Originally posted by: doornail
You do realize that Microsoft copied Apple's interface and that Apple copied the work done by Xerox PARC back in the 70's right? Graphical windows, icons, and mouse pointers all existed before Microsoft. You make is sound like Linux is ripping off all the "innovations" of Windows.
Is it me or is that little story guaranteed to come out within the 1st 10 posts of any interface forum post
Unlike a lot of people, I couldn't give a flying rats ass who invented what. But what I do care about is looking beyond the candy and the petty arguments of the OS obsessives who infest tech forums (like anandtech) that like to identify themselves through a freaking operating system.
Look at the KDE interface and tell me how it differs from a windows 95 interface. Likewise with gnome. The only real difference in OSX is the 'bar's position and shape. I am not saying MS 'invented' anything nor am I saying anyone is ripping off anyone elses design. I am merely using Windows 95's UI as example to say things havent moved on in over a decade!
At most the 'Deskbar' is a widget. I was merely saying it's not particularly groundbreaking nor innovative, thus no reason to choose gnome above anything else.
Back to the 2d/3d thing.
You do realise that a UI is only 25% about the display? The rest is the control mechanism and that interaction between user and data.
Of course data has to be displayed as text (duh). But at the risk of repeating other posts I have made, there are three dimensional ways of working that would benefit a computer users health and risk of injury MASSIVELY.
The mouse has to go!! It strains the tiniest and 'most painful if injured' muscles of the hand and wrist. ALL THAT DOUBLE CLICKING! Instead of a double click... a simple forward motion with a finger or an object would suffice. Instead of stretching two fingers for an 'alt-tab'... a gesture such as turning the hand through 90 degrees on a vertical axis would be both simple, more natural AND FASTER. A thumbs-up with the hand instead of clicking on an OK button, a thumbs down to cancel, playing an FPS shooter could be steered through motion detection with the left hand, whilst holding an imaginary gun with trigger in the right hand.
These few simple examples would reduce RSI injuries by the thousands as they would be natural movements using the whole arm and shoulders rather than a couple of tiny and easily damaged muscles in the hand. Such an input device would not require the sitting of the operator at the desk in a stiff, unnatural and stressful position. You could be lying back on a sofa like you are when you use a TV remote, or standing whilst doing something else.
XGL is NOT a 3d interface. Nor is any windows interface. It simulates the effect but I can't reach around the monitor and touch the back of the image can I?