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Did Metro UX Elements Come From a 2009 Demo?
First time accepted submitter oso2k writes "In 2009, as reported by gizmag, Robert Clayton Miller proposed a UI that borrowed from familiar iPhone gestures and translated them to a multi-tasking data-input rich desktop UI. It would seem, however, Microsoft was paying attention. Elements in Miller's design seem to have been lifted for Metro UI, such as dynamic sized widgets (tiles in Metro UI) on the home screen, swipes alternate between open, fullscreened apps, left tap for the app context menu, right tap for the system context menu. And in Miller's video at [5:41], it would seem Microsoft used the same or nearly the same font [4:30]." It's interesting to spot resemblances here, but how many UI ideas don't have more than one inventor?
Don't you mean the interface formally known as Metro?
They should be sued and shamed - they are supposed to do their design and development in a bubble!
Metro design elements date back to at least 2006 with the Zune and evolved in 2008 with the new Xbox 360 UI. The font Microsoft uses for Metro is Segoe and dates back to 2004. Seriously, I know Slashdot is anti MS, but this is just getting ridiculous... first a post about how only 25% of Windows 8 prefer the OS to other versions of Windows, when 74% of those polled say they never even used Windows 8, and now this?
"... how many UI ideas don't have more than one inventor?"
Anything "invented" by Apple. Duh! Just ask their legal team!
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This is actually an interesting concept.
As one who enjoys tiled window interfaces, I'd like to see more concepts that avoid the stacking window management we've had for so long.
I do think the model posed is a bit more restrictive than I'd like, though.
Just like a flood of Athenas - flooding from the forehead of Zeus!
We are awash in the innovations and creativity gushing from Microsoft. One simple antecedent in the case of the Metro interface hardly mars the unbroken record of stunning inventiveness and groundbreaking vision that can be directly attributed to the far-sighted leadership of Ballmer's Microsoft.
Someday, the humble Zune will be recognized as the beginning of the post-PC era, which Microsoft ushered, leading from behind.
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Never been known to fail..."
I thought we weren't supposed to call it "Metro" anymore. Is that still true?
Which is it? UI? UX? GUI?
Why do we need so many names for the same damn thing? It's not like we switched back to text mode and had to drop that "G".
While it looks cool and all lets consider this for a minute. Mouse one point, hand 10 points? Wrong! mouse and keyboard 3+3 and one pointer. But wait the 3 keyboard say shift alt ctrl and 3 mouse can be differentiated! that means 6+6 combos fro touch for total of 12 different interaction modes that too can be combined for 1*2*3*4*5*6 = 720 combos. so ten gui has what 2*(3+3 pinch) plus 2 pointing areas gee.. doesn't sound so great now does it. granted the FIRST pointer of the flour sliders makes sense tough realistically only 3 sliders possible little finger doesn't have so good manual control... And they are neglecting the tactile feedback and the thumb. Then theres the 2 pointers how often do you actually draw with your other hand? Maybe roll the paer etc but hell the keyboard could sense this by sliding against the lower rail.
So no not better just different. Basically until they develop the tactile feedback pixel they will suck.
The last time anything in history had a single inventor... well, is unknown. If it ever happened, it happened during prehistoric times.
"Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies."
"left tap for the app context menu, right tap for the system context menu"
So just like Left Click and Right Click then.
Except with a finger instead of a mouse button...
All decent UI ideas were already done by Douglas Englebart.
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The article calls out TUI's ( text based interfaces ) and then claims that the GUI is the ultimate replacement. Based off the introduction the article was written by someone with a mild amount of computer literacy. In many cases a properly designed TUI will destroy a GUI any day of the week all day long. The GUI has it's place but so does the TUI, anyone who disregards either has no right to write technical reviews.
Its a shame they didnt use this idea in its totality, a lot of people would be much happier with windows 8 I would think.
If they had watched the right demo Metro would have had 7800 PHONG polys.
Metro design elements date back to at least 2006 with the Zune and evolved in 2008 with the new Xbox 360 UI. The font Microsoft uses for Metro is Segoe and dates back to 2004. Seriously, I know Slashdot is anti MS, but this is just getting ridiculous... first a post about how only 25% of Windows 8 prefer the OS to other versions of Windows, when 74% of those polled say they never even used Windows 8, and now this?
If you want to see some Slashdot comedy gold, you should go back and read some of the past anti-Microsoft stories and comments on Slashdot.
For example take this one http://tech.slashdot.org/story/09/02/16/2259257/Draconian-DRM-Revealed-In-Windows-7
If these kind of retarded stories were run on some other company, it would be called a FUD campaign secretly sponsored by some evil corp.
This is evolutionary not revolutionary. Aspects that were designed for one platform are moving to another. Big deal. The Dinosaurs are not inheriting the earth.
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It's obvious Miller went forward in time and stole Microsoft's innovations ..
AccountKiller
Zune was around in 2006, and Metro is obviously just an evolution of the ideas in Zune. So no, Microsoft didn't steal anything from a 2009 video, and Slashdot editors are idiots for posting this without even doing the most cursory examination of the claim.
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Nice thought, but a majority of the Metro UI has been around since at least 2007 on Windows Media Center/Vista (including the fonts, a proto-version of the tiles, and many other familiar elements).
the demo is exactly like webOS.... except in webOS it looks good, and is useful.
the demo fells kinda retarted showing the side apps instead of giving the full screen to the app... also, dragging in from the bottom of the screen to enter "window selection mode" instead of dozen fingers gesture...
Who copied who arguments....
Really how boring is this argument?
People have ideas, ideas that are derivatives of other ideas. When it comes to user interface design these ideas have to be derivative as otherwise people wouldn't find them intuitive, communication is all about expressing things in terms people understand, e.g. alphabets, left to right writing systems, touch, gestures.
You change the paradigm too much and no one will understand it, this doesn't leave a whole lot of options, repetition in amongst people trying to create an incremental shift in a communication paradigm is going to happen all the time, we should just get use to this and stop being surprised/suspicious of plagiary whenever two things like this look remarkably similar.
Apple only has to convince a jury. Then Microsoft will have "samsung" that same sad tune.
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