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On Desktop GUI Minimalism

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Re: On Desktop GUI Minimalism

#91
post #58

I think issues with attempts to redefine pc computing interfaces is that despite what is stated people are not actually starting from first principles when they go to redesign a personal computing GUI interface. Even in this article just a few sentences after stating we should start from first principles he then jumps into the assumption of the "desktop". The baggage of TTY interfaces in textual interfaces and the "d…

> Even in this article just a few sentences after stating we should start from first principles he then jumps into the assumption of the "desktop". Agree. Although I can see how the idea of "first principles" can be a very difficult starting point. A blank sheet of paper is a scary monster. There's a huge breadth and depth of non-"desktop" GUIs out there, some (like smartphones) are even wildly successful. It's good…

> non-"desktop" GUIs out there, some (like smartphones) are even wildly successful.

Smartphone UIs are non-desktop metaphors? They sure seem like a desktop metaphor to me, albeit a very tiny desktop.

Re: On Desktop GUI Minimalism

#92
post #91
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Even in this article just a few sentences after stating we should start from first principles he then jumps into the assumption of the "desktop". Agree. Although I can see how the idea of "first principles" can be a very difficult starting point. A blank sheet of paper is a scary monster. There's a huge breadth and depth of non-"desktop" GUIs out there, some (like smartphones) are even wildly successful. It's good…

> non-"desktop" GUIs out there, some (like smartphones) are even wildly successful. Smartphone UIs are non-desktop metaphors? They sure seem like a desktop metaphor to me, albeit a very tiny desktop.

A physical desktop is somewhere you lay out objects and organize work, and desktop GUIs have metaphors for that (windows, icons). A phone is more like a pocket notebook, a camera, a map/compass, etc. You can take it out of your pocket on the subway, in a park, on a date, or during a hike; you turn pages to find the information you need, point and shoot a photo, figure out where you are, write down a phone number, etc. There's very little in common with how you'd use a physical desktop, and early smartphones (pre-2007) that tried too hard to be like a desktop really, really sucked.
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