From 8c34d810af95fae0ef846f54370a8c88bfab7123 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "netop://ウィビ" Date: Sat, 11 Apr 2026 14:24:49 -0700 Subject: initial commit --- memos/WM-039.txt | 183 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 183 insertions(+) create mode 100644 memos/WM-039.txt (limited to 'memos/WM-039.txt') diff --git a/memos/WM-039.txt b/memos/WM-039.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..86ee320 --- /dev/null +++ b/memos/WM-039.txt @@ -0,0 +1,183 @@ + + + + + + + +Document: WM-039 P. Webb +Category: Operating Systems 2019.06.09 + + The Future of the Operating System: Revisited, Part 1 + +Abstract + + Where we're going is…fascinating and unknown. + +Body + + Back in 2013[1] I penned an essay titled, "The Future of the + Operating System." In it, I attempted to predict where the operating + system paradigm was headed based on what was obvious to me at the + time: cloud services were taking off and mobile devices were seeing + greater usage than personal computers. Logically (to me), this meant + the concept of a responsive OS was upon us. Some of the cited + examples were Firefox OS[2] and Ubuntu Edge[3], products that were + both designed to be highly mobile primary computing devices that + would dock to an apparatus on one's desk to become a full-fledged + workstation. The essay was also an opportunity to plug my OS + in-progress (now dormant), hikari[4], built around the responsive + OS concept. + + For now, a rectangular slab of glass and metal that more or less fits + in the palm of an adult hand appears to be the preferred format for a + mobile computing device. Specific details and component internals can + and will change but the external *probably* won't change much so no + time will be spent talking about that. Instead, I'll go over my + favorite UI concepts that inventive minds have created in the + half-decade since my inital opus. + + 1. eDEX-UI[5] + + > eDEX-UI is a fullscreen, cross-platform terminal emulator and + > system monitor that looks and feels like a sci-fi + > computer interface. + > + > Heavily inspired from the TRON Legacy movie effects[6] + > (especially the Board Room sequence[7]), the eDEX-UI project was + > originally meant to be "DEX-UI[8] with less « art » and more + > « distributable software »". While keeping a futuristic look and + > feel, it strives to maintain a certain level of functionality + > and to be usable in real-life scenarios, with the larger goal of + > bringing science-fiction UXs to the mainstream. + > + > It might or might not be a joke taken too seriously. + + 📸[eDEX-UI screenshot][IMG1] + 📸[eDEX-UI screenshot][IMG2] + 📸[eDEX-UI screenshot][IMG3] + + The on-screen keyboard suggests the use of this UI on a large + touchscreen table (like Microsoft's PixelSense[9] or Oblivion's + Light Table[10]) or at least the 12" iPad Pro. Despite what some + would consider "visual noise", this UI has almost everything one + would need for text entry and multitasking. + + I personally don't see myself using a UI like this because of + limited color palette. It looks wonderful for focus though. + + If nothing else, it is fun to look at and pretend you're in a + future where hoverboards are actually real and not 🤬 batteries + on wheels. + + 2. Desktop Neo[11] + + > Neo is a conceptual desktop operating system interface that is + > built for todays people, needs and technologies. + + 📸[Desktop Neo screenshot][IMG4] + 📸[Desktop Neo screenshot][IMG5] + 📸[Desktop Neo screenshot][IMG6] + + This UI is all about fullscreen EVERYTHING. Window manager lovers + would be so into this (looking at you, /r/unixporn[12] community). + Heck, *I* am into this! All day every day I am CONSTANTLY + resizing/swiping/moving windows around. + + The panel concept of this UI is nice and the search functionality + sounds like something I *need*. I am currently on the beta for + macOS Catalina and it *almost* has the concept down but you can + only split two windows, max. + + 📸[macOS Catalina, splitscreen][IMG7] + + I do like how productive it makes me feel so maybe I'll become a + heavy user of it (and hope Apple expands on the feature). Of the + UI concepts showcased here, Desktop Neo is my favorite. + + 3. Mercury[13] + + > Mercury is a speculative reimagining of the operating system as + > a fluid experience driven by human intent. + > + > No Apps or Folders. Mercury fluidly assembles content and + > actions based on your intentions. So you can focus on the + > destination, not the many ways to get there. + + 📸[Mercury screenshot][IMG8] + 📸[Mercury screenshot][IMG9] + 📸[Mercury screenshot][IMG10] + 📸[Mercury screenshot][IMG11] + + This is interesting because it completely strips away the desktop + paradigm and creates something that aims to intuit what you'll do + based on previous interactions. Basically, local machine learning + to help you be more productive. + + Mercury makes *heavy* use of shortcuts and search to get around, + so this isn't the UI for the faint of heart. + + The mockups show email messages and some neat things around that + but nothing else. It'd be interesting to see how a web browser + would look. How do I see all my apps? The creator of Mercury says + there aren't any apps but come on, OF COURSE there are. + + I'm excited to see where Mercury heads but for now, it just looks + like a nice email app. + + Thoughts + + A key issue I have with every UI concept mentioned here (and + nearly every one on the Internet) is the lack of real work being + done within them. Outside of an email or text prompt, you rarely + see how a coder would use it. Or an analyst. Or a designer. Or + anyone being productive, period. + + A common thread that brings these concepts together is, *focus*. + Another is change (obviously). After all, the desktop metaphor[14] + as we know it was created in 1970. *Nineteen seventy*. What you + are reading right now was written in 2019, nearly 50 YEARS later + and…not much has changed. + + As I am wont to do, I think about lapsed projects of mine and + wonder what would warrant further development. In hikari's case, + it doesn't make sense to simply recreate the tried-and-true + desktop metaphor. If my aim is to solve problems inherent to a + dated paradigm, keeping with the status quo is NOT the way to go. + + One of the reasons Apple's iOS is massively popular is because + users don't have to think about files and folders, a chief tenant + of the desktop paradigm. + + So…where do we go from here? + + I don't pretend to have the answer but I think we're *slowly* + going in the right direction. 🕸 + +References + + [1] + [2] + [3] + [4] + [5] + [6] + [7] + [8] + [9] + [10] + [11] + [12] + [13] + [14] + [IMG1] + [IMG2] + [IMG3] + [IMG4] + [IMG5] + [IMG6] + [IMG7] + [IMG8] + [IMG9] + [IMG10] + [IMG11] -- cgit v1.2.3