/dev/null/kevin

Yesterday I wrote a post about how the gestural user interface from the movie "Minority Report" will never replace the mouse as a primary interface device.  While perhaps I was being glib on calling it a "really bad idea," I stand behind my prediction that, other than a few niche cases, such an interface won't find widespread popularity.

Today, there are many alternative interface devices that people use instead of a mouse, but no one is talking about replacing the mouse with them.  There are touch screens displays, graphics tablets, the laptop touch pads and "eraser" mice (and trackballs, Brian.  .  There are experimental devices that track your eyes and can tell what you're looking at, there are projection keyboards that project an image of the keyboard on a surface and then track your fingers.  I assume that the same technology could be used to track your hand as a mouse.  These devices all exist today, but none of them are threatening the mouse as the default device.

Now, the success of the Nintendo Wii has proven that a gestural interface has a place and people will accept it for some things.  But a three dimensional interface is best used for manipulating three dimensional objects.  So, until such time as everyone has a 3D display device, I don't see widespread demand for the "Minority Report" interface.

Commenter Brian noted the "innovation happens" and I agree with that.  Any replacement for the keyboard and mouse will probably evolve organically.  No one will boastfully declare it while it's still in the experimental phase.  If you haven't figured our by now, it's not the device that I'm bashing, it's the arrogance of the developer who says he's working on the replacement for the mouse, and the silly reporter who propagates his claim.

Tags: user interface | computer mouse

For some reason, not one, but two really bad ideas made the news today.

Bad Idea #1: Microsoft Invents Split Screen PC

This story from slashdot spawned a whole new tag: dumbestf*ckingidea.  Each half of the screen has its own operating system, desktop, applications, cursor and keyboard.  All this just so two people can share the same computer.  Y'know, sharing is great, but there are just so many better solutions out there, not the least of which is switching to Solaris (or any flavor of Unix).

Bad Idea #2: A Real "Minority Report" User Interface

Some reporter thinks it's so cool that something from a movie could be real, and some misguided researcher thinks that The mouse has had a good run, but it's time to say good-bye.  Sorry, you're both wrong.  Like voice recognition interfaces, there could be some limited uses for gestural interfaces, but I don't think the mouse is going anywhere anytime soon.  It actually doesn't matter if something better comes along, the mouse is too entrenched to go away.  How do I know this?  You don't need to look any further than the mouse's neighbor, the keyboard.  The history of the QWERTY keyboard is that it was designed to be a bad interface.  Over time, many  improvements have been tried, from keyboard layout to split keyboards, but none have stuck.  I know that people do not want to put on gloves to use a computer, and I don't think they'll want to look like a traffic cop while online.

As for the reporter who think Hollywood designs good user interfaces, she needs to get a clue.  What's next? The friendly "Unix" system from Jurassic Park?  Or how about that ridiculously stupid virtual reality interface from the movie Disclosure?  Nothing like virtually walking down a hallway and flipping through virtual files instead of just typing some search string into a web page.

Tags: bad ideas | user interface | microsoft | split screen