GUI ideas for optimising desktop space

[TotO]

I hope that SymbOS will support, a day, the CPC overscan modes on the screen settings. At less, to match with the 1bit PCW* version!
640x200 (16K)
640x240 (19K)
720x256 (23K) *
736x256 (24K)

And why not the interlased screens, as all LCD TV now properly done the flicker fixing for us.
640x400i (32K)
640x480i (38K)
720x512i (45K)
736x512i (48K)

A wide screen mode that match with 2:2 (1280x720) and 3:3 (1920x1080) pixels ratio for a clear display in zoom mode should be:
640x360i (28K)

And, it should be fine to forget the old Win95 design that waste the screen area with menu on each windows and full windows title bars.
Yes... It may be time to think about SymbOS 3. 

[attach=2]

OK... It's not the subject here... I had just a "macdeathidea"... 

[robcfg]

Are you suggesting a move from Windows to BeOS/Haiku? 

[Munchausen]

I use haiku as my main OS, and I have to say a move in that direction would be great. Particularly the stack and tile features where you can drop windows on top of each other and they become tabs:



However I don't really like the OS X way of putting menus at the top of the screen in mac os X style as in TotOs mock up.

[TotO]

Hehe...
It's more a mix beetwen MacOS/BeOS/AmigaOS, but yes the idea is here: saving the desktop space.

[Prodatron]

Wow, very nice mock-up!

Yes, it looks like the combination of the Xerox Alto title bars (reincarnated by BeOS/Haiku) and MacOS
Having such title bars will probably be a little bit complicated, at least it will increase the overhead when restoring background elements, as windows aren't pure rectangles anymore.
Regarding the menus: It should be possible to compile an alternative version without task bar but with such a menu bar at the top. This would include the content of the start menu, the task bar entries and the individual menu of the active window, if existing.

I hope that SymbOS will support, a day, the CPC overscan modes on the screen settings. At less, to match with the 1bit PCW* version!
640x200 (16K)
640x240 (19K)
720x256 (23K) *
736x256 (24K)

And why not the interlased screens, as all LCD TV now properly done the flicker fixing for us.
640x400i (32K)
640x480i (38K)
720x512i (45K)
736x512i (48K)

If you tell me where to steal all the additional memory I can do it
Problem is, that the video ram has to be located inside the first 64K. But this is the only area, where 16K bank switching is possible. So this area is quite important for the kernel and the desktop/screen manager, which need fast access to the applications' memory. I could place most parts of the desktop manager inside the second ram bank, but then the access to the control data of the windows will probably be slowed down a lot.

This could be something for SymbOS 4.0 , as there is already a lot to do for 3.0...

[TotO]

Thank you!

Restauring a window should be done in 2 times:
- The title bar rectangle.
- The content rectange.

Sure, 48K should be hard to handle... But 32K is not impossible:
- OS in ROM
- 32K for the video
- 16K for system usage
- 16K for the bank switching
- 512K+ for programs

Is you are interrested I should done a better work on the GUI.

[Munchausen]

Yes, it looks like the combination of the Xerox Alto title bars (reincarnated by BeOS/Haiku) and MacOS
Having such title bars will probably be a little bit complicated, at least it will increase the overhead when restoring background elements, as windows aren't pure rectangles anymore.

If you go with these title bars please add window stacking features ... it is such a neat feature for both grouping windows and saving space!

[CraigsBar]

Wow, very nice mock-up!

Yes, it looks like the combination of the Xerox Alto title bars (reincarnated by BeOS/Haiku) and MacOS
Having such title bars will probably be a little bit complicated, at least it will increase the overhead when restoring background elements, as windows aren't pure rectangles anymore.
Regarding the menus: It should be possible to compile an alternative version without task bar but with such a menu bar at the top. This would include the content of the start menu, the task bar entries and the individual menu of the active window, if existing.

I'd certainly like a top bar in the OS-X style. It makes for a much cleaner desktop imho. also allowing minimal title menu bars on the individual windows. the problem however is then with switching between windows, unless a dock is also proposed. but these tend to use up too much screen space as well, especially until the memory problems with Overscan can be resolved.


Just having the combined menu bar at the top of the screen will remove 2 rows of the screen (The bottom bar and the app menu bar) perhaps a small part on the right of this top bar could include a app switcher with Icons only and still leave enough space for the application menus and the OS Menu button??


Just thinking of ways to maximise the screen.


Craig

[TotO]

Exactly. Here, it's just a fast mockup with some ideas to free the screen of useless informations.
So, I understand that a "menu bar" always waste space... But should allow to display usefull running app informations too.
Probably, a contextual menu should be more efficient.

(sorry. I have asked to split the topic)