Group windows together by their shared project
With native tabbed windows all the applications needed for a project, all the document and files, can be grouped into one tabbed window, that represents the project and what is needed to complete it.
Each tab is another function, a document of specifications, an online search result or a make file you need to update, all in a single tabbed window, separate from the window with your facebook profile and media player
This means less clutter on the desktop, trains of thought staying on their tracks without colliding or interfering with each other, regardless of the number of active projects, and work getting (to) done faster
Blueprint information
- Status:
- Not started
- Approver:
- None
- Priority:
- Undefined
- Drafter:
- None
- Direction:
- Needs approval
- Assignee:
- None
- Definition:
- New
- Series goal:
- None
- Implementation:
-
Unknown
- Milestone target:
- None
- Started by
- Completed by
Whiteboard
Fixing the Operating System's GUI - Step 0 : Tabbed Windows
What's wrong with the OS's G(raphic) U(ser) I(nterface)?
Three windows are open that are part of the same project, it makes no sense for them not to be tabs in one window, the window representing the project/line of though
In a single project I may:
* read from a PDF the specifications to go over what i need to do
* write down thoughts and ideas I have regarding the project in a Text application
* write and edit the code and navigate the project files using TextMate (an OSX native editor)
* search for existing solutions and unfamiliar concepts with Firefox
* control and save my versions of the project using the Terminal
I will also probably be doing other things like chating with friends on facebook and skype and listening to music on itunes, maybe researching another project in a spare moment.
This is a LOT of clutter that i have to repeatedly shift through in order to get work done.
I almost feels like my OS is making no effort to help me do my work;
Why is it, that if I want the browser window with the article I need for the report I'm working on right now, I need to move 4 other windows aside that have nothing to do with the project?
What is the solution?
First,the solution is not more desktops.
In real life when my desk is overflowing with paper from various projects I sort the papers according to their project, I do not use a different desk.
The solution IS to let us do something similar in my computer, to let me group the "papers" together by project.
Now we already HAVE a way to represent windows grouped together, tabs.
With tabed windows we can group applications together, all the applications we need for the project, all the document and files we need, in one tabbed window.
So if we return to the example above where I'm working on my project, all the applications in the list will be tabs in a single window representing the "big project", skype and facebook chat that isn't related to the project as well as itunes will be tabs in another window representing "miscellaneous", and my smaller project will be in a third window.
I can now add a 4th and 5th project, explore ideas and questions that just occur to me out of the blue, without losing focus of my original project or even interfering with it.
The quick and simple to implement solution
We have a great open source code project that, if rewired properly, will fix the GUI quickly: Google Chrome.
Google Chrome has a great tabbed window system, and it was built so every tab is completely separate from every other tab and window,
note the writing in the picture, imagine having the left most tab be the post your writing about chrome, and the right most be ideas you have for plug-ins for Chrome
meaning it's exactly what we need (code wise) to group application windows.
So if we were to take Linux, an operating system that lets anyone delve into it's code and alter it as they see fit, we could fix's it's Gui in a snap. We would need to rewrite and add to the code that makes every window have an [ X = close ] and [ _ = minimize ] buttons to allow tabs.
Note: If you want to implement this for Gnome then a good place to start looking is Here
Won't this only work with Linux?
No, this implementation can work on EVERY Operating System.
Chrome is an open source browser that is cross platform, so any OS that runs Chrome can use this implementation Windows and OS X included BUT in Linux, ANYONE can implement it, not just Microsoft or Apple employees
(simply put, if the Chrome code runs on your OS then your OS can run the code you need to implement tabbed windows, that code may be written in binary when running on your OS but the point is that it CAN BE DONE on your OS)
The bottom line
Less clutter on the desktop, your train of thought stays on it's tracks and you get work done faster with less meaningless actions.
I think a great programmer can implement this in 2 weeks (After all, Linus Torvalds built GIT, an amazing decentralized version control system in 2 weeks. He started from nothing and here most of the code already exists)
