Clutter Reaches 1.0 Release Candidate Status 78
nerdyH writes "Intel's interesting 3D UI technology has arrived at a significant milestone. Emmanuele Bassi on Monday released Clutter 1.0rc1, commenting 'This is a development release of Clutter 0.9 leading towards the 1.0 stable cycle. It is the first release candidate for the 1.0.0 release.' Clutter is a centerpiece of Intel's Moblin stack for netbooks, MIDs, and IVIs. It aims beyond the traditional 2D 'desktop' UI metaphor, stepping up to a 'theatrical' metaphor in which 2D interface objects are likened to 'actors' moving around on a 3D 'stage,' with developers in the role of 'director.' Also updated Tuesday: the Clutter-GTK+ library, aimed at helping GTK+ developers Clutter up their existing apps."
Wow! (Score:4, Insightful)
Who would have known that the future of Computer Desktop UI would look exactly like a SQL error.. :-)
I honestly would love to see some real innovation in the desktop UI everything else has been nothing morethat adding lipstick and high heels to the old X system from the early years. (Yes even windows 7 and the new osx is a pig in a dress.)
Screenshot (Score:4, Insightful)
Would it really kill them to stick a screenshot in there, or even better, a movie? Especially since this is, you know, a graphical application?
This really is a common failing of too many open source applications. Not only are we supposed to guess that "cluster" has nothing to do with clustering in any shape or form, but its graphical prowess, its entire reason for being, must be guessed at by nothing more than a wall of text.
Well, maybe I shouldn't complain. They do actually tell us what it is supposed to do, right there on the front page...
Metaphor (Score:3, Insightful)
Does the "desktop" metaphor really need replacing, especially with something that seems even more precious and contrived? Maybe its just me, but I don't find these concepts useful. I know what a "desktop" is with respect to computers, but it has lost all meaningful connection to the top of a desk. Maybe that's because the only thing typically found on my desk is a computer.
My sense is that the computer has been around long enough that the UI doesn't need to be imagined as a desktop, theater, etc.
Re:Demo (Score:3, Insightful)
The Moblin 2.0 UI, for instance.
Methaphor idiocy? (Score:4, Insightful)
Is it just me, or do all these 3D metaphors and even design-by-metaphor concepts look like very stupid concepts to others too?
If I design something, I do not need metaphors, and they look more like makeshifts (is that a proper English word?) for when you can't come up with ideas yourself.
Basically it's mostly applying existing concepts to something new, where it does not fit.
Then that thing with 3D. Everybody wants to do something new, cool, in 3D. But nobody knows what the point of it is.
If you want an actual 3D interface, it hat so be real 3D. Not only 3D projected onto 2D. And ideally, you have to be able to use it, like you would use a rubics cube. Including using your hands in that way.
If you got such a device, or are designing for such a future device, I'm sure, a good 3D interface (which in fact will be 4D) will be a benefit.
But until then, flat is flat is flat. If you shift it to the side, or make it animate "behind" something else, makes really no difference. It's just smoke and mirrors. And like smoke and mirrors, you will not be very efficient with it. (There's a metaphor for you. ^^)
Re:Wow! (Score:3, Insightful)
Many have tried, but we're still using the basic old idea. Probably because anything anybody has come up with since has looked cool but turned out to be a usability nightmare.
Re:Wow! (Score:3, Insightful)
I wasn't aware that innovation directly translated to more stable, usable, understandable, or versatile systems.