power-user's desktop is *tuned*, not just pre-set (was: Mac OS X v. Linux)

[Colin Watson]

On Fri, Jun 24, 2005 at 06:24:32PM -0400, Eric Dunbar wrote:
> Unfortunately, no one has implemented a tabbed UI model under Linux
> (GNOME/KDE) or Windows. ctrl-page up or ctrl-page down are poor
> solutions because they require TWO hands for right handed people (who
> make up 90% of users) or for any users who use a mouse right handedly.
> Anything that requires a two-handed solutions isn't a good idea. Plus,
> on many laptops ctrl-page up is quite an ordeal to activate.
> 
> alt-~ or ctrl-~ are much better solutions since they require only one
> hand to activate

<any modifier>-~ is a rather difficult chord in many keyboard layouts,
and would certainly require two hands on the UK layout I'm using on my
PowerBook at the moment. On UK layouts with keyboards that actually have
a right Alt key, it would require the right hand. It sounds like you're
assuming a layout where ~ is over at the left-hand side, which is far
from universal.

Even where it doesn't require two hands or awkward stretching, the extra
modifier key makes relying on shifted shortcuts inconvenient for those
with less-than-excellent fine motor control.

> > Maybe you'd spare quite a time by looking at them all and
> > learning basic screen(1) for some console sessions.
> 
> Perhaps it might be time to enter the 21st century. screen "is soooo
> 1980s" (said with a valley-girl accent)!

"Use screen and you'll go to heaven", to quote my fiancée (who uses
computers for e-mail and web browsing, nothing fancy).

Cheers,

-- 
Colin Watson                                       [cjwatson at ubuntu.com]