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Looking Glass Beta Released

Posted by michael on from the mirror-mirror-on-the-wall dept.

cereal3825 writes "Well Sun Microsystems Looking Glass has been released for testing. The Project can be found here. Though remember this is beta and a quote from the Getting Started Doc says 'This mode is still very much a work in progress. To date, only a few X11 applications run bug-free in this mode.' so dont expect a work of art."

8 of 18 comments (clear)

  1. Wait... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    there are applications that run bug-free?

    Where can I get me some of that?

    1. Re:Wait... by photon317 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Not on windows it isn't :)

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      11*43+456^2
  2. Cube for Windows by BrookHarty · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Looks like Cube for Windows. http://www.infinite-3d.com/

    Nice thing about cube, it looks like its all realtime, so all windows still have animation and updates. Not like those cheap 3d-desktops that just use static images of the appliation.

    A terminal window would still update, a shockwave would still run, a movie would still play.

    Too bad its still beta and no download, the example videos look great.

    1. Re:Cube for Windows by chochos · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I think it's more the other way around. From the Cube screenshots, it looks like they're taking ideas from Looking Glass and Metisse (another 3D desktop featured not too long ago here on Slashdot).

      --
      Go hug some trees.
  3. Visix by TVC15 · · Score: 2, Informative

    Is this at all related to the Visix Looking Glass desktop manager for UNIX?

  4. Information density by kindofblue · · Score: 2, Insightful
    One thing that bothers me about new interface ideas is that they suck screen space without providing more information. XP is a great example of that. More flash with less utility. I love flash also, but I want something that gives me lots of useful info in an easy to digest form, with less scrolling and button clicks. The better the interface is, the more likely I could use the same thing on a PDA, cellphone, or laptop instead of only on a 17 inch display workstation.

    3-D perspective displays could provide more information density if they are able to provide shrunken 3-D like views that allowed you to fit more onto the screen. From the sample images, it does look like there is some screen space savings, by showing windows vertically rotated. But lots of space is wasted elsewhere. As a work in progress, it doesn't look like it would be a more productive environment yet.

  5. Fantastic! by Phoe6 · · Score: 3, Informative

    I am not a Java Programmer (yet) and its just second time I was abt to use a Java Program on Linux.
    Just followed their instructions for getting the Looking Glass up and Running and Yo!. That was a Fantastic Experience. Check out my Snapshots captured using KSnapShot tool when the looking Glass was running over the TWM Window Manager. This was on a Dell Optiplex Gx260 having onboard Intel845 Video Card running Fedora Core2. When it really gets full fledged, believe me, all the desktops is going to be like playing a 3D game. Whole new features and a good extension to the present desktops. So Sun, I forgot what the business-men are saying, Kudos for your Technology!!!

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    Senthil
  6. Re:Confusing? by reverius · · Score: 2, Informative

    I wouldn't worry about it screwing up your games... it doesn't appear to run on Windows. From the Platform Requirements: "Operating System
    - Project Looking Glass has been tested on Sun Java Desktop System Release 1 and Release 2, RedHat 9, SuSE Linux 8.1."