It seems to me that the majority of LiteSteppers are using very minimalistic themes, instead of the outrageous older ones (TurtleSoupII, for example). Never been able to get used to minimalist themes, but am curious how those that like them are actually using them. A couple of questions (hope I didn't double up on this thread)...

1) Why do you prefer a minimalist theme? Is it because you wish to preserve system resources, seek efficiency in navigating the OS, don't like clutter, or simply don't require a lot of extra components?

2) Do you tend to stick to a few core applications in regular use, use many different applications frequently, or use a single app at a time?

3) What's your prefered method for navigating between open applications, minimizing, Alt+Tabbing, using the Popup's task list, or a theme Task list?

4) If you prefer minimal functionality, what are some of the functions/theme elements that you find yourself using the LEAST (i.e.: VWM's, systray, taskbar, etc....)

5) What are the functions/theme elements you find absolutely ESSENTIAL?

Please be as specific as possible in responses (please!). Just trying to see if I'm missing out on something.

1. cos it saves screen space, also preserve system
resources and basically easy on the eyes. :D
2. I use many different applications frequently. Multitask maniac,i am.
3.i use alt-tab or just the taskbar.
4.VWM! I can't understand what it does/why people use it!!!
would like themes to have dialer module.
5.System moniter/12 hr clock+date/hide bar function/quick launch and dialer.[many others too]

1) simplicity, ease of use, preserves resources
2) multiple applications frequently. Usually have atleast 3 applications at any given time.
3) alt-tab or task popup from theme if window is full screen or popup's task list if there is some desktop to click on
4) elaborate GUI for VWM: tell me what desktop i'm on and give me a quick way to switch. CPU/Mem usage blech! ctrl+shift+esc gets me there just as easily
5) winamp control, quick navigation, simplicity ( :)), song information, clock/date

-Jon

1) I hate clutter..less confusing, yet more functional
2) I use multiple applications..a minimalist theme gives me more room to work with :D
3) I set it up with bbvwm, just run my chat apps on one desk, browser in other, etc
4) worthless gui components
5) Essential = time, winamp, HOTSPOTS (for vwm)

1) I run 1600x1200 and require as much free screen space as possible. Normally I have visible on my screen Trillian with 1 Container, 3 - 5 IRC windows, a tabbed Browser Window, UltraEdit for that constantly tweaked theme and Eudora for those LSnet emails I love so much.

2) See above

3) Alt+Tab...everything else takes too much work or thought

4) I don't actually prefer minimal functionality just usefull functionality. I have never found myself using a VWM effectively so I tend to remove it from all themes. I also find large labels describing system specifics (OS, Local IP Address, Computer Name, etc) but I do like to know Memory and CPU usage.

5) Essentials - Time/Date, Winamp replacement (Either Geekamp or grdAmp with jAmpToo), Weather Module (don't ask), lsxcommand and hotkeys out the ying-yang.

This is proving to be most interesting, and informative! I'm not going to interject opinion, only encouragement... Minimalists continue!

I like to have as much screen space free as possible. When i have a window open, i wish to see just that window, unless it's something in which i need information from another window. I also prefer to keep system resources down as low as possible, by keeping GUI objects low (which is why i tend to use GDI as much as possible). also, it just fits my style more.

i generally don't use many applications at once, unless they're related. for example, i will have IE, metapad, and a file manager open, but if i'm using photoshop, that will usually be the only thing open.

alt+tab is usually what i use, even when i'm under explorer. i like to have a task listing preset somewhere, though i will usually use a plain-text tasks.dll setup. i like to have a !PopupTasks option in the popup, as well, since it doesn't take up anything but an extra configuration line. (as a note, thanks for using bbvwm, octavious)

i never use system information in the shell itself. if i desire system info, i open taskmgr.exe or sysmeter2. VWMs are useful for task grouping, sort of, like Ocatvious mentioned, but i rarely use them myself. i don't personally like to see winamp controls in a theme, because they tend to be "embedded" in the theme to the point that if you remove them, the theme will look unbalanced if you don't replace them with something. shortcut modules that can't be hidden, such as quicklaunch, are annoying. if i decide to have shortcuts easily accessible like that, i prefer something like LsLnkMenu that can easily be divided into groups so that only a small portion of the gui is visible at one time.

things i cannot live without are the systray and the popup. i very much prefer to have a time display on the desktop, though i wouldn't say i would die without it. the same goes for some sort of tasks.dll setup that easily diferentiates tasks (for example, nothing that relies solely on icons - when i have 4 different IE windows open, i like to know which is which).

1) I normally only end up using a minimal setup when I quit less than half-way through starting a new theme. I prefer to have something more than the popup of my previous theme as a base, so I then change at least that aspect by eventually adding in basic configs for desktop for a nonvisible VWM and maybe last, a system tray. It is acceptable to use. The space-saving aspect of it is not too significant, but I find it clever to minimize visual clutter by having alternative hidden controls (which become essential in this context).

2,3) Typically I am not aware of how many windows there are without an always-visible task list, so it varies to extremes. I was referred by an online friend to a useful alt+tab enhancement, Joe. I have it running all the time now. I typically group tasks to begin with using the VWM. I largely use the VWM to hold browsers with content for when I'm offline, or for breaking up larger projects.

4) I could do without a system tray. It's useless for the most part, serving for me only as a faster means to my dialup connection, volume control, and any other apps that insist on dwelling there. A few icons get the majority of interaction. I also have don't need an in-shell system info; I use taskmgr.exe or rainmeter.exe if I need to see when litestep acts up :)

5) desktop for popup + vwm control. I also agree with pika about time/date; it would be nice to have it on the desktop, but it may be tucked away in popup2, which can be (un)pinned.

Is this a minimalistic theme ?
http://www.litestep.net/upload/profiles/Fresh0.1_7223-145.png

(release soon, when different shemes color will be there - not too much time to play a lot with Litestep, this time)

well, i think so ;)
it's not very graphically intense.

It doesnt have a huge bar so i consider it minimal, it could be minimal-er but its minimal, imo.

Smurth > IMO I would say it's not quite minimal. I believe a truely minimal theme would take up less desktop space. That's not to say your theme doesn't have it's own charms.

I wouldn't call it minimal at all. It uses transparency which puts it into Eye Candy for me already. It also uses a decent chunk of desktop space being a side-bar theme.

One small question though...why do you load label twice?

Nice theme, Smurth! (I'd call it clean and graphically simple as opposed to minimalistic).

Another question, evolving from some of everyones responses above:
Do you find it preferable to have theme elements (taskbars, trays, etc...) at the lowest possible Z-order (i.e.: desktop) to reduce clutter?

depends on the theme. Minimalistic themes that are in a bar I prefer things to be set on top and the desktop area to keep things from going over my theme.

i love minimal thems, but also like lots of options. one theme that does this is consoleUNIT. has all the things i need and want and is minimal in the fact its not cluttered or huge in resourses or icons. my wife and myself love this theme, we try others but for me nothing compares to the options and tech feel it has. been using it for mabey 2 months now!

Here is mine: http://www.litestep.net/upload/profiles/250603_42328-348.png

It is a tweaked version of Utterance. It still has some things that I have yet to implement but there is almost nothing there :)

-Jon

DeViLbOi: Thanks, I haven't see this... Humm, it can be usefull to put parts of step.rc in the screenshot :)

mrbiotech: I use to put everything on desktop; I like the feeling when I can move windows freely

I don't know if it's minimalism, but I want a theme that do a lot but let the wallpaper shine throught

The first point is that I am a laptop user, and therefore I am limited to 1024x768, I would like to have as much work space as possible. Another point is that the whole point of Litestep is too reduce system resources used on the shell, and these themes perfectly achieves the objective. The most essiential module must be LSXcommand, you can't access most controls in these themes without it. Rainmeter is optional but it tells you how much the system resources it is using, but I tend to use as least modules as possible cause that is the whole point...

i use LS on my dual monitor rig, as i use linux more than owt, i dont like clutter when i have to use windows, although it is hard finding a theme that likes dual monitors, some do, and when your gfx editing, it makes it easy on the eyes, with nothing to distract you.... ialso use it on my lappy so space is at a preminum...

Unpageable - The actual point of LS is to be free to design your desktop how you want, not to reduce system resources.

I've just uploaded a screenshot of my new minimal theme, EyeDrop. I would like to hear any opinions about it's "minimalism". I have a brief description of the theme in my profile. It's still in the makings.

It looks like it should be on a Mac.

Thanks for the minimalist answers, everyone! I have never been able to get used to a minimalist approach, and wanted to see if there was a fundamentally different way that minimalist users use their systems. Indeed there is.

Minimalist summary (making some generalizations)
- 1-4 applications running at a time.
- Prefers "Alt+Tab" method of app switching.
- Either doesn't use VWM's, or prefers very simple ones.
- Seeks to maximize desktop workspace.
- Prefers minimum of gui elements (reduce clutter, less confusing).
- Preferences vary on system info, with WinAmp functions and time being higher priorities.
- Seeks to reduce system usage by the actual shell.

Which leads me to understand why I personally haven't adapted well to minimalist themes (preferring, well, "maximalist" for lack of a better word).
- I tend to use 3-10 apps at a time.
- My taskbar gets heavily used, flipping back and forth to different apps.
- I group apps together in separate screenspaces (like having a few RC's and a help file grouped together in one workspace, PhotoShop in another workspace, browser in another, etc....) This means that I REALLY work the VWM's, which have to be visible so I can instantly pick one out of a row and know which grouped apps I'll be looking at.
- When designing a theme, I tend to make a hotspot to make the theme either minimize, or disappear entirely so that the whole desktop is available for the application(s).
- Like a few minimalists, system information imbedded in a theme is extraneous for me: just look at the task manager or PerfMon.
- When trying a minimalist theme, I always feel like I'm grabbing for something that isn't there, whether it be a taskbar, VWM's, a command box, or OTS e-var shortcuts.
- I've not seen a minimalist theme that uses significantly less resources than a maximalist theme. In comparing over 78 themes, I've determined the maximum memory usage difference between a maximalist theme and a minimalist theme to be 4megs, with 500k being the average.
- Minimizing gui elements and decreasing their size is contrary to Fitz's law, although hot-keys can compensate.

Don't think that I'm bashing minimalism; on the contrary, I praise it's success. Obviously more users prefer the way minimalist themes work for them. My primary objective is to brainstorm ways to hybridize these usage patterns to find or create something minimal in approach, but still functional enough to meet my requirements/usage profile.

Suggestions, please! (Maybe another thread is in order).

I've semi completed my minimalist theme, and whilst originally I felt themes should suit the way the users works, I've noticed that the way I work has changed to suit my theme. Since I don't have a taskbar I find myself instinctively positioning windows where I can always easily select them. I no longer maximise applications unless I need the space. I don't use the VWM (even though it's a feature of my theme) and I've become more conscious of the number of applications I have open.

I believe using a minimal theme has made me a more disciplined "multi-tasker".

And thanks to those who gave me feedback on my screenshot.

minimalistic:

I have only a PIII 800 machine here, so I
always prefer minimalistic theme. Plus I
use my computer to do work, not as a display
figurine to show off, so functionality should
be more of a concern than look.

altho look is also important, but I don't
really want super cool-looking desktop with
supersmall font that is hard to read and
graphic that clutter screen realestate


apps :
I use 2 - 3 apps (trillian, ultra edit, putty is
the most frequent ones ) that usually runs at the
same time. usually I navigate them by alt+tab but
I put a taskbar in my theme anyway, it's still
useful too an extent

components:
(u mean modules?) labels, ckhotspots, taskbar,
and VWM are my favs. those module that I don't
use much / considered to be useless, I just don't
load them ;p

I'm seeing that there are different categories of minimalist themes now: Visually minimalistic, Functionally Minimalistic, Resource Minimalistic, (although most of the responders here are combinations). Am I missing any others?

I put 4 different config directories in my theme so people
have a choice beteen minimalistic, eye candy (MMD3), I even have an exact mimic of windows xp (start menu, task bar, and right click menu), and a combo of MMD3 and windows xp.
Or just a right click menu.

nice :) really nice ;) i'm already waiting for your release.