I don't get the design for big screens at all, it seems to imply that the user focuses on the middle of the screen at all times. But that doesn't make any sense, if I have a terminal in the lower right corner of the screen and I want to use it, I can center my gaze on it just fine.
I think it's more that if you're actively working on something, you probably want it to be in the middle of the screen, instead of staring at something small in the corner of your monitor. However, the current UX of desktops isn't really designed for that.
Yeah, but I think that's what the previous user was disagreeing with. If I have the right-sized monitor, it doesn't matter where on the monitor itself I'm focusing, as long as I have enough space in that area for what I'm focusing on. And from that perspective, being able to put two windows side-by-side and focus on each of them in turn seems more useful than putting one window right in the centre of the screen and saving the rest of the screen space for my peripheral vision.
There's limits to this — if I've got a screen so wide that concentrating on one or the other side of it requires craning my neck too far, then it makes sense to avoid putting main-focus windows on the side. But I think that covers only a relatively small minority of users, even when focusing only on workspace/desktop users.
Either the monitor is small enough to fit entirely in your field of view so that you don't have to strain your neck to focus on a different window, in which case you don't have the space to fit more than a couple windows on it, or it is wide enough that you can, but need to strain your neck to do focus in a non-central window. In both cases you will end up just bringing the out-of-view window to the center if you are giving it more than a glance.
My usual setup is two monitors side-by-side, and my laptop positioned open between them, for a total of three screens. I don't find I need to strain my neck at all with this setup — everything is close enough to the centre that my neck movements are minimal and comfortable. On this setup, I normally have 3-4 windows open side-by-side between the two main monitors, and another window on the laptop.
I don't bring anything to the centre — if I need to focus for a longer time on a particular window, I might shift my body slightly towards the monitor that it's on, but other than that, I regularly use the full width of all three screens.
It does seem logical but in my experience using column layouts in niri, I almost never want what I am working on in the middle. I have a 32" monitor and, neck strain be damned, I almost always want what I am working on to be on one of the edges. Code editor 2/3 with a documentation window on 1/3. Or photo editing 3/4 and a notepad 1/4. I thought keeping things centered would be better but I tried it for a week and it was very frustrating because the remainder of the space is hard to divide. I almost never want 3 columns on the screen and if my work is less than full screen, when it is centered there is a column to each side. Usually neither large enough to be useful and both large enough to be distracting.
LWN author here: It is acceptable. Please feel free. We believe that we find more subscribers this way than we "lose" by people getting free access to one or two articles via social media, Lobste.rs or whatever. We also really want people to read our articles!
It's nice that people are concerned about it, but I assure you, we do deem it acceptable. Thanks!
I think LWN also intends it as a way to attract more subscribers. The banner at the top does make it sound like that:
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hjvt | a day ago
This is effectively just a summary of the talk: https://media.ccc.de/v/kde2026-7-are_we_really_going_to_use_the_same_desktop_ux_forever
chrismorgan | 20 hours ago
Discussed in https://lobste.rs/s/vpvdlw/are_we_really_going_use_same_desktop_ux.
chinmay | 18 hours ago
I do appreciate the summary though
kryptiskt | 17 hours ago
I don't get the design for big screens at all, it seems to imply that the user focuses on the middle of the screen at all times. But that doesn't make any sense, if I have a terminal in the lower right corner of the screen and I want to use it, I can center my gaze on it just fine.
DustyFuzzy | 14 hours ago
I think it's more that if you're actively working on something, you probably want it to be in the middle of the screen, instead of staring at something small in the corner of your monitor. However, the current UX of desktops isn't really designed for that.
Johz | 13 hours ago
Yeah, but I think that's what the previous user was disagreeing with. If I have the right-sized monitor, it doesn't matter where on the monitor itself I'm focusing, as long as I have enough space in that area for what I'm focusing on. And from that perspective, being able to put two windows side-by-side and focus on each of them in turn seems more useful than putting one window right in the centre of the screen and saving the rest of the screen space for my peripheral vision.
There's limits to this — if I've got a screen so wide that concentrating on one or the other side of it requires craning my neck too far, then it makes sense to avoid putting main-focus windows on the side. But I think that covers only a relatively small minority of users, even when focusing only on workspace/desktop users.
bkhl | 12 hours ago
Also if you have that problem probably your screen is too large/close.
hjvt | 10 hours ago
Either the monitor is small enough to fit entirely in your field of view so that you don't have to strain your neck to focus on a different window, in which case you don't have the space to fit more than a couple windows on it, or it is wide enough that you can, but need to strain your neck to do focus in a non-central window. In both cases you will end up just bringing the out-of-view window to the center if you are giving it more than a glance.
Johz | 9 hours ago
My usual setup is two monitors side-by-side, and my laptop positioned open between them, for a total of three screens. I don't find I need to strain my neck at all with this setup — everything is close enough to the centre that my neck movements are minimal and comfortable. On this setup, I normally have 3-4 windows open side-by-side between the two main monitors, and another window on the laptop.
I don't bring anything to the centre — if I need to focus for a longer time on a particular window, I might shift my body slightly towards the monitor that it's on, but other than that, I regularly use the full width of all three screens.
dvogel | 9 hours ago
It does seem logical but in my experience using column layouts in niri, I almost never want what I am working on in the middle. I have a 32" monitor and, neck strain be damned, I almost always want what I am working on to be on one of the edges. Code editor 2/3 with a documentation window on 1/3. Or photo editing 3/4 and a notepad 1/4. I thought keeping things centered would be better but I tried it for a week and it was very frustrating because the remainder of the space is hard to divide. I almost never want 3 columns on the screen and if my work is less than full screen, when it is centered there is a column to each side. Usually neither large enough to be useful and both large enough to be distracting.
valpackett | 3 hours ago
It's hard to define a unit of that "something" and if it's "one window" you're already screwed.
mplant | 6 hours ago
That'll hurt your neck after a while
jorsk | a day ago
This is subscriber only content.
[OP] lollipopman | a day ago
In the past it has been deemed acceptable to share a subscriber link to this community.
jzb | 4 hours ago
LWN author here: It is acceptable. Please feel free. We believe that we find more subscribers this way than we "lose" by people getting free access to one or two articles via social media, Lobste.rs or whatever. We also really want people to read our articles!
It's nice that people are concerned about it, but I assure you, we do deem it acceptable. Thanks!
icefox | 21 hours ago
Yes, but I'd consider it polite to still wait a week or two.
chrismorgan | 20 hours ago
Canonical answer from the LWN editor three years ago:
gnyeki | 20 hours ago
I think LWN also intends it as a way to attract more subscribers. The banner at the top does make it sound like that:
pimeys | 12 hours ago
And there are worse things to spend that monthly allowance than subscribing to LWN.
I recommend it for everybody interested in great articles.