Time for a new user interface? [Desktop Passe?]

[Dodge7]

When I first used a GUI it was the Macintosh GUI. At the time it was a nice intuitive GUI, since most of what I did was write letters or other documents. The desktop/folder/document concept made it easier to understand how to use the computer.

A lot has changed since the 1980s. We have have the internet, email, streaming multimedia, multimedia files, Chat / IM, Internet telephones, and so on.

I have been thinking it is time for a new user inteface. The desktop UI that Mac and Windows still use, is out of date. I mean, who stores they're music files [CDs] in file folderrs like we do on Windows? How about a CD case icon at least? And how about beaking programs in to catagories so newer users would have a basic idea of what they do.

One of the best ideas I have seen for a new GUI goes way back to the early to mid 90s. Apple computer had their own online service called eWorld. When you started the eWorld program you were shown an image of a city with a Library [for news and research info] a post office [for email operations], and so on.

I think that analogy would work nicely today. You would have a MULTIMEDIA CENTER for MP3 storage and download operations, a COMMUNICATIONS CENTER for email, IM /Chat, conference meeting programs, ect. A LIBRARY for research info, and a OFFICE or business center where the office suite, fax and other related programs would reside. And each center would have STORAGE, CONVERSION, AND NAMES files. Or the like

Another UI would be just to use an IE like interface for everything. You would have a pull down list of programs and the interface becomes a Word Processor, Media Recorder, or Chat program. It would be simple to learn at least, only one choice menu to run all applications.

Just wondered if you all had any idea on this? Do we need a new UI or does the current "desktop" GUI just need to be tweaked a little?

[Stryker]

Change your icons to whatever makes sense to you and rename shortcuts to your liking.

The problem with building a customized interface as you are suggesting is that everyone has different ideas of what these items should look like. This is why the current GUI's are customizable and flexible. On my system, my shortcut to digital photos is a camera, music is a music note (not a CD case) and videos is a piece of film.

Just set up the current desktop the way you think it should be. I think what we have is quite nice actually. It caters to the people who use the default settings as most people wouldn't go to the trouble of changing things around but defaults are fairly intuitive. It also allows for customization.

Stryker

[Ind-PC_student]

It will probably change soon enought, have you heard of the java looking glass desktop?
sorry but i can't seem to remember the web page url.

[Dodge7]

Stryker - Good point.

I could turn my desktop into much I what I described in my example and have what I want. And it would be fairly easy for a new person to figure out my shceme.

I haven't heard of the Spyglass one.