Hello All,
Yesterday I visited an old couple who had problems with their pc. While the problem was minor, I noticed that they were very unfamiliar to computers and were using it only to send and receive mail from their children abroad. They had noted everything down in a letter pad and would refer to it and try to figure out their way on the screen. The email program too was difficult to navigate as it had a lot of options and buttons.
This kept me thinking about a desktop thats totally different from the current windows clones and is totally a reflection of real life. I recollect Rajeev demonstrating a file browser like that in the wireless LUG meet. Later when I met Krish, he told me about gnowsis http://www.gnowsis.org/ but I just visited their site today and find that it still has standard interfaces and is more dedicated to relating data rather than an innovative interface to access data.
So how about a totally different desktop that actually looks like a real life situation. For example, it will have simple but large and realistic looking icons for letters/envelopes = email, documents = office suite, music system = music player, television = movie player etc. Now come the main part. There should be no windows as we use today. An email program should open up graphics of a full size page with a pen on it. The user only types on that page and then presses an adjacent big button that reads 'Put letter in envelope'. Then the letter folds itself and puts itself inside a big envelope. The envelope then faces the user waiting for an email address. The email address appears as its typed and in bold letters across the envelope. Then the user chooses from 2 big buttons that read 'Post this letter' or 'Post it later'. If 'Post this letter' is selected, the envelope will drop itself inside a big red post box. Similarly, a real life photo graphics environment can be used in place of windows for office, music, video and other applications.
While all this may look very silly for us, it will be a big boon for those users who feel intimidated by computers and dislike the window environment. I am sure there are projects going on in this direction but if we can be first in linux to do it, it will give linux a quantum leap into home desktops. Since linux is secure, once a firewall is running, linux will not even need an anti-virus to constantly update. This system in other Indian languages should become very popular with the rural population who has no knowledge of computers or even those who are semi literate.
Regards,
Rony.
___________________________________________________________ To help you stay safe and secure online, we've developed the all new Yahoo! Security Centre. http://uk.security.yahoo.com