Graphical Overkill

I do not want to beat around the bushes; instead I just kickstart the topic: Graphical Userinterfaces.

Today you just get eyecandy. OpenGL on the desktop, transparency, everything is shiny and blinks. But why? Do we really need that?

An average PC gets used for:

• Internet surfing
• Office-Applications
• Mailing
• Games

And that for we need a mousecursor to drop a shaddow or windows being transparent? Imho this is just a pure waste of RAM, CPU Power and disc space - or is it me beeing too old for such jazz?