changed since I first got internet!). However, if one of these people come across a screenshot of a free operating system that looks exactly (or almost exactly) like their current OS, guess what -- they might try it, and take away some of MS's valuable business.

I don't think you understood me. Why would _we_ want these stupid, biased people to use ReactOS? People like that won't contribute to ReactOS or report bugs anyway, so personally i couldn't care less whether they use it or not... Very few people use Linux, and even fewer people use FreeBSD, but that doesn't make these OSes worse, does it?

[Harteex]

Perhaps that wasn't the clearest way to state it. Most users think "Open Source = Garbage". I know because I used to be one of them (Gosh, have I changed since I first got internet!). However, if one of these people come across a screenshot of a free operating system that looks exactly (or almost exactly) like their current OS, guess what -- they might try it, and take away some of MS's valuable business.

I don't think you understood me. Why would _we_ want these stupid, biased people to use ReactOS? People like that won't contribute to ReactOS or report bugs anyway, so personally i couldn't care less whether they use it or not... Very few people use Linux, and even fewer people use FreeBSD, but that doesn't make these OSes worse, does it?

The more users an OS has the more support it gets from devs, companies etc.

[.aart3k]

I always wanted to have KDE-like system with funcionality of WinNT... So I voted NO. I dont like luna: its quite boring and odd looking thing.

[MadRat]

Almost should go for a theme that looks young and refreshing. Perhaps like the Plastic, DeskToon, or iCandy. In the next revision go for an optional sharp looking version.

We should have a nice simplistic start menu, too. Here's an old example of mine:

[ external image ]

Among the many criticisms of it were too many big icons, too bunched together, it had too many "default" applications tied to it, and the fact it used two columns was disliked. But its a start to a refreshed style for a default look.

Another style I liked - but was too non-Windows like for many - was from the Symphony project: [ external image ]
Its different, but in practical terms is also quite easy to use. It took me all of two minutes to figure its logical patterns out.

Its that argument, "maybe but we want to create a windows nt compilant os so we want to use a windows nt like gui, too" that always leads us away from innovation.

[Switchboy]

Maybe you should make "program files"just programs and a little bigger. So you don't have to search for it, because it will be the most used.

[LMH1]

[ external image ]
[ external image ]
This is good, it can be great in reactos maybe if it had glass-like interface can it be very good.
I hope it can be easy to select the menu in reactOS.
Quick Search can be more smalles on menu.
It can be great if All programs menu to all programs on the computer,
not many links to program so it can look better

[cmoibenlepro]

IMHO, I prefer the current ReactOS interface than the XP one.

[ external image ]

[Switchboy]

IMHO, I prefer the current ReactOS interface than the XP one.

Image

Only the adress bar should be moved up. It is now too far away from th rest of the controlls

[Coviti]

IMHO, I prefer the current ReactOS interface than the XP one.

Image
Only the adress bar should be moved up. It is now too far away from th rest of the controlls

I agree. While I don't like the Luna style, some people just love it. If by address bar you mean this:
[ external image ]
Then I believe you are mistaken. This is not an address bar, but is similar to Windows Explorer's "Status Bar", which is displayed at the bottom of the Explorer window.

Perhaps that wasn't the clearest way to state it. Most users think "Open Source = Garbage". I know because I used to be one of them (Gosh, have I changed since I first got internet!). However, if one of these people come across a screenshot of a free operating system that looks exactly (or almost exactly) like their current OS, guess what -- they might try it, and take away some of MS's valuable business.

I don't think you understood me. Why would _we_ want these stupid, biased people to use ReactOS? People like that won't contribute to ReactOS or report bugs anyway, so personally i couldn't care less whether they use it or not... Very few people use Linux, and even fewer people use FreeBSD, but that doesn't make these OSes worse, does it?


The more users an OS has the more support it gets from devs, companies etc.

My point exactly. Not all users really care about bugs, development, etc. They just want a good free OS. And that's the goal of ReactOS. Not to be the next Linux, a so-called "Geek Only" OS, but a Free, Open-Source Windows Compatible Operating System for everyone!

[Switchboy]

IMHO, I prefer the current ReactOS interface than the XP one.

Image
Only the adress bar should be moved up. It is now too far away from th rest of the controlls

I agree. While I don't like the Luna style, some people just love it. If by address bar you mean this:
[ external image ]
T

I belevieve it is the adressbar because it looks like an editable textbox and if you look closely you can see the statusbar under the adressbar.

[Matthias]

And that's the goal of ReactOS. Not to be the next Linux, a so-called "Geek Only" OS, but a Free, Open-Source Windows Compatible Operating System for everyone!

Where does it say that? On the home page it only says that it's a free software replacement for windows. The important point as far as i am concerned it that it's free software (as in free speech, not free beer). If it were only freeware i'd hardly care about it, because from a moral point of view that would hardly be any better than Microsoft's Windows.

[Coviti]

I belevieve it is the adressbar because it looks like an editable textbox and if you look closely you can see the statusbar under the adressbar. Wink

Sorry, you're right. I tested it and it is the address bar!

-------------------------------------------------------------------

And that's the goal of ReactOS. Not to be the next Linux, a so-called "Geek Only" OS, but a Free, Open-Source Windows Compatible Operating System for everyone!

Where does it say that? On the home page it only says that it's a free software replacement for windows. The important point as far as i am concerned it that it's free software (as in free speech, not free beer). If it were only freeware i'd hardly care about it, because from a moral point of view that would hardly be any better than Microsoft's Windows.

Well, it says that right on the homepage! Read the statement in bold.

The ReactOS® project is dedicated to making Free Software available to everyone by providing a ground-up implementation of a Microsoft Windows® XP compatible operating system. ReactOS aims to achieve complete binary compatibility with both applications and device drivers meant for NT and XP operating systems, by using a similar architecture and providing a complete and equivalent public interface.

Although Free Software advocates agree that free software operating systems improve the state of the art by fostering competition, ReactOS has practical benefit for others, too; ReactOS is the most complete working model of a Windows® like operating system available. Consequently, working programmers will learn a great deal by studying ReactOS source code and even participating in ReactOS development.

ReactOS components are growing more and more compatibile with equivalent, closed source alternatives, but ReactOS doesn't simply stop at an arbitrary line in the sand. ReactOS has and will continue to incorporate new versions of the Win32 API and so will track and sometimes even define the state of the art in operating system technology. Rather than using current technology as a limit on our activities, we are constantly incorporating features from newer versions as well.

In short, ReactOS is aiming to run your applications and use your hardware! Finally, a FOSS operating system for everyone!

[framalex]

IMHO the best solution is to create flexible GUI with WXP, KDE, GNOME themes support, so everything would be able to adjust his environment (sorry for my english )