October 14, 2009

FUTURE OF COMPUTING?

I LIKE HOW THIS GUY THINKS...

Posted by Glenjamn

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20 comments:

wabash9000 said...

I like the thoughts but I don't like his focus on desktop computing. I think this would be much more applicable to a laptop environment where users are limited to a single screen. On my desktop I have no problems with window stacking because I have 3 monitors and I think that con10uum would feel very clunky with a multi-monitor setup.

October 14, 2009 at 7:03 PM
Trace said...

I think the idea would be to return to single screen.

The reason we went to multiple displays is to easily have access to more than a single window. Since most users maximize a window instead of positioning many windows in a tile format. Windows currently has no feature to make windows tile except for tiling all the same size. It would be nice to say web browser would always be 40% of screen while other applications would always be 20% or something of this nature.

October 14, 2009 at 7:25 PM
Chris said...

Trace, quickly accessing multiple windows is only part of the reason for a multi-monitor setup.

Programmers, graphic and web designers, etc. benefit from the ability to see and actually read more on the screen at once.

For example, when working on a web page, I need to have a browser open at a size that would reflect a typical user's browsing habits as well as my editor to view my code.

Cycling back and forth between windows compromises productivity.

I'm in agreement w3ith Robert on this... this (the linear desktop) seems more geared towards a laptop or netbook, or maybe even the grandmother that just wants to check her mail.

However, I do think that the multi-touch as described in the video could still have great applications for those that fall more into the "power user" category, especially if workspaces (ie. multiple virtual desktops) are utilized. I really like the idea for the physical input device, too.

October 14, 2009 at 7:55 PM
Anonymous said...

Is it only me or is such a thing allready lying in front of me and called keyboard? -.-

October 15, 2009 at 1:20 AM
wardy0589 said...

Great ideas, but that background music just drove me crazy

October 15, 2009 at 8:46 AM
Anonymous said...

it would be pretty great for laptops, but you also need a keyboard and those two combined in front of the laptop it would have to be huge, and take up a lot of tablespace. something you don't always have if you are on the go with your laptop.

October 15, 2009 at 12:14 PM
roberth9000 said...

I see no reason that such a system couldn't implement a virtual keyboard similar to the iphone's. maybe have a small bump on the multitouch pad where the f and the j are on the virtual keyboard. with the circles on screen showing you were the figures are at it could actually be a fairly intuitive keyboard to use.

October 15, 2009 at 12:21 PM
Unknown said...

I'd combine the keyboard with the touchpad, add a button below to switch between the two, and have an LED screen that displays either a keyboard or the monitor (dimmed). It'd save space. Would be nice for a laptop.

October 15, 2009 at 4:05 PM
Anonymous said...

I agree with Will, you'd have to combine the keyboard with the pad or else It wouldn't work very well

October 16, 2009 at 2:45 PM
acce245 said...

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but don't a mouse and keyboard tend to do the same thing that this is attempting. I might be wrong, but with a mouse and keyboard, I can move, click, type, and do a variety of different thing, in quick concert. I can ctrl+t in my web browser, giving me a new window, and follow up at the same time by clicking a link. Or, I can ctrl+click to open a new tab or window automatically. I can press space to scroll down a window (or the pg up/down buttons), while still controlling my mouse. The hand, as complex as it is, can still only focus on what our minds put to it. Think about when you are driving a car, or anything else. Typically the most you are doing with your hands is one thing each, say shifting and steering. Novel idea, but what exactly would it do? Also, will it have a similar tactile counterpart as do a mouse and keyboard currently, or will we still have to look down to see where our hands our on a flat surface?

October 18, 2009 at 6:06 PM
Glenjamn said...

i love how i'm getting some tech blog street cred ;)

October 22, 2009 at 6:00 AM
Prometeo said...

I love the idea, but I quite disagree on the combination of fingers used. Four fingers to move through? it's much better, easier and intuitive to pinch with your middle finger and scroll up or to the sides with your index finger. Or with two. But four? no way. to much hassle and big learning curve.

Keep up the good work!!

November 18, 2009 at 4:45 PM
Unknown said...

This could be implemented far easier than you think, especially on a laptop where it is most useful. They do not change the general layout and shape of the layout. The way I see it you would just extend the mouse touchpad across the entire bottom of the laptop below the keyboard and make it a mutli touchpad. Dont allow for gross input such as the palm of your hands resting on it but only the more refined input of finger tips. All ten fingers can fit across this multi touchpad as easily as they do my keyboard. Problem solved. Eventually we can max out even the most intuitive potential based on human form limits and will have to go to a mind/computer interface. That is when we stop messing around and computer really become ingrained in our species.

November 19, 2009 at 9:28 AM
Unknown said...

That being said I see a couple of potentially glaring caveats. What if you lost a couple fingers in 'Nam or Enyego Montoya is looking for you because you are the 6 fingered man!!! Nice thought though. How about one step further and add like a laser scanner or something that computer your distance from the trackpad and interact in true 3d space, idk just throwing that out there.

November 19, 2009 at 9:33 AM
Anonymous said...

How big is this touchpad and wouldn't it push the keyboard back to an uncomfortable position?

I like any idea of a multitouch pad, but it seems to me that one that uses all ten fingers would be too huge for a laptop, and clutter the desktop to an inconvenient extent.

November 21, 2009 at 7:50 AM
Anonymous said...

This is a pretty interesting concept, yet I see one critical flaw in it. I, like a fair majority of computing people, love to play games. Most computer gamers use the WASD or directional arrow keys on a keyboard for main character movement. This allows you to have one hand positioned on the mouse, usually for aiming where your character is looking. Since the touch pad is only for pointer specific control, that would require one arm stretched out further than the other, and might even lead to you missing a head shot because the weight of your relaxed arm on the touch pad unintentionally makes your sights move. It's something to think about.

November 22, 2009 at 2:52 PM
Anonymous said...

Interesting concept...but bad background music!

November 28, 2009 at 10:39 AM
Jake said...

A lot of the basic concepts here have already been put into use by everyday users. 10GUI just combines them all directly into the OS. Alt-Tabbing, Right-Clicking, the Window Key, and keyboard shortcuts are all inherent to users as a way to increase our "interactive bandwidth" - with traditional tactile response (the feeling of the keys) and better customization. The only problem is the initial setup.

I do like the idea of scrolling windows on a 360 wrap-around, though I've already seen programs that do this for pc such as the 3d alt-tabbing interface in Ubuntu. As far as positioning windows, especially for multiple monitors there's programs like Display Fusion that shortcut window positioning, and virtual desktops to group programs by use.

I just think aside from the multi-touch interactive pad, which is already being developed/sold by some companies (search for the Optimus Tacticus keyboard), there isn't anything inherently new here that I already have implemented in a way I'm comfortable with.

November 30, 2009 at 4:03 PM
Unknown said...

This looks pretty interesting, not completely revolutionary or practical though.

The way I see it, computers purpose are to allow us to do complex things as easily as possible, and the more I wave my fingers, hands, and arms around the more work i'm doing and the more time its costing me.

ps looks awfully similar to the tech in Micro$ofts new Courier tablet.

December 29, 2009 at 4:12 PM
Anonymous said...

that's kinda like a 1.5.5 D version of the generic concept of a "Minority Report-like" interface


interesting approach


---
Tiago


(trying to login with my google account failed)

January 30, 2010 at 5:17 PM

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