RE: Re: what is it that LiteStep does for the non-programmer?

" We may come across as a bunch of grumpy old men (or women), but I have
found most of them to be wonderfully patient. Lord knows I am an idiot a
lot of the time and they deal with me with great tact."

Paul, you're not an idiot!

And we ARE a patient lot, it seems - we don't seem to get into the same
flame wars that other communities seem to. Maybe it's because we've all got
our heads "under the hood" and are too busy to be anything but polite.
*grin*

The casual computer user probably has no idea he can do anything to make
Windows better, whether just in the eye candy department or deeper
functionality. My thought is that the eye candy is what draws them in, then
they see the higher level of functionality. It seems the normal progression
for a Litestep user: big, flashy themes; start tinkering with those themes;
start tossing out the "extra" stuff; pare down desires in a theme to
necessities; design own theme with a minimalist slant. We've been dormant
for the last several years. It's time to raise a new group of Litestep
evangelists and get us some new converts! Spread the good news! You are
SAVED from a boring desktop!

Why would someone want to use Windows Explorer (keep in mind, I'm on Vista)?

I love Windows Sidebar. I have a weather gadget, a souped-up clock (with
nice, big numbers), an appointments gadget and a tasks gadget. The last two
synch with Outlook, where I keep my entire life. It's great to have the
ability to download a complete, skinned gadget and drag and drop it into
place (there's a link within the sidebar config to the download site). It's
also great to be able to drag it from one place to another on the sidebar.
The weather gadget has some five different views with buttons to scroll
through them with (I like being able to see the radar picture - I like to
see my doom coming).

Why would someone use Litestep?

I'd like to have a module that will keep different panels of shortcuts that
I can choose from. One for work, where I'd keep Dreamweaver, Web Developer
Express, Photoshop, my timesheet program, etc and maybe a shortcut to my
office's Exchange server site. Games would have, well, games. A module that
can be refreshed without having to reload an entire theme. I hate drilling
down through the 'Doze Start menu to find what I want, and my Quickstart and
Start menus are getting very cluttered (can you tell I miss the popup?).

Speaking of the popup, how about an easier way to organize my custom setup?
Before, I had to create a new folder within the Litestep directory and
create all new program shortcuts and organize them there. Can't I have a
right-click option to "Send to Popup" with a flyout for the subfolders?

I only mention those because those are things I'd like to see in an updated
LS/modules. Always before the mail modules had to contact your email server
directly and only let you know if you have new mail. Since I leave Outlook
running, why not let it do that job and just have something that talks to
Outlook? I know not everyone uses Outlook, but enough newbies will, and
enough folks who would use LS at work might. Just having the option...

Do I use Windowblinds?

I have a license, but no, I don't use it. Aero is plenty. Small borders and
a clean interface. I'd rather focus on what's In the windows than around
them.

*shrugs* I know that got a bit personal as far as desires go, but I doubt
I'm the only one. My suggestion is work WITH Windows instead of against it.
It seems that LS has been struggling so hard to make Windows something it's
not (*NIX). Make it something unique.

~Wendy
Tonsei-rs


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