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Plasma Bigscreen VS Rectangle

Compare Plasma Bigscreen VS Rectangle and see what are their differences

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Contents:
  1. » Base Details
  2. » Videos
  3. » Reviews
  4. » Alternatives

Plasma Bigscreen logo Plasma Bigscreen

Launcher controllable using voice or TV remote.

Rectangle logo Rectangle

Window management app based on Spectacle, written in Swift.
  • Plasma Bigscreen Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-08
  • Rectangle Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-20

Plasma Bigscreen features and specs

  • Open Source
    Plasma Bigscreen is open source, allowing users to customize and modify the software as they see fit. This also ensures greater transparency and security as the code can be audited by the community.
  • Voice Control Integration
    The inclusion of Mycroft AI for voice control provides a hands-free experience, enabling users to navigate and use the system with voice commands.
  • Community Support
    Being part of the KDE community means regular updates and a wealth of online resources and forums to help users troubleshoot and discuss new features.
  • Customization
    Users can personalize their experience extensively, from the user interface to the functionalities offered by the platform.
  • Linux-Based
    Built on a Linux platform, Plasma Bigscreen offers robustness, security, and efficient performance compared to some proprietary systems.

Possible disadvantages of Plasma Bigscreen

  • Limited App Ecosystem
    Compared to more established TV platforms, Plasma Bigscreen has a more limited selection of available apps, which might not suit all users' needs.
  • User-Friendliness
    While it offers extensive customization, the platform might be complex for non-technical users to set up and operate efficiently.
  • Hardware Compatibility
    Since it is built primarily for Raspberry Pi devices, users might face compatibility issues with other hardware.
  • Dependency on Mycroft AI
    Though voice control is a pro feature, it heavily relies on Mycroft AI, which may not perform as consistently as other more established voice assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.

Rectangle features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Rectangle offers an intuitive user interface that makes window management straightforward and user-friendly.
  • Customizable Shortcuts
    Users can easily configure keyboard shortcuts to better suit their workflow, making window management faster and more efficient.
  • Free
    Rectangle is available for free, making it accessible to anyone without the need for a financial investment.
  • Frequent Updates
    The app receives regular updates, introducing new features and ensuring compatibility with the latest macOS versions.
  • Lightweight
    Rectangle is a lightweight application that doesn't consume many system resources, ensuring smooth performance even on older Macs.

Possible disadvantages of Rectangle

  • Limited Advanced Features
    Rectangle lacks some of the more advanced features found in paid window management applications, such as multiple monitor support and more complex window arrangements.
  • MacOS Only
    Rectangle is only available for macOS, so users of other operating systems are unable to take advantage of its features.
  • Occasional Bugs
    Some users report occasional bugs or unpredictable behavior, which might require troubleshooting or waiting for a future update.
  • Learning Curve for Shortcuts
    While customizable shortcuts are a benefit, there is an initial learning curve for users to memorize and effectively use these shortcuts.
  • Basic Aesthetic
    The app's design and aesthetic are quite basic, lacking the polish and visual appeal found in some other similar tools.

Analysis of Rectangle

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Rectangle is highly regarded for its ease of use, extensive customization options, and the fact that it is free and open-source. It provides essential functionality without unnecessary complexity, making it suitable for both casual users and power users who need efficient window management.

Why this product is good

  • Rectangle is a popular window management tool for macOS, known for its simplicity and ease of use. It allows users to efficiently organize and resize application windows using customizable keyboard shortcuts or by dragging windows into pre-defined areas of the screen. This can enhance productivity by minimizing the time spent arranging windows and improving multitasking capabilities.

Recommended for

    Rectangle is recommended for macOS users looking for a straightforward, lightweight solution to manage application windows. It is particularly beneficial for those who frequently work with multiple applications at once, including developers, designers, and anyone who values a tidy and organized desktop environment.

Plasma Bigscreen videos

+ Add

Plasma Bigscreen OS for the Raspberry Pi 4 Open Source Smart TV OS! Quick Look

More videos:

  • Review - KDE Plasma Bigscreen Review
  • Review - Plasma Bigscreen. A dedicated TV OS for Raspberry Pi 4.

Rectangle videos

+ Add

SKYWALKER RECTANGLE TRAMPOLINE REVIEW!!!

More videos:

  • Review - Skywalker Rectangle Trampoline Review #1
  • Review - Marvin Malton 160 Rectangle Flying Hour Watch Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Plasma Bigscreen and Rectangle)

Plasma Bigscreen

Rectangle

Video
100 100%
Video
0% 0
Mac Tools
0 0%
Mac Tools
100% 100
Linux
100 100%
Linux
0% 0
Window Manager
0 0%
Window Manager
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Plasma Bigscreen and Rectangle. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Plasma Bigscreen and Rectangle

Plasma Bigscreen Reviews

We have no reviews of Plasma Bigscreen yet.
Be the first one to post

Rectangle Reviews

Best 6 Mac Window Managers
Rectangle shows that you don’t need to dip into your bank account to get window resizer tools. This free Mac window manager lets you manage multiple windows using keyboard shortcuts, menu options, or by dragging and dropping. Just like Magnet, you can split your screen up into quarters, thirds, or halves.
Source: mackeeper.com
Top 6 Window Manager Apps for Mac
Most window manager apps for Mac support multiple monitors. They can help you move windows between screens and create custom layouts for each monitor. Many window manager apps – such as BetterSnapTool, Magnet, and Rectangle – offer this functionality.
Source: www.maketecheasier.com
The 6 Best Mac Window Management Tools
However, it might take some time for you to get used to the shortcuts in the Rectangle app since there are many. Furthermore, you can also add some of your apps to exceptions if you want to keep them away from Rectangle's shortcuts.
Source: www.makeuseof.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Rectangle seems to be a lot more popular than Plasma Bigscreen. While we know about 480 links to Rectangle, we've tracked only 25 mentions of Plasma Bigscreen. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Plasma Bigscreen mentions (25)

  • Almost Half of LG Smart TV Apps Have Residential Proxy SDKs
    This, but LibreELEC or other Kodi distributions suck, it's basically limited to local playback. Until recently, the best solution was to run a full Linux DE, but now there is Plasma Bigscreen[0] for that. This is basically a DE optimized for couch use with a remote. [0] https://plasma-bigscreen.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • Show HN: AT4K Launcher TV Inspired Launcher for Android TVs
    This seems interesting, can something like this be created for Linux too? What is the technical stack behind it, I would be curious how you make a launcher in the first place, can it only be made in Java/Kotlin or say something in flutter as well and in which language is this coded in? I would also be interested in any resources which helped you out in the way. I would love something like this but for Linux,... - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Microsoft Copilot AI Comes to LG TVs, and Can't Be Deleted
    I wonder if it is possible to install a standard Linux distro on LG TVs. There is KDE Plasma Bigscreen for a TV-like experience on such distros. https://plasma-bigscreen.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • Mperfect, Linux-powered, DIY smart TV is the embodiment of ad fatigue
    I think Plasma Bigscreen is trying to do so: https://plasma-bigscreen.org/ Haven't heard any news about it for a while, but it looks a bit like "Android TV except not Android". - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • Roku explores taking over HDMI feeds with ads
    You could get a SFF PC like the other reply mentioned, and install something like Plasma Bigscreen[1] on it. [1](https://plasma-bigscreen.org/). - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
View more

Rectangle mentions (480)

  • Apple introduces M6 and M5 Ultra for a big leap in performance and AI compute
    Rectangle solved my macos window management annoyances. https://rectangleapp.com/ Not involved in dev of this, just a happy user. - Source: Hacker News / 8 days ago
  • Ubuntu 26.04 LTS Released
    As a both old Linux and now decade user of MacOS, after I got used to no middle-click paste and no focus-follows-mouse: 1. Keyboard shortcuts are Emacs, Ctrl-A: start of line, E: end of line, K: kill selected or to end of line, Y to paste, etc. https://support.apple.com/en-au/102650#text 2. Karabiner elements (FOSS) fixes keyboard mappings outside of the Settings: https://karabiner-elements.pqrs.org/ 3. I have the... - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Native Instant Space Switching on macOS
    Every macOS user uses Rectangle.app — https://rectangleapp.com The ones who don't use it is because they don’t know it exists. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • Native Instant Space Switching on macOS
    I use https://rectangleapp.com/ and enjoy it. I have shortcuts to move windows to the left/right half of the screen, and cycle between monitors. This, combined with native cmd+tab and cmd+` is enough for me. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • Make macOS consistently bad (unironically)
    Rectangle [1] is pretty much essential for me because of this. I use only a few keypresses (maximize window, move to one of the halves of the screen horizontally) but that is enough. My mouse very rately interacts with the borders of any window, or those buttons. I had to click on the green one that you mentioned in order to see what it did (yuck). [1] https://rectangleapp.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Plasma Bigscreen and Rectangle, you can also consider the following products

LibreELEC - LibreELEC is ‘Just enough OS’ for Kodi, a Linux distribution built to run Kodi on current and...

Magnet Window Manager - Magnet Developers

Android TV - Android TV is a version of Android made for TV's

yabai - A tiling window manager for macOS based on binary space partitioning

Kodi - Kodi is an award winning free and open source media player that got its start on the Xbox console.

BTT Remote - A remote control for you Mac, using your iPhone or iPad

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