Re: EDUML, small footprints, and Kid's UIs (was Re: intranets)

[Doug Loss <dloss@csrlink.net>]

On Mon, 05 Jul 1999 15:05:58 +0200, Malonowa <malonowa@wanadoo.fr> wrote:
>
> Doug Loss wrote:
>
>> I
>> recently set up a system for my parents (in their mid-70s) using Linux and
>> WindowMaker.  The WM Dock has room for ~8-12 fairly large buttons along the
>> right side of the screen (it depends on the screen resolution).  With proper
>> selection of icons and a suitable lockdown of config files, this might be just
>> the UI for kids.
>
> I think my first choice on new computers would be Enlightenment because it's
> possible to configure it extensively. I will be looking into this. I don't know
> what it runs like on older computers though.
>
I've heard that Enlightment is quite a resource hog (I haven't used it).  If 
that's true, I don't think it would qualify for use on older, smaller systems.

> I think one big problem with the older machines is that if a window manager like
> Enlightenment doesn't offer good performance then software in general may not
> either - a lot of the software will probably use the same libraries.
>
> Incidentally, I never hear anyone mentioning QT here. This is an excellent library
> and developers of KDE seem very productive. Getting a few of them on-board wouldn't
> do us any harm.
>
Well, both KDE and GNOME are (or can be) resource-intensive.  While we 
certainly should be aware and supportive of their use, for this particular 
application (older/smaller/slower systems) I don't think they'd be very 
helpful.  

> A parent mailed me last week. He's got a TK app. launcher and was looking at ways
> of modifying window managers to make them suitable for his 3 and 6 year olds. I'll
> be following this up.
>
Invite him to join us here!  If this does the trick for a Kid's UI we could use 
one of the truly lightweight window managers that are available.  Of course, my 
suggestion of WindowMaker or AfterStep would make the Kid's UI just one 
configuration of a generally usable and popular window manager.  This would be 
right in line with Ian's concern about teaching something that isn't useful 
outside of narrow educational confines.

> I think we could do with easy file managers as well for teachers and slightly older
> pupils.
>
I'm not all that up on file managers, but as I recall some of them had very 
nice graphical representations of file types.  Take a look at xfm or Offix 
Files.  Could someone investigate file managers with an eye towards ease of 
use by little ones?

Doug Loss            Democracy substitutes election by the
dloss@csrlink.net    incompetent many for appointment by
(570) 326-3987       the corrupt few.
                        George Bernard Shaw