Zooming OSes

[foxxyD]

Anybody heard about zooming operating systems? The basic principle is an unlimited use of space. Because our current GUIs are stretched over the same plane (think horizontal, 2D), there's only as much space as the resolution allows for icons, etc. A zooming OS, on the other hand, would utilize a 3D system of DEPTH - you zoom in to get to your icons. Everything is situated in a forward plane, thus providing an unlimited amount of space for nearly anything.

 

Applications with hundreds of windows could be easily arranged on the forward plane to not be cluttered, for example.

 

Anybody heard of / worked with this technology? I find it fascinating, personally.

[Wizard]

You mean like Compiz and Beyrl composite managers?

Youtube them and you'll get hundreds of vids of people showing off multiple 3d desktops.

 

Most Linux GUIs have multiple desktops by default.

[meriadoc]

I have heard of it, but don't know a great deal about it. There was a short video presentation on the microsoft site, but unfortunately I can't find the link for it. It looked like the next step, but at the same time almost an extension of what we already have. I'm sure it would be very useful for some applications. However, I would think that there are still limitations to this being useful. If you put a significantly large number of icons or applications on the forward plane things would get pretty tricky for spotting the one you want to work with even when zooming in or out. To me, unlimited is sort of like infinity and you really shouldn't define it that way.

 

I've seen Beryl and Compiz. I like the look and think it is pretty cool. When you get down to it though how different is concept compared to having multiple workspaces like in Gnome or KDE? I don't want to say it is just eye candy because there is clearly more to it than that. However, there are limits to the number of things I can keep track of and as I grow older the simpler life is the more I like it.

[Wizard]

I have heard of it, but don't know a great deal about it. There was a short video presentation on the microsoft site, but unfortunately I can't find the link for it. It looked like the next step, but at the same time almost an extension of what we already have. I'm sure it would be very useful for some applications. However, I would think that there are still limitations to this being useful. If you put a significantly large number of icons or applications on the forward plane things would get pretty tricky for spotting the one you want to work with even when zooming in or out. To me, unlimited is sort of like infinity and you really shouldn't define it that way.

 

I've seen Beryl and Compiz. I like the look and think it is pretty cool. When you get down to it though how different is concept compared to having multiple workspaces like in Gnome or KDE? I don't want to say it is just eye candy because there is clearly more to it than that. However, there are limits to the number of things I can keep track of and as I grow older the simpler life is the more I like it.

Actually... yeah, it's pretty much just eyecandy.

[Doctor Steel]

I like this idea. While it would make it easier to have lots of stuff open at once (like, say, you happened to do your Google-ing on a supercomputer), it would no doubt take a ton of memory and video resources, if implemented with some flashiness. I think the majority of Linux window managers have it right using multiple 2d desktops. That way, people with an old Pentium-II laptop can have 2 virtual desktops at a time.