Guy-on-the-bike?

I will not be designing a new theme for 4.1, nor using anyone else's theme. However, Lobster has suggested that there should be some differentiation from 4.00, and he suggested the guy-on-the-bike background instead of the Antartctic/Arctic scene.

Here it is:

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Comments

guy on the bike
Username: happypuppy
The background is perfectly fine for 4.1.The only thing I don't like about that pic is the extremely low resolution. It would be nice if you could upload a high-res version of this background (2500x1600 or 2048x1536) [not upscaled],so I can use it on a 30" LCD or a 22" CRT.

Right mpression
Username: BarryK
"Yes, what we really are targetting here are the first-time users of Puppy, and they would not know that the theme is identical to 4.00. For everyone else upgrading, they are already "hooked" on Puppy, so don't need the initial visual impression -- and they can just go ahead and put in any background they want.

first impression
Username: dogone
"I agree. The background image should be thematic, conveying something that is "Puppy". Puppywallpaper achieves this very simply. The background is the *first thing* people will notice about Puppy. The goal should be a very positive first impression. Thereafter, it's up to the user. The Arctic image is beautiful, but does not relate. Guy on a bike is interesting but again, does not relate. When in doubt, try Google Images. I will right now.

Is Puppy just another distro
Username: lobster
"How many distros put a guy on a bike as their background image? They would rather have a bland and non memorable image. However that cycle image IS Puppy. An iceberg could be anything bland and sinkable. You have to think in terms of psychology. An image may be changed or if innocuous put up with. Puppy thrives on change. 4.1 is different. So be different. It gives critical reviewers something irrelevant to focus on. It encourages users to change or customise. How do I change that, is something to be encouraged . . . for everyone . . .

Yes!
Username: ANOSage
"Yes! Didn't the Cons. use pictures of icebergs in their ineffectual warning about A.I.D.S.?

small screen
Username: Raffy
"That background is fine on UMPCs (small screen), in fact, the color contrast is striking on those small devices. Here's an idea about possible alternative (a picture of the stars), that can go well with black/grey theme: http://z.about.com/d/space/1/0/a/4/1/20071026.jpg

Orange Puppy
Username: exProphecy
"Personally, I really love the Orange Puppy theme. I wish you'd leave the background in default. http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/9007/orangepuppyat4.jpg I believe this was a great theme.

Australian Outback
Username: metre9dmt
"Me thinks the man on bike provide a nice background. I do suggest that a more Australian theme should be given showing the natural wonders and beauty of the Australian be featured (e.g Ayers Rock, Aboriginal art). How about a theme on the Royal Show (if I remember it right)where Barry is involve. Just a thought

abstractions
Username: zygo
"I always change the backgroud to 'in flight' = freedom. You could go all abstract http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=24841

Yes
Username: Leon
"I agree with Lobster. Guy-on-the-bike is the nicest Puppy background yet. It has warm natural colors and goes well with default theme.

National Geographic
Username: dogone
"National Geographic has many excellent photos available, including 'wallpaper' sized. Browse them here: http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography

background
Username: smog
"Frankly the guy on the bike is a MAJOR step back to the days before Puppy 4. It looks amateurish compared to the iceberg. The icons don't show up well against the background colours and it makes the desktop look disjointed and poorly thought out. The iceberg fits brilliantly with the other colours of the icons and the rest of the desktop and gives a professional and cohesive impression that really lifts the quality of the product. I have always thought the iceberg was one of the best new features of P4 because of the perceptoin of quality it introduced. Just my opinion though!!

More Wallpapers
Username: nic2109
"I agree that the guy on the bike looks a bit low-res and "snapshott-ish". The National Geographic site mentioned by dogone has some nice pictures but not much choice of resolution (at least in the ones I browsed). For another selection of free wallpapers, each with several resolutions try http://www.vladstudio.com/wallpaper/ You'd have to pay for the highest quality, but I've always found the free ones to be perfectly acceptable.

Text labelling please...
Username: Sit Heel Speak
"IMHO, the default wallpaper should always identify the OS textually as Puppy Linux and show the version number. It would be even nicer if it shows whether-or-not-SMP, whether-or-not-SCSI, and gcc and glibc version numbers, but, hey, I don't want to ask too much... The way I have found produces sharpest text, is to load the .jpg into Corel Draw on a 100-inch-square working sheet, type the text off-sheet, import the text through the Clipboard into Corel Paint, sharpen it in Corel Paint and then re-import into the Corel Draw working version, then re-export to .jpg and use IrfanView to resize this (20-100 MB)new .jpg down to my monitor's width-height ratio size of 1024x768. The result is superior to what I can achieve with Open Office Draw, but still not razor-sharp. If someone knows how to produce a wallpaper with truly sharp text, I would appreciate knowing the secret.

Candidate images
Username: dogone
"I've posted four candidate background images to the forum. Take a look. http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?p=231637#231637

Cosmetic vs symbolic
Username: gyle
"Cosmetic is good but good isn't enough. Can cosmetic be pregnant with symbolic ? To go further, anywhere, we need symbolic. Look at the picture with the two pegs the BiKe, alone, with huge charges and a balance to preserve, overstep. Alone means "all one", like integer, integrity. Limits are not the end of the road. The community is now on the bike and BK is the hidden photographer.

good
Username: disciple
"The bike is great, although I haven't tried it with the default icons in 4.0 (which I can't stand, just like the default JWM and GTK themes :) ) Somehow it just "feels" a lot more like Puppy than other recent backgrounds - the random iceberg and the gull and I think I remember a castle and a beach or something...

suggestion for a wallpaper
Username: magerlab
"i'd suggest a wallpapaper with Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt, the fastest men on the planet! puppy is the fastest linux :)

Allegorical
Username: ANOSage
"It's all there! Lone developer conquers the wilderness for enjoyment. What better dynamic? Don't listen to the heartless siren voices, Barry - you got this one dead right first time (well, apart from those cold bleak heartless icebergs). The shrinks would award you a medal. Delete all others. Now let's focus on the bugs...

my, we are opinionated!!!
Username: Subito Piano
"all this tempest in a teapot is QUITE entertaining, no? ;-) Now why aren't we all so zealous about development/software issues?? Maybe like me, we all feel inadequate to engage on the more important issues. :-D Hope that if nothing else, all this gives Barry a well-deserved moment of chuckling...

Erm..
Username: William
"Well, if that is Bill Gates in the shot, it could have a bit of fun factor, but it is far too low res compared to the Puppy 4, which is ace.

Tags: puppy