Another GUI (Re: This thing we called GNUstep)

[Doc O'Leary]

In article <mailman.9849.1387577879.10748.discuss-gnustep@gnu.org>,
 Pirmin Braun <pb@intars.de> wrote:

> Am Fri, 20 Dec 2013 16:53:25 -0500
> schrieb Gregory Casamento <greg.casamento@gmail.com> :
> 
> > What is more effective is to change GNUstep's look so that it appeals to a
> > wider audience
> 
> do we need another GUI?

We're going to get one, but not what you're thinking.  I've made this 
point elsewhere, but it bears repeating: iOS should not be seen as a 
revolution in mobile phones, but a revolution of the touch GUI.  It did 
*happen* to be on the mobile phone, but what I think was the root of the 
success was that it gave a strong metaphor to touch that was not 
widespread before.  All other "touch" GUIs followed the same WIMP 
metaphor that Apple popularized on the desktop.  Treating touch as 
something different was a breakthrough.

So, yes, we'll have at least one more GUI.  The interface that is 
everywhere, tried and tried again, but still hasn't had a breakthrough 
metaphor is 3D.  I can envision some equally desktop-breaking ones, but 
I think they are really beyond the (current) scope of the GNUstep 
project.

> And even if it would happen, will any user of a 
> popular UI dump it in favour of GNUstep?

Given how the desktop market is being *destroyed* by touch interfaces, 
it is quite likely a truly new UI could change the world.  But, of 
course, that is not what is being discussed when people rush to re-skin 
a window manager.

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