Rather than flipping over windows, I'd rather just have one neat row of tabs for every application.
I used to hate the Genie on my iBook but with a G4 which most OS X Macs have by now it's not an issue anymore. It was a good idea ahead of its time, OS X in general was just too slow but it's all better now.
Someone casually mentioned it, but after thinking about it a little it makes perfect sense. The next step in desktop UI design should be a "panaramic effect".
Imagine moving your mouse to the edge of the screen and it begins to "turn", as if you were inside a tube and the monitor acts as the "window". By moving the mouse to the edge, you begin rotating around the tube. This could potentially quadruple your desktop space.This can, and should be the next step in the evolution of the desktop.
As for the Looking Glass demo, there was nothing there that I saw that was really useful. Honestly, what's the purpose of rotating the windows around on its axis? The only thing that I did like was having the windows all bunch up to the side. It's almost taking Expose one step further. Imagine using the Expose shortcut to go to the desktop and having all the windows "pile" up on the side of the screen instead of disappearing off the screen.
Imagine using the Expose shortcut to go to the desktop and having all the windows "pile" up on the side of the screen instead of disappearing off the screen.
The more windows, the higher the pile. The higher the pile, the less desktop you see.
Maybe if they piled OFF the screen.. But then, what is the point of that?
I think the point of the demonstration was to show how an interesting ui interface could be made with java (which is based on open standards I believe).
If people were to start developing for this ui eventually natural selection would whittle down what works and what doesnt, hopefully along the way developers would invent some new and interesting ways to utilize a 3d workspace.
I think one possible use could be more realistic office/computer assistant's on the desktop, think microsoft's clippy whom I dont mind so much now that I've changed it to the cat that sleeps when I'm working and I can click on it when I cant remember how to do something.
QE style technologies (and this java thing too I'm guessing) allow much better "eye candy" by placing the load on the 3d card rather than the processor. This means that even though you dont need it, it wont hurt and it might even help occaisionally (especially if someone comes up with something useful you can do with it).
3d input devices, perhaps a mouse with two sensors so it can track twisting as well, with a little bit of practice that could provide a z axis as well as open up possibility's for flicking type motions with your mouse, to send windows spinning. And use the scroll wheel as a zoom control. I know no one here likes twisting, but it doesnt have to be a lot, just within the normal range your hand moves naturally when operating the mouse anyway.
Most of us here have seen the reaction from windows users when they first see the dock (ooh aah, cool) we shouldn't dismiss eye candy so easily, people like it and someone will find a use for it.
and I just thought of an interesting app enhanced by a 3d desktop...
when we download from the internet you just get a progress bar in some window (which usually gets pushed to the rear) and then when its done, it might alert you but it usually just appears on your desktop.
Imagine your downloads floating over those mountains, when it starts you can just make it out in the distance, as it gets closer to completion its obviously a package gliding towards your desktop (the whole time this object is actually a part of your desktop and if you suddenly decide you wish to place it someplace else you have time to change its trajectory so it lands where you want. When it lands (download complete) the package unwraps itself and displays its contents.
Just an idea. Might make it easier for some people to understand the concept of downloading a file and allow developers to customize the look and feel of their package, to enhance user experience and satisfaction. Hopefully more content will be delivered digitally in the future, anything that makes it easier for people to understand what is going on is a good thing... oh I get it Im downloading this game demo... where's it going.. looks like its heading towards my desktop... oh wow, an alien has landed and would like to install his game so I can kill him... sounds good to me !
To the person that said sun is borrow from apple with the Dock, you are wrong. The dock type interface has been in solaris for a good long time. The dock is more a general unix thing, then an apple specific one.
Someone casually mentioned it, but after thinking about it a little it makes perfect sense. The next step in desktop UI design should be a "panaramic effect".
Or you could use Raskin' idea of "The Humane Interface" which uses an infinitely large "desktop" area to glide around and place all your files on. In his version of the idea, your files always are always open and available instead of being abstracted into icons that have to be organized. opened and closed, etc. You just leave some stuff over here and some stuff over there. Apps would need to be rethought -- how to access them anyway. You still need a way to get around and find stuff or have ways to remember where you put things. It's a pretty compelling idea to me, sort of Exposé in reverse (though Exposé might still be useful in that model). Still, it seems simpler to me than any 3D tricks.
It's compelling for a small number of files - say, for a single workspace's worth. But right now I have 75,643 files in my home directory alone - can you *IMAGINE* trying to organize that in a single flat area?
See, we did that back in 1984, it was called MFS - Macintosh File System, and there were no folders. Raskin seems stuck back there.
Comments
Rather than flipping over windows, I'd rather just have one neat row of tabs for every application.
I used to hate the Genie on my iBook but with a G4 which most OS X Macs have by now it's not an issue anymore. It was a good idea ahead of its time, OS X in general was just too slow but it's all better now.
Imagine moving your mouse to the edge of the screen and it begins to "turn", as if you were inside a tube and the monitor acts as the "window". By moving the mouse to the edge, you begin rotating around the tube. This could potentially quadruple your desktop space.This can, and should be the next step in the evolution of the desktop.
As for the Looking Glass demo, there was nothing there that I saw that was really useful. Honestly, what's the purpose of rotating the windows around on its axis? The only thing that I did like was having the windows all bunch up to the side. It's almost taking Expose one step further. Imagine using the Expose shortcut to go to the desktop and having all the windows "pile" up on the side of the screen instead of disappearing off the screen.
Originally posted by orangeu
Imagine using the Expose shortcut to go to the desktop and having all the windows "pile" up on the side of the screen instead of disappearing off the screen.
The more windows, the higher the pile. The higher the pile, the less desktop you see.
Maybe if they piled OFF the screen.. But then, what is the point of that?
- Xidius
If people were to start developing for this ui eventually natural selection would whittle down what works and what doesnt, hopefully along the way developers would invent some new and interesting ways to utilize a 3d workspace.
I think one possible use could be more realistic office/computer assistant's on the desktop, think microsoft's clippy whom I dont mind so much now that I've changed it to the cat that sleeps when I'm working and I can click on it when I cant remember how to do something.
QE style technologies (and this java thing too I'm guessing) allow much better "eye candy" by placing the load on the 3d card rather than the processor. This means that even though you dont need it, it wont hurt and it might even help occaisionally (especially if someone comes up with something useful you can do with it).
3d input devices, perhaps a mouse with two sensors so it can track twisting as well, with a little bit of practice that could provide a z axis as well as open up possibility's for flicking type motions with your mouse, to send windows spinning. And use the scroll wheel as a zoom control. I know no one here likes twisting, but it doesnt have to be a lot, just within the normal range your hand moves naturally when operating the mouse anyway.
Most of us here have seen the reaction from windows users when they first see the dock (ooh aah, cool) we shouldn't dismiss eye candy so easily, people like it and someone will find a use for it.
when we download from the internet you just get a progress bar in some window (which usually gets pushed to the rear) and then when its done, it might alert you but it usually just appears on your desktop.
Imagine your downloads floating over those mountains, when it starts you can just make it out in the distance, as it gets closer to completion its obviously a package gliding towards your desktop (the whole time this object is actually a part of your desktop and if you suddenly decide you wish to place it someplace else you have time to change its trajectory so it lands where you want. When it lands (download complete) the package unwraps itself and displays its contents.
Just an idea. Might make it easier for some people to understand the concept of downloading a file and allow developers to customize the look and feel of their package, to enhance user experience and satisfaction. Hopefully more content will be delivered digitally in the future, anything that makes it easier for people to understand what is going on is a good thing... oh I get it Im downloading this game demo... where's it going.. looks like its heading towards my desktop... oh wow, an alien has landed and would like to install his game so I can kill him... sounds good to me !
Originally posted by orangeu
Someone casually mentioned it, but after thinking about it a little it makes perfect sense. The next step in desktop UI design should be a "panaramic effect".
Or you could use Raskin' idea of "The Humane Interface" which uses an infinitely large "desktop" area to glide around and place all your files on. In his version of the idea, your files always are always open and available instead of being abstracted into icons that have to be organized. opened and closed, etc. You just leave some stuff over here and some stuff over there. Apps would need to be rethought -- how to access them anyway. You still need a way to get around and find stuff or have ways to remember where you put things. It's a pretty compelling idea to me, sort of Exposé in reverse (though Exposé might still be useful in that model). Still, it seems simpler to me than any 3D tricks.
See, we did that back in 1984, it was called MFS - Macintosh File System, and there were no folders. Raskin seems stuck back there.