>But there is one problem: I don't think DOS users need desktop -
>every DOS user will anyway always use Norton, Volkov, FAR or Dos
>Navigator instead. Simillary, in Linux you have Midnight, GNOME and KDE.
-- New DOS users without the right contacts or Net access know nothing
of these desktops. That's one reason why they don't explore outside Windows.
>I am thinking about using Arachne in devices like cell phones or MP3
>walkmans (in fact, I would like to combine both of them to one device;-)
-- Are you in contact with developers for Palm-Pilot and the Symbian Alliance
for Psion/Epoch?
>Such devices need completely different desktop from normal PCs - so I
>don't want to waste time by re-inventing wheel, and I am rather thinking
>about very minimal Arachne running in 640x200xmono mode.
-- Much smaller screen for mobile phones. Color screens will be available
very soon, with streaming video (Emblaze).
>This is where Netscape or MISE has no chance to compete.
-- Operasoftware are there with a trial browser for Psion.
>But of course, I would like to add more desktop-like elements in future
>versions of DOS/Linux Arachne, but I don't believe that Arachne users
>are type of people which would really like to use drag-and-drop
>style desktop.....
-- It's a big world out there, full of differing user-preferences. Using a
touch-screen
mobile sounds very intuitive. Point at an item with a finger and send it wherever
with another finger-touch. Nokkia have a phone using a roller set into the casing,
used to scroll down menus. Pressing it click-selects the menu-item.
>Let me suggest something:
>
>< > H + ? ...
>+--------+-------------------+
>| | |
>| narrow | wide window |
>| window | at least 640 pxl. |
-- Don't forget 640x480 screens!
>1) Users don't like overlapping windows: it is good to have all
>productive content on the screen all the time.
-- I agree with Or. I like several open applications running fullscreen with
a shortcut key or taskbar to swap between them. And I don't want to
have to wait for the screen to be re-drawn when I change to another
window.
>2) There is urgent need for integration of file manager, e-mail reader
>and web browser. The way Windows and other desktops are doing it weird,
>and it don't really enable full potential of computer, which is to be
>MORE than your desktop, not just immitation of desktop
-- Look at the ACDSee File Manager/Viewer for Windows. I associate any
webpages with ViewHTML and have a very productive combination, with
well thought out keyboard shortcuts (able to use with _one_ hand). BTW,
I can no longer delete files using Arachne.
>3) I am thinking about starting with extending hierarchical view of
>your computer the same way as Windows do - eg. hotlist items are
>equivalent to files.
-- I usually like to restart where I left, not from C:\
>4) Clicking anything in "tree window" would always cause target to be
>"wide window", while clicking in wide window will keep objects opening in
>the same window.
-- Can we have more than one not-so-wide or not-so-deep window, when required?
>Of course, more intensive caching of downloaded pages should be possible
>(maybe full caching of screen images and caching of pre-processed HTML atoms),
>so switching of pages is as fluent as minimizing and maximizing of traditional
>windows.
-- Woohoo! I love (some of) those old traditions.
>Additionaly, it would be nice to combine command line and URL prompt.
>It would somewhat append your input to existing URL, so eg. if prompt
>will be "file:C:\images\" and you type "someimage.gif", the GIF will
>appear on screen, and same would work for online files, with logical
>warnings like "cannot execute command on remote filesystem", or so.
-- And we need drop-down file lists to remember the names of our files.
>!!! Don't expect these features before version Arachne 2.0 !!! ;-)
>It would be nice if you can send me some comments to this scheme, or
>maybe better ideas.
So we don't get to play with Arachne 2.0 next week? More sleepless nights!
Jake
