34
Desktop environments: performance vs modern look (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 4 months ago by to c/linux@lemmy.ml
61 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Some DEs are focused on resource efficiency, but don't look fancy. Others are fancy, but require a fairly modern setup. I have KDE (Fedora) installed on my laptop, I love its look and options. But it is not always snappy, some little freezes occur as well, even in basic situations (opening Firefox and v2rayN simultaneously was one of the cases). The most problematic thing is almost every app taking around 2-3 secs to open its window.

Many people would just tell me to install Xfce, but I still want a fancy desktop, I believe it is something I can afford on my setup. First I thought of GNOME, but it is controversial: some sources report GNOME as well optimized even for low-end machines, other claim it is much heavier than KDE.

What it your experience with desktop environments and their performance? Perhaps you have compared various DEs within the same distro and setup? How performant GNOME actually is compared to KDE? What are the balanced options to explore?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 2 points 4 months ago (2 children)

I love eyecandy as well! It's what got me interested in Linux back when Beryl was a thing. :) However. When it comes to tiling window mangers, I personally find it distracting, but I completely understand the appeal of it for others. A lot of the desktop screenshots looks really cool, but I don't see how people can be productive with all the bling. :D

I've been a happy keyboard driven user for a long time now, and I can't ever imagine going back to using the mouse for all the things. I still use it for my secondary web browser though, but that's becasue a lot of websites sucks. :( I'm pretty sure that escaping most usage with any pointing device have saved my writsts from a lot of pain!

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •
  • [–] [S] 1 point 4 months ago (1 child)

    A mouse is still much better than a touchpad. It was the real pain when I had no working mice at home.

    I believe people are productive because they feel comfy with that, but some prefer strict minimalism. I'm somewhere in between I guess.

    The mainstream OSs are trying to make the user type as little as possible. Just drag, click, and voila. But when it comes to Linux, if you take the advantage of precise control of your system within the terminal, you have to switch between the keyboard and the mouse all the time if you use a traditional desktop environment, so the advantage of drag-and-click simplicity vanishes.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
    •
  • [–] 2 points 4 months ago

    The touchpad was invented in a time where graphical operating systems was barley even a thing. I don't think they're meant to be used more than perhaps you sitting on the train on your way to work or something. :)

    I'm sure it's about minimalism for some. For me, it's about doing as much as possible with as little as possible. When you have less, you usually also gets creative with what you have. When you live in excess, you tend to get lazy and unproductive. :) While my system might look and feel minimal, I consider it to be way more productive, ergonomic and functional than most other systems. However. I can understand that most doesn't have the time or interest in learning all the thing required, and that they're fine with less.

    You have a good point about the last thing you wrote there! I guess it's all a balance of what you're willing to give up, your time learning all this stuff, or your health. :D

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent