OESF Portables Forum
Everything Else => Desktop Operating Systems Issues => Zaurus General Forums => Archived Forums => Mac Issues => Topic started by: dhns on October 21, 2005, 08:11:29 am
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Hi all Mac & Zaurus owers,
we have and will put a lot of effort into mySTEP and QuantumSTEP and need feedback to better focus the limited time we can spend for that project...
So we kindly ask you to help to shape the project.
Many thanks,
hns
project manager QuantumSTEP
http://www.quantum-step.com/wiki.php?page=About (http://www.quantum-step.com/wiki.php?page=About)
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Here's my dream: The beauty of pdaXrom (or OS X) with full Mac sync that can be flashed to my SL-6000.
So if I could, which probably would defeat the point of this poll, I'd choose "better graphical design" (which I did), "full sync with Mac," and "can be flashed". Whatever kernel it runs is all but irrelevant if the other criteria can be met.
Right now, though, it's the rough-around-the-edges look of QuantumSTEP that really puts me off. Qtopia looks a lot more polished and better oriented for the handheld.
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Here's my dream: The beauty of pdaXrom (or OS X) with full Mac sync that can be flashed to my SL-6000.
Right now, though, it's the rough-around-the-edges look of QuantumSTEP that really puts me off. Qtopia looks a lot more polished and better oriented for the handheld.
Ok,
I understand that fully and we have the same dream - butso know the technological hurdles (antialising, smooth scaling, full alpha blending, scalable fonts, nicely designed icons, Xrender extension, ...). All can be done because OS X has done it (although they have an Altivec FPU plus a separate GPU for Quartz Extreme and Core Graphics - but it still runs well enough on a G3).
What we need is someone who is great at graphical design to support this project. So, if by chance anybody has a good recommendation, we are open for that.
Sync is in progress...
-- hns
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What we need is someone who is great at graphical design to support this project. So, if by chance anybody has a good recommendation, we are open for that.
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DHNS, I never realized how much impact the right font could have on the GUI.
EviLjazz has posted some replacement Qtopia fonts here:
[a href=\"https://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=15651]https://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=15651[/url]
I used Calibri and it's made my stock Sharp ROM look absolutely stunning while maximizing screen real estate. No kidding. I think plugging that into QuantumSTEP would improve its aesthetics significantly.
What else do you need? Backgrounds? Icons? I can't code any part of the GUI, but I can do anything you need with images.
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I never realized how much impact the right font could have on the GUI.
EviLjazz has posted some replacement Qtopia fonts here: ...
I think plugging that into QuantumSTEP would improve its aesthetics significantly.
Yes, that looks very different and very smooth!
Since QuantumSTEP uses X/Qt, I probably should install the font package as well... Currently it uses the X11 default font. And OS X uses some smooth fonts like Geneva, Lucida, Monaco. I should do it anyway to support Unicode...
What else do you need? Backgrounds? Icons? I can't code any part of the GUI, but I can do anything you need with images.
Basically hints and ideas where to improve. But some parts are hard coded into the drawing routines and can't be easily replaced... I will follow up by PM.
-- hns
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Here are few observations (I did not vote since I wanted to check too many items and could not decide which to leave out).
I think it is critical for you guys to finish the full sync with mac (tiger) addressbook and calendar.
Other than that focus should be to finish and stabilize key applications (I have been reluctant to even try these releases as it seems like most apps are not quite finished - feel free to flame me if I'm wrong but it seems that a few times I saw announcements about releases it appeared to have disclaimers about some key features not working/implemented - as I contemplate to move to this from Cacko this does not give me warm and fuzzy feeling so I just put off trying QuantumSTEP instead. By the way, for me key applications include PIM (addressbook, calendar), browser (not sold on myAfrica as I find it hard to believe it can be more complete or better strategic solution than firefox or minimo - although to be fair I have not tried it), stable pdf viewer, and some decent word processor + spreadsheet (maybe new version of openoffice can be ported?).
If you can get these key apps working and with functionality at least similar to what is available in Sharp/Cacko ROMs and also provide full sync with tiger I don't see how all of us who love osx would not immediately switch to QuantumSTEP.
Finally, please dont take these suggestions the wrong way - I appreciate what you are trying to do regardless of how far you get with the project - just sharing some thoughts.
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Actually, dhns, if I can be a little critical, my feeling is you are doing too many half-completed projects, rather than finishing any of them!
All I want is a fully working ZMacSync (and I did even pay the shareware fee - so is it too much to hope for?)
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If I look at the currently 11 votes, there are three areas to work on:
1. Sync
2. Installation (be it a flashable ROM or not)
3. Graphical design
If you still want to vote or comment, please feel free to do so.
And: we take all feedbacks seriously - thank you very much!
-- hns
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No wonder that people want nicer graphics (they always do), but it should never be at the expense of speed.
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No wonder that people want nicer graphics (they always do), but it should never be at the expense of speed.
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I would like a fully functioning/funtional distribution that is compatible with my mac. I just moved (once again) from OZ/OPIE to Cacko/Crow ROM so I could have some sort of communication with my mac. It is frustrating to have to use my digital camera so I can install things onto my Collie. While OPIE is slick, what good is it if I cannot load music or sync!
Chris--
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I have been using Kubuntu w/ Parallels Desktop on my Macbook (2gb RAM) for weeks. No dual boot and both OSs run side by side at the same time. Super fast and very smooth. I do most of the Linux thingy (including cross-compilation for pdaXrom) in Kubuntu, and then either ssh or samba to the Mac side to exchange files. I just keep running the same apps on the Mac (Kubuntu) and the Zaurus (pdaxrom) sides, e.g. KO/Pi, Notecase, Firefox, etc. So no more syncing hell.