Apple’s Exposé (more info here) was probably one of the most important windows management breakthroughs since “Alt + Tab”. Not too long after Apple released it along with Panther, developers soon found ways to simulate the effects in Windows.
Case in point:
- WinPLOSION(formerly known as WinExposé until Apple’s legal department knocked on their doors)
- iEx
- WindowsExposer
- Entbloess (whatever that means)
- TopDesk
On the Opensource side, developers haven’t been standing idle. They also have come up with remarkable apps with similar tricks.
- Expocity (or visit the official project page)
- FbPager
- Skippy
- Komposé
Before we jump the gun and accuse everyone else for stealing introducing Apple’s innovations in other platforms, I must confess that I first saw an Expos%uFFFD-like functionality on a Linux system even before the introduction of Panther. And according to this document at Microsoft’s very own UI Research lab, a similar functionality had been in existence long before Mac OSX. Unfortunately the project just never made it to various releases of Windows.
Now let’s take it a step further and examine some up and coming technologies. First up is Fold n’ Drop project from a French lab. The idea is to treat windows as pieces of paper. A user can fold, flip and leaf through them. There’s demo video and a Java demo app you can test it out. Very neat. And someone’s already made it work on a Windows Machine.
Another pretty cool application is from Sun Microsystems. Porject Looking Glass manipulates the Desktop and its windows each as 3D objects. It has features even a Mac user will envy. I was hoping to see some of them to be implemented in Tiger.
A demo is available for playback.
Other emerging implementations:
I am sure there are plenty more advanced UI projects in the labs. If anyone knows any that’s not here, please do share them with me.
Speaking of emerging technologies, IBM’s “alphaWorks: Emerging technologies” website has been in my bookmarks for the longest time. It’s a site that features the latest technologies at IBM labs that are available for licensing.