For years I have been wanting a new type of interface for computers. The infamous scene in the film Minority Report showed a multi-touch multi-gesture interface that everyone wanted, and still desires.
Years later, we have multitouch cell phones and tablets. The interface is good but the ability of those platforms to do large amounts of work is lacking. Where desktops and laptops allow the user to do so much more in comparison, but the interface is not as quickly traversed. Something in between is the goal, and it appear Microsoft's new Windows 8 interface is the closest yet to bridging the two. However, I have some thoughts on the subject. But first, see their new interface.
It looks great and operates smoothly. It is very similar to my favorite mobile operating system, the WebOS, another multitasking platform.
With Windows 8, we have a multitouch interface, with fast switching, and intuitive software. Now my complaint is that this HMI (human machine interface) is keeping everyone at the superficial level. You can look at your pictures, your videos, browse the internet, and just generally consume data is whatever way. When it comes to using software that lets you create and build, its back to cumbersome menus and esoteric command line operations.
Jensen Harris mentioned Windows 8 applications staying in the new interface, while legacy software is accessed through the tried and true Windows Desktop. I will assume that the new Win8 applications will use the dexterous interface. I can imagine using Photoshop and Dreamweaver in the fantastic graphical way. Using multitouch to drag blocks around, change surfaces, without having to know the hard-code behind it all. (So long html and css)
However, when it comes to writing code, could it ever have the same HMI? As work gets more and more higher level, does knowing the core, the machine language, really matter? For example, I do a lot of programming in assembly, while some friends stick exclusively to higher level languages. I write pages of code that manipulates the very core of the cpu, while my friends write one line and lets the libraries handle it all. For the records, my friends never learned a lower level language. I think that is a shame.
If Windows 8 is any indication, it appear that a disparity of skill levels will be far more dramatic in the future. The ones who made the framework, the base code, and the ones only dropping theoretical graphical blocks. Since we can not know it all, I believe it is ok to stay at a surface level. Plenty of work can still be done there. (as in the high level language vs low level example)
Do you think it is ok to work at a superficial level, glossed over, and simplistic like the Windows 8 demo is suggesting?
Cabe
