From: Martin Gregorie on
On Sun, 30 Nov 2008 18:56:04 +0000, Nix wrote:

> (Apparently it's derived from winamp, which I've never seen, and
> if it's anything like XMMS never want to see.)
>
I had Winamp on a W95 box before I discovered Linux. It worked pretty
well - heaps better than a lot of W95 apps anyway. Yes, its widget
metaphor was unlike anything else you'd find on a computer, but it was
quite usable once you realized that it was a semi-realistic image of a
stack of hi-fi separates (a CD player, preamp and graphic equaliser) with
slider controls and that units in the stack could be selectively hidden.

Only the play list manager didn't really fit the metaphor, but it wasn't
difficult to use.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |
From: Daniel James on
In article news:<87skp92gcb.fsf(a)hades.wkstn.nix>, Nix wrote:
> I want to live in your alternate universe.

Ha! If I had an alternative universe it would be much more fun than
that ...

> In mine, XMMS had a GUI cluttered with obscure widgets with zero
> affordance (what will happen when I click *this*? Will anything
> happen? Who knows?) and with no resemblance to any widget set I've
> ever seen anywhere else, before or since.

I agree that the widget set was non-standard -- and that that was a BAD
thing -- but the GUI overall was fairly intuitive without being
intrusive.

I didn't notice problems of unresponsiveness or instability -- but then
I didn't use it /heavily/ -- that is: I used it a fair bit, but didn't
delve deeply into its features beyond play, pause, stop, and adding
things to and removing things from the playlist.

> To misquote Peter Gutmann (originally talking about SSL/SSH):
>
> 'Whenever someone thinks that they can replace an ordinary widget
> set with something much better that they designed this morning over
> coffee, their computer speakers should generate some sort of
> penis-shaped sound wave and plunge it repeatedly into their skulls
> until they achieve enlightenment.'

<smile> Peter doesn't mince his words ...

(I wonder what a "penis-shaped sound wave" sounds like?)

Cheers,
Daniel.


From: Paul Potter on
Paul Martin wrote:
> In article <ggr4gj$2p76$1(a)energise.enta.net>,
> Gordon Henderson wrote:
>
>> Any clues on what to use now?
>
> moc? :-)
>
> [http://moc.daper.net]

Nice. I could use that with one of my old serial terminals.

Paul
From: Nix on
On 1 Dec 2008, Martin Gregorie verbalised:

> On Sun, 30 Nov 2008 18:56:04 +0000, Nix wrote:
>> (Apparently it's derived from winamp, which I've never seen, and
>> if it's anything like XMMS never want to see.)
>>
> I had Winamp on a W95 box before I discovered Linux. It worked pretty
> well - heaps better than a lot of W95 apps anyway. Yes, its widget
> metaphor was unlike anything else you'd find on a computer, but it was
> quite usable once you realized that it was a semi-realistic image of a
> stack of hi-fi separates (a CD player, preamp and graphic equaliser) with
> slider controls and that units in the stack could be selectively hidden.

Ah, right. I've never had a hi-fi of that sort and never lived with
anyone who had one, so my confusion is explained.

(My sister, now, *she* has this tremendous glittering black electronic
monster that takes up half of one wall. It cost her almost nothing and
can probably do virtually everything but compose the music for you, *if*
you're willing to understand how the hell to use it. Sort of like
computers really.)
From: Nix on
On 1 Dec 2008, Daniel James told this:
> In article news:<87skp92gcb.fsf(a)hades.wkstn.nix>, Nix wrote:
>> 'Whenever someone thinks that they can replace an ordinary widget
>> set with something much better that they designed this morning over
>> coffee, their computer speakers should generate some sort of
>> penis-shaped sound wave and plunge it repeatedly into their skulls
>> until they achieve enlightenment.'
>
> <smile> Peter doesn't mince his words ...

He's a BOFH all right :)

> (I wonder what a "penis-shaped sound wave" sounds like?)

When inserted into the skull one presumes it would be
painful. Eventually this might lead to enlightenment, but if it didn't,
that would be OK too. ;}