On 08/30/2002 08:43:32 AM Erich Schubert wrote: >> It's one of the things Apple proved: desktop and apps that look smooth >> do make their users feel comfortable with them ;)
No, they proved if you do not give users a choice of "nothing" or "Apple's theme" the users prefer to use their theme rather than an abacus or count on their fingers. The problem is, I experiment with and chose window managers by going to the website and look at the pretty screenshots. If I like the screenshot, then it's a quick apt-get install somethingwm. I expect to get what I saw on upstream's screenshots. If I like the look of ratpoison, and someone themes it to look like W95, I'm not going to like it when I'm "surprised" with Debian's themed version. This is different from integrating the Debian menu system into the WM, because that is a utility thing that does not damage the artistic-ness of the WM. For example, modifying a work of art so the frame can hang up using "Coca Cola" brand picture hanging nails or sticking a little plaque on the frame saying "this painting donated to the museum by Coca Cola" is perfectly acceptable because it (more or less) doesn't damage the artistic impact the artist tried to make. However, if Coke painted over the "Mona Lisa" so she was drinking a coke, before they donated it to the museum, that would be totally hideous from an artistic integrity standpoint, immoral even if it is perfectly legal.