Comments on: Take back the desktop! http://blog.mischel.com/2008/02/19/take-back-the-desktop/ Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:24:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Chris Knight http://blog.mischel.com/2008/02/19/take-back-the-desktop/comment-page-1/#comment-3300 Chris Knight Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:18:50 +0000 http://blog.mischel.com/2008/02/19/take-back-the-desktop/#comment-3300 Two or more VMs does the trick - one with all the annoying, distracting junk and all the others for the "leave me alone, I'm concentrating" work. Minimise the annoying VM and bring it up at your choosing. Two or more VMs does the trick – one with all the annoying, distracting junk and all the others for the “leave me alone, I’m concentrating” work. Minimise the annoying VM and bring it up at your choosing.

]]> By: Anton Rozsypal http://blog.mischel.com/2008/02/19/take-back-the-desktop/comment-page-1/#comment-1332 Anton Rozsypal Fri, 22 Feb 2008 23:36:30 +0000 http://blog.mischel.com/2008/02/19/take-back-the-desktop/#comment-1332 Hello Jim: To avoid situation as you describe, I work using two computers. The older and slower one is hooked to the internet as its sole purpose. The newer and faster one is my work machine, for programming, budgeting, correspondence, games... Each machine has its own monitor, the single keyboard and mouse are switched by an electronic KWM switch. There is no link between the two computers, except disks. This way, I am not interrupted, and also, my work and private files are shielded from maleware. In the past, the two machines were networked, but with large capacity of DVD disks this is not necessary any more. Most of the time only one computer is in use. Best regards, Anton Hello Jim:
To avoid situation as you describe, I work using two computers. The older and slower one is hooked to the internet as its sole purpose. The newer and faster one is my work machine, for programming, budgeting, correspondence, games… Each machine has its own monitor, the single keyboard and mouse are switched by an electronic KWM switch. There is no link between the two computers, except disks. This way, I am not interrupted, and also, my work and private files are shielded from maleware.
In the past, the two machines were networked, but with large capacity of DVD disks this is not necessary any more.
Most of the time only one computer is in use.
Best regards,
Anton

]]> By: Darrin Chandler http://blog.mischel.com/2008/02/19/take-back-the-desktop/comment-page-1/#comment-1327 Darrin Chandler Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:08:41 +0000 http://blog.mischel.com/2008/02/19/take-back-the-desktop/#comment-1327 Coincidentally, I happened upon almost the same <a href="http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/001011.html" rel="nofollow">exact gripe on Coding Horror</a> today. Coincidentally, I happened upon almost the same exact gripe on Coding Horror today.

]]> By: Darrin Chandler http://blog.mischel.com/2008/02/19/take-back-the-desktop/comment-page-1/#comment-1326 Darrin Chandler Wed, 20 Feb 2008 17:41:08 +0000 http://blog.mischel.com/2008/02/19/take-back-the-desktop/#comment-1326 Jim, you are absolutely correct. That kind of behavior bothers me to no end. I think the problem is much worse for those of us who spend lots of time focused on one task, as opposed to people who mostly surf and email. For Windows I have no solution. Under UNIX-like operating systems I use a window manager that fits better with the way I work. <a href="http://modeemi.fi/~tuomov/ion/" rel="nofollow">Ion</a> or <a href="http://www.nongnu.org/ratpoison/" rel="nofollow">ratpoison</a> fit the bill for me. These are "tiling" window managers: there are no overlapping windows. I can have multiple workspaces, like virtual desktops. I have a full-screen Firefox in one workspace, several tiled terminal/email/chat windows in another, editor windows in a third, etc. When, say, firefox, pops up a dialog while I'm editing I do not see the dialog, I do not hear a beep, and my focus stays where it was. What I <i>do</i> get is an unobtrusive red notification on my status bar telling me something else wants my attention. I've noticed that when I'm very focused on something I don't even <i>see</i> the notification, but if I stop typing, save the file and take a breath I notice it right away. Obviously something like Ion isn't for everyone, but for some of us it's a great way of working. And hidden in the above sentence is a large part of the issue at hand: there's no single method that will sufficiently cover ALL ways to use a computer. It seems people have forgotten that software development is not like web surfing is not like graphic design... Jim, you are absolutely correct. That kind of behavior bothers me to no end. I think the problem is much worse for those of us who spend lots of time focused on one task, as opposed to people who mostly surf and email.

For Windows I have no solution. Under UNIX-like operating systems I use a window manager that fits better with the way I work. Ion or ratpoison fit the bill for me. These are “tiling” window managers: there are no overlapping windows. I can have multiple workspaces, like virtual desktops. I have a full-screen Firefox in one workspace, several tiled terminal/email/chat windows in another, editor windows in a third, etc. When, say, firefox, pops up a dialog while I’m editing I do not see the dialog, I do not hear a beep, and my focus stays where it was. What I do get is an unobtrusive red notification on my status bar telling me something else wants my attention. I’ve noticed that when I’m very focused on something I don’t even see the notification, but if I stop typing, save the file and take a breath I notice it right away.

Obviously something like Ion isn’t for everyone, but for some of us it’s a great way of working. And hidden in the above sentence is a large part of the issue at hand: there’s no single method that will sufficiently cover ALL ways to use a computer. It seems people have forgotten that software development is not like web surfing is not like graphic design…

]]> By: MD http://blog.mischel.com/2008/02/19/take-back-the-desktop/comment-page-1/#comment-1323 MD Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:20:18 +0000 http://blog.mischel.com/2008/02/19/take-back-the-desktop/#comment-1323 Cranky pants. *smiles* Cranky pants. *smiles*

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