Practical reason for minimizing programs

[Detonate]

Re: Practical reason for minimizing programs

I'm using Compiz in Ubuntu. Not KDE. I almost never minimize a running program. In Compiz, you can use the Expo Plugin with the mouse slam feature enabled to see a wall of all of your desktops (workspaces). It's really fast to change from one workspace to another, I merely slam the mouse to the top left corner, the select the workspace I want with a right click. Also, by using the Windows List Applet in the panel, you can easily see what programs you have open and switch to them quickly that way with a single mouse click. I also have the cube, but I usually only use it to impress someone.

[wizard10000]

Re: Practical reason for minimizing programs

Let's see...

Right now I have three windows open and two of them are minimized running unattended tasks. Got ktorrent running in the background and DeVeDe converting an .avi to DVD format and neither one of those need any interaction from me so there's no reason I can see to keep them on the desktop.

[askrieger]

Re: Practical reason for minimizing programs

I merely slam the mouse to the top left corner, the select the workspace I want with a right click.

That works in KDE without Compiz (except that it's a left-click), and you have set it up in "System Settings".

[Detonate]

Re: Practical reason for minimizing programs

Yes, it works in KDE also. I was just pointing out another option that to m, completely takes away the desire to ever minimize a program.

[Ole Juul]

Re: Practical reason for minimizing programs

wizard10000: . . . neither one of those need any interaction from me so there's no reason I can see to keep them on the desktop.

lol Well, we're assuming you're running a modern GUI, like KDE or even Fluxbox. The discussion was more about "what" desktop, not "the" desktop.

[wizard10000]

Re: Practical reason for minimizing programs

lol Well, we're assuming you're running a modern GUI, like KDE or even Fluxbox. The discussion was more about "what" desktop, not "the" desktop.

Except on my netbook where there isn't enough screen real estate to multitask efficiently I generally only use one desktop

[Ole Juul]

Re: Practical reason for minimizing programs

lol Well, we're assuming you're running a modern GUI, like KDE or even Fluxbox. The discussion was more about "what" desktop, not "the" desktop.

Except on my netbook where there isn't enough screen real estate to multitask efficiently I generally only use one desktop

Now you got me interested. What do you mean exactly? I understand that you may not (for any reason whatsoever) want to use multiple desktops, but hitting Ctrl-F2 (F3 etc) is a also good solution to limited screen real estate, isn't it? Besides, even with one desktop, Alt-Tab is also easy, regardless of whether you are using small, medium, or full windows. In that case one is simply organizing along the z axis (depth) instead of the x-y (left-right). Either way, I think that minimizing introduces a more complicated system of organization.

BTW: Your tag line has got to be the wisest I've yet seen.

[wizard10000]

Re: Practical reason for minimizing programs

Now you got me interested. What do you mean exactly? I understand that you may not (for any reason whatsoever) want to use multiple desktops, but hitting Ctrl-F2 (F3 etc) is a also good solution to limited screen real estate, isn't it? Besides, even with one desktop, Alt-Tab is also easy, regardless of whether you are using small, medium, or full windows. In that case one is simply organizing along the z axis (depth) instead of the x-y (left-right). Either way, I think that minimizing introduces a more complicated system of organization.

BTW: Your tag line has got to be the wisest I've yet seen.

Thanks - I kinda like the tagline too. It's been attributed to many sources most notably the Talmud but Ms. Nin is the most interesting person I know of who's said it

I think my reluctance to use multiple desktops is a throwback to my Windows upbringing - unless you use a third-party tool that option's simply not available. Two-dimensional thinking, I know - but for me unattended tasks don't need a user interface.

I did fool around with this a bit since this thread started and learned that minimizing an application doesn't really reduce the resources it uses - used to be on a Windows machine if you really worked the machine you had GDI and user heaps that really were limited resources and those resources could be recovered by minimizing windows. From Wikipedia -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphics_Device_Interface

Each time a window is opened, it consumes GDI objects. As the complexity of the window increases, with additional features such as buttons and images, its GDI object usage also increases. When too many objects are in use, Windows is unable to draw any more GDI objects, leading to misbehaving software and frozen and unresponsive program operation.

Anyway, it's my own two-dimensional thinking that keeps me minimizing windows

cheers -