A quick look at Lycoris 1.4 evaluation version shortly after its release, with some screenshots.
A quick look at Lycoris 1.4
About The Author
Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
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http://osdir.com/shots/slideshows/slideshow.php?release=165&slide=1
http://www.ppcnerds.org/modules.php?set_albumName=album06&id=3_G&op…
The person who made up this ‘nice looking’ and very readable green screen with white text on it should be slapped around a bit with a very large trout.
Wow, I can’t believe anyone would pay for this. IEverlado’s done more work for free :/ (in refereence to most of these “brandings’ being simply new icons!)
(or coulds omeon enlgithemen me otherwsie?)
I’d mI’d much rather buy Xandros, at least they don’t use KPackage
The most interesting part of Lycoris, IMHO, is the fact that 1.4 uses Bitstream’s Font Fusion engine instead of Freetype. It’s only available in the pay version, however, so it’d be cool if they’d review that instead of the evaluation.
Lycoris took my money in July for Desktop 1.4. Now, over three months later in November, I still have received nothing in return from them.
I emailed them about this in September and October and received no response. I went to their forums and saw Lycoris staff telling others who had also paid and not received their orders to basically quit their complaining. In exasperation I posted my story on their forum and was bad mouthed there by Lycoris staff. I have tried to post a response to this but was censored.
I am currently negotiating a refund of the money I paid in July as it seems Lycoris couldn’t care less about my order or its customer / supporter base in general. I was willing to support them back in July, now I just feel screwed by them.
Yeah.. avoid them is my call. Seems that if you say anything negative towards lycoris within their forums, they thread and/or post is just deleted. NOT a veyr professional way to conduct this. What are the hiding? Seems that have something to hide going by their actions.
Quit your complaining. Joe contacted you. I’m sorry that it took three times, but JOe has contacted you. Further complaining won’t do anything.
>>There’s no reason to be using linux in these days. OS X is way ahead of anywhere Linux can hope to be on the Desktop.
As someone that has used MacOSX(10.2), Windows(95/98,2K,XP), and Linux(MDK,SUSE,RH,etc), I’d have to agree.
But, only an idiot would underestimate the potential of the Linux desktop. In the last 2 years, Linux(from my point of view) has gone from unusable to being adequte for simple home users and a dream for the slightly technical user. I have no doubt in my mind that the Linux desktop will be able to compete and perhaps surpass the offerings from MS and Apple in the next 5-10 years. The rate that the Linux desktop is progressing is incredible!
Oh and IMO Lycoris, Linspire, and Linare are garbage. STAY AWAY!!!
” But, only an idiot would underestimate the potential of the Linux desktop. In the last 2 years, Linux(from my point of view) has gone from unusable to being adequte for simple home users and a dream for the slightly technical user. I have no doubt in my mind that the Linux desktop will be able to compete and perhaps surpass the offerings from MS and Apple in the next 5-10 years. The rate that the Linux desktop is progressing is incredible!”
You know what, I completely agree with this statement. I find myselfin KDE more and more these days n place of Windows, that’s a real testament because a few years ago, it was more like “Linux when I felt like being a little ,masochistic”
BTW the spellcheck is a godsend
Now if they could get grammar check in there! 
While my overall experience with Lycoris was less than desirable, one thing was clear; Lycoris is not dishonest. They are incompetent in managing their shipping, but they never acted in bad faith.
Lycoris has acknowledged its mistake and is making efforts to correct this. If you see in their forums people have started receiving their packages both sides of the Atlantic. I mailed Lycoris about the status of my order and got a reply from them in a very commendable time.
Don’t brand anyone with a scarlet letter of an unintended mistake, especially when they are making efforts to correct them.
I see some there’s a difference in GUI-skins. It might me nitpicking, but I wish they’d take a leaf out of Mandrakesoft’s book and go for a unified theme for all toolkits.
RP-PPPOE looks out of place on the last screenshot. Besides, as a KDE based distro, shouldn’t they be using a QT equalient?
If you think Lycoris is garbage, at least back up the claim with some substance.
(Sorry for double posting.)
“There’s no reason to be using linux in these days. OS X is way ahead of anywhere Linux can hope to be on the Desktop.”
Yea OS X is totally superior to Linux, look at all the platforms is runs on. Oh wait thats right you have to buy their hardware to run it. Thats a big help to 97% of the world that doesnt use Apple hardware.
You Apple people need to catch a ride on the clue train. Mac OS X is nice but its not the answer for most of the world. And will never be that answer because its just another expensive proprietary platform.
Stuff like this really freaks me out. People should really stop trying to make distros as much like Win XP as possible, it looks ugly and no-one will ever take it seriously. Me, I’d rather use Win XP.
Also, we need more Gnome based distros. Sure KDE looks pretty and has features that Gnome badly needs, but it has no future: it’s just not the right way to go for average (non-geek) desktop users. Gnome’s ‘Just Works’ philosophy is the way to go for the desktop (although I do not consider Gnome ready for mass deployment).
i use gnome2.8 because i like the look and feel
here what gnome needs IMHO:
1.globally set the size of icons on desktop
2.Pango should be made faster. its gr8 but slow
3.Theme the appletes eg:applications menu
4.menu editing
5.some default settings to revert to…when everything goes wrong
4. menu editing –> works pretty well as it is, either go to applications:/// in nautilus and modify your launchers/folders, or right-click in a menu and select the options you want.
That wasn’t even a mini review. Not even a cursory description of hardware, installing packages, ANYTHING. Waste of time.
Please read this. Perhaps it will clarify a few the issue of missing pre-ordered packages.
http://www.lycoris.org/sections.php?op=viewarticle&artid=126
I also had some difficulties with Lycoris, but am pleased to say that my situation has been worked out to my satisfaction. There is an announcement on the Lycoris.org site that goes over in detail some of the unfortunate issues that surrounded the release of 1.4.
The problem with shipping was a result of a third party that the company had enlisted to handle shipping. The company only realized there was a problem when many of us were not receiving our orders.
Everyone is entitled to one major screw-up. Even though I had difficulty with my order, I will purchase from them in the future.
“lso, we need more Gnome based distros. Sure KDE looks pretty and has features that Gnome badly needs, but it has no future: it’s just not the right way to go for average (non-geek) desktop users. Gnome’s ‘Just Works’ philosophy is the way to go for the desktop (although I do not consider Gnome ready for mass deployment).”
Disagree, that’s all I’m saying
(not a geek either,,,,yess I am reading osnews.com…err)
They are not implementing anything that was not suggested to them before.
That thing about third-party shipper being responsible is sickening. It is still their fault. It shows their business immaturity too, and you would think after doing business for 3+ years that they would get it.
That lycoris.org community has told them/Joseph Cheek over and over and over again what they want, yet the Cheek decide to stick to his business plan instead of giving the customer what they want, which might have led to earlier profitability. Think KDE3, Gnome, downloadable .ISO files and so on. Even Eugeninia gave some very good suggestions on how to make their product look better — they isolated her.
Bad business sense if you ask me.
I will not fall for that third-party is responsible for the screwup, explanation; it is Lycoris/Joseph Cheek’s fault.
They did it their way and should be held accountable.
Stop being such weeklings. Make them prove their worth. It should not have had to come to this… but this is what happens when you make too many mistakes/missed steps. Count how many they have made this year already; I see late release, late shipping, late announcement, yet they quickly take the customer’s dimes.
It is a sham/shame whether you want to accept it or not.
It took them over 3 months to fix this mess, all the while telling people all was well. This is the worse display of business practice that I have ever seen by any company, besides Enron. Think bad customer service, disrespect to customers, disregard for the customer and so on.
I should not have had to send 10 emails to get my money back. I should not have to call 5 times to be able to talk to someone real. I should not have to wait 3 months to hear they will look seriously into why the he** I have not gotten my product.
If this is not taking the customer for granted, I don’t know what is.
They deserve everything they get. Everything!
” Even Eugeninia gave some very good suggestions on how to make their product look better — they isolated her. ”
It sounds to me like this is some sort of personal grudge. If that is the case, I would encourage you to take it up with the individuals involved.
“They deserve everything they get. Everything!”
Imagine how unpleasant the world would be if everyone got what they deserved. All my ex-girlfriends would have Windows ME and I would have Mandrake 10.1 :-p