RE: Next steps forward?

Roy -

Your post made me cry. YOU GET IT.

I'm in the exact same position at work; I'm the only web designer in a shop
full of developers. I can't hold a candle to what they do, but I can
"graphic" and "CSS" circles around them. I was hired for my ability to
leverage Joomla! and I'm in the process of learning DotNetNuke. They are
truly the greatest things since sliced bread. Their power lies in the
ability to lay a skin over the bare install. While it's not exactly a
beginner's tool, it helps those of us who can't wrap their heads around
complicated coding and would rather focus on the layout and look. It lets me
do some of the simpler projects and lets the developers tackle the bigger
custom jobs.

To answer your query about what would it take: Don't laugh, but MS' "Coffee
Table" and WPF is a huge step forward. I don't think I've gotten as excited
about anything as I have about this.

What would it take to make a desktop environment run with this, instead of
running against it? Granted, at the moment, it's a Windows and limited-scope
'Net thing right now, but the CONCEPTS are what I'm referring to. Blending
'Net and desktop, allowing a person to manipulate their environment with
fingers, as is most intuitive. Allowing them to do away with all the damned
cords and lines and tethers... Making them truly mobile...

Coming back down into the scope of what we're currently capable of
accomplishing - LS is a beautiful thing. It's just confusing as hell for a
newbie. My concern is the number of people who manage to damage their
computer so badly it requires a reformat to get it back - THAT'S what I mean
by making it "idiot-proof". LS isn't a kids' toy, and probably shouldn't be,
considering how deeply it needs to dig into the OS simply to function.

I do like Vista because it's "pretty". The visual effects are fabulous. Yes,
I bought my new computer specifically so I could run Vista Aero (and Age of
Empires, but that's a side issue). Like a mentioned, I'm a designer, so I
like pretty stuff (forget flowers, though - I'm not that much of a
girly-girl). Bare-bones gray/blue/black bars, while useful, are depressing.
Tiny fonts strain my eyes. "Don't make me think", to steal a web design book
title.

Is there a way, perhaps, to create an LS that will allow a graphic person to
simply lay a skin over it? Why not? Several themes already allow you to
change the colors using Windows' system settings. Would themers be willing
to allow a graphic person to skin their themes? I know it's not a huge
hassle, usually, to get permission. I've ported a theme or two myself. What
if themers did that from the get-go? What if skins were looked at with the
same regard as full-blown themes, a la WindowBlinds? What if LS worked with
WindowBlinds, to skin the OS?

What do I require in a theme? An easy-to-read clock (digital or analog,
doesn't matter). Customizable popup, with fonts large enough to read
quickly. Systray. Taskbar (don't make me click to find my open windows).
Appointments and follow-up list from Outlook. Weather's nice, but not
required. System monitor - eh. I know when my computer's getting slow. VWM
would be nice, but I've gotten used to not having one. Quick shortcut
ability. I don't need multimedia controls - I have a keyboard for that. An
interface that doesn't take up a lot of room (my biggest complaint about
Vista - you NEED a widescreen to work effectively). Don't reset my wallpaper
when I switch themes. Don't turn off Aero when I switch themes. Give me a
preview of the theme before I switch it - names don't mean much anymore.

Find a way to leverage Vista's hardware acceleration. Use transparency. Make
it pretty, but don't make it so distracting I can't work.

Ok, I'm done.

~Wendy Harlow
Tonsei-rs


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