[NTLUG:Discuss] Interesting Video of Win7 UI development

[Chris Cox]

David Simmons wrote:
> 
> http://mschnlnine.vo.llnwd.net/d1/pdc08/WMV-HQ/PC24.wmv
> 
> Looks
> like alot of interesting changes....now we need to port them to an OS that
> can be stable...grin
> 

My desktop TODAY does 90% of what was discussed and does a lot
of things that Windows 7 CAN'T do...

Big gotcha:

You MUST change the code of your application to be able
to take advantage of the the "new" things in Windows 7.

So... this means that you must buy NEW. :)

The software vendors REALLY like this when Microsoft forces
the feature level changes FOR THEM.  This allows them to sell
into spaces where applications have been steady and stable
for long periods of time.  Why upgrade?  Because if I don't,
my apps won't work with the "new" features of Windows 7.

What he didn't show is how disoriented the taskbar is with
a mixture of compliant and non-compliant apps.  What apps
will use what features of Windows 7?.... trial and error
will show you.

Do we want this in a GNU/Linux desktop?  (the deep taskbar
integration into the app... everything else is already
present and BETTER)

I figure that's the ultimate goal probably of freedesktop.org
To define common api's that will let FULL desktop toolkits
to do common things.  This mainly applies to things like
KDE, Gnome and Xfce (and others that are trying to follow
freedesktop.org's stuff).

It would be easier today to have a Gnome desktop do deep
integration with Gnome apps... and ditto with KDE... all
very possible and easy to do.  Will take longer and, like
Windows 7, will require some app program changes to provide
a ubiquitous deep task bar integration with all applications
(excluding non desktop toolkit ones... of course).

So... I think it's possible.  No, I do not think this is
THE major UI change that everyone has been scrambling for.
It's a minor update to the UI that adds a convenience tool.
But UNLESS ALL applications are ported (and you BUY them
as well) to use the feature, the feature will become a
headache for most... because, you won't know when it's
available.  What I mean is because it's not always there,
it will become the user's SECONDARY (or further down)
method of attempting to interface with an application,
especially ones the user isn't totally familiar with.