Cyberhunk

Wouldn't surprise me, I found out about VR OS just from searching, "Virtual Reality OS" because Virtual desktop wasn't cutting it and I knew there had to be something better, even if it was in its infancy. I see a lot of potential here, but I fear it'll have the same software conflict issues previous attempts to bridge the gap before. The tilting looks dope, but it could have the problem of being accidentally triggered if you're trying to use your mouse regularly. If they could add a tilting scroll wheel it would arrive somewhere near my ideal mouse.

I've been advocating for an analog stick+mouse solution for YEARS and I've only seen lackluster implementation, mainly due to a lot of games wanting to switch between controller inputs and KB+M inputs on the software side. It's great because it's another form of input that's the perfect bridge between a binary keystroke and the smoothness of a mouse movement. Perfect for page scrolling, controlling a camera, or movement in a game. I even sometimes use my PS4 controller for browsing the desktop since it can have similar accuracy to a mouse with the gyro controls. That's definitely one way to go about it. I'm sure if you trained hard enough you could type just as fast with a keyboard with a modern controller if it was implemented and thought out well. Look up Steam's petal typing interface if you want to get an idea of what it could be like. I still disagree since there's undoubtedly ergonomic value that a lot of people are already very well acquainted with when it comes to the keyboard and having a bunch of zippy movement across a gamepad could be faster, the straightforwardness of the keyboard isn't going away anytime soon. Couldn't agree more, which is why I'm such an advocate for virtual desktop environments and hypothetical technology that doesn't exist yet. You could also get a simulated directional pad on a mouse very easily by allowing the scroll wheel to tilt left or right, giving a similar enough functionality to a dpad.

The same could be said of right click. This resonates with me, since I've tried to teach family members how to use computers effectively, and even to those who were relatively intelligent and were able to grasp that searching on the internet and on your hard-drive were different things, how to favorite webpages, and even a couple hotkeys were completely foreign to something as simple as right click, so I get where you're coming from. However, that doesn't mean that we should stifle the possibilities of interaction because a fraction can't figure out how to use buttons that their fingers are already resting on. Simplicity is a beautiful thing, don't get me wrong. I'm just of the belief that more can be accomplished faster when there are more input methods. Two additional mouse buttons I think is the maximum one should have for a standard anyway, since any more will border on the obtuse by conventional standards. And I can agree, a Graphic User Interface should consist of GRAPHICS! What a thought, right? Plus, two additional mouse buttons could be enough to allow developers to adapt. I'd much rather fiddle with the ~5 buttons on a mouse than the 100+ on a keyboard. As someone who jumped from GZDoom Builder to Blender, I know this pain all too well.

I know this is an outdated thing to bring up, but Apple still had one button mice as the standard until the mid-late 2000s. Granted, Microsoft has had that standard for a while, but standards can improve over time depending on market interest. Just searching "computer mouse" on Amazon gives nearly half of the results featuring mice with Mouse4 and 5, some even less than $10. I also think it's safe to assume that if someone's installing custom dock programs for the purpose of increasing efficiency, then they already have a mouse with at least 5 buttons on it since being able to go forward or back while web-browsing with a single button press is a leap a lot of us can't abandon once we've experienced it, and a lot of mainstream games like Doom and Overwatch have the default melee button as Mouse4 if it detects it. Besides, assuming the software is easily configurable, which it should be, the user can just rebind it to Mouse2 or . . . . . . You raise a good point. It's not stupid. Nearly every regular desktop mouse I have, and even most gaming mice I've used have had the scroll wheel give out over time if not just break entirely. Just to clarify, I'm not advocating for activating the circle dock with the scroll wheel, merely flicking through the options with the rolling of the scroll wheel, which just lines up more ergonomically with my mode of thinking.

Seems like that would be better activated with a Mouse4+ button instead of Mouse2. M2 simply has too many functions in other programs to be replaced with a quick launcher. It may be personal preference, but I think being controlled via the scroll wheel will work better, especially if you have a mouse that can unlock the scroll wheel, making it faster than the cursor. Good for a mockup but I'd like colored tags for programs as well as pie menus for multiple options once you actually select something, assuming it's no more than 5 or so options, then I think a menu would suffice.

There are definitely more people on Hulu/Netflix than Curiosity Stream or BitTorrent, and more people playing on mobile/console than a PC. Just pointing out that this is a problem that permeates beyond the PC desktop. Bear in mind, the fact that we're even talking about this puts in in a scant number compared with the majority of people that take issue. Can you extrapolate please? I can see that with my eventual end goal of trying to have a Batcave setup that's interfaced with magical gloves, but an AR tracked keyboard with the overlay changing depending on context seems like a straight upgrade to me. I can see that with modern headsets since they're still somewhat bulky and even the original Vive doesn't have enough resolution to properly handle all that small text without a screen door effect, but I'm looking towards the future, free of the shackles of modern design methods and where technology can meet the demand. I'd really like to know where I'm losing you. I can agree that Steam's new UI is shit compared to the old design where near every option was within view, but to my knowledge they allow relatively painless skin replacements, which still makes this an issue, but not as bad as completely taking away the ability to modify as you please. Although that's a whole different can of worms when you start to go into individual programs. As it stands right now, I'm only interested in the desktop/shell, since that's the thing you're going to interact with, no matter what your needs are. I'm not advocating for 360° UIs necessarily, merely a 360° workspace for individual programs. If you're like me, then 2 monitors is a MINIMUM for regular work/browsing. Aside from how expensive that can be, you're usually only running one program per monitor. This can be easily substituted by the purchase of just one headset, and having as much real estate as you desire for spreading out all of your programs and files in virtual windows the size of monitors, so you still have all that information at the ready.

First off, just wanted to say that this video has been on my mind since I first watched it months ago. Granted, the seed was originally planted by NakeyJakey's take on the same issue, albeit with more normie-oriented apps and video games(Not sure how to embed YouTube links, my bad). Even if Jakey's video isn't as in depth, the general sentiment of saving time in the most repetitive acts someone is going to typically do all the time remains the same and is worth a watch, even if they may be more leisure than production based. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vfbVVkwdQw Needless to say, it's not just power users concerned with clunky and unoptimized UI experiences. Even in this thread was a link to what I assume was a song composer raising issues about the unoptimized experience of his professional software(Sibelius IIRC). Other video editors/streamers probably have a lot of common complaints across the same programs that simply aren't vocalizing because we've become complacent with "good enough to make things run without crashing." For the present, the only thing I can offer to Ross is that in Windows 10 you can navigate explorer only using single click to browse and select files(Right click on quick access, options, should be second option in the first tab). As far as projects go, VR OS is one of the most innovative concepts I've seen in a while. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMwqiAeQDUc This has some serious potential. To my knowledge this is still a prototype and not in any usable state, but I see the bedrock for the future of optimized workflow and user interface. Even with the features shown in what I understand is a very early build that's still very much in its infancy, we have; 360° workspace with multiple virtual desktops. Where we're going, we don't need monitors . . . In a virtual desktop environment the need for multiple monitors is eliminated, since workspace can literally surround you in a bubble. The bridge with programs ready at the top and bottom, combined with multiple desktops with different sets of programs/files open is bound to make organization and production a breeze. AR tracked Keyboard and Mouse with finger tracking I think this has the most potential out of everything else showcased. Since the keys change in context with the active window, the physical keys on the keyboard becomes part of the GUI experience! Now this may just be speculation on my part, but I think the reason changing gears from staring at your screen to looking down at the keyboard has to do with changing focus from the glowing rectangle in front of you to the keyboard directly below; But in a Virtual desktop everything's already glowing, and a simple glance down lets you see the relative position of your fingers over the keys, along with the keys changing context depending on the program. So even if the changing of the gears isn't completely gone, it's at least diminished, and with the display of hotkeys directly on the keyboard, I suspect it will make navigating via both easier. The problem of having to learn hotkeys is gone because you can simply look at your keyboard like a giant menu; and if they're smart in the layout, multiple keys can serve as "zones" where an action may be(ex. Q, W, E, A, S, & D acting as one zone that activates a function, R, T, Y, F, G, & H, activating another, etc.). This also leans to more airplanes and less helicopters since you don't have to be as precise with your keystrokes. In the long run this can even develop into muscle memory, making users faster in the long run too. 3D viewing for supported programs This is a must for anyone interested in CADD, 3D modelling, or game modding in general. Being able to get a sense of scale for things you create in real time is such a liberating feeling and gives a literal new dimension to the work. Aside from productivity, even having something as crude as OVR toolkit in a VR/3D game is great for multitasking, even if it may be at odds with the touted immersion factor that VR is known for. Sharing desktop views with other users near seamlessly Something that's definitely going to become more commonplace in the future. With the benefits mentioned above, being able to have a unified workflow on a common project is going to be an indispensable tool, assuming it works as shown in the finished product. And this is just a prototype! I already have a growing list of features I want for this. "Big screen" mode that brings a window front and center, taking nearly your whole FOV. Other active programs can be viewed simply by craning your neck to look around the window that demands your most attention, look down at the bridge, or with HMDs that allow eye tracking, make the window transparent when trying to focus beyond it. Programs that can be docked to the keyboard if you prefer a more laptop/typewriter interface(ideal for messaging programs like Discord or Steam messenger) Custom Desktop environments(No brainer, you can do your work in a Mechanis Manufactorum with ambient mechanical loops, or a lush fantasy forest that changes with the time of day outside with the soft howl of wind and songs of birds in the distance depending on your mood.) Quick launch programs by pressing a single keystroke on the desktop environment with the icons displayed on the keyboard itself. Tiling windows in clusters that expand when they're in center view And that's just with KB+M as an input method! This combined with the Keymouse discussed earlier could give untold speed and productivity, and if you could have multiple cursors you can make Wesker's desktop setup in Resident Evil 4 a reality!(https://youtu.be/LiVvdNmU5r0?t=195) Two cursors could open up a lot of windows(Pun intended). Ross mentioned how he doesn't like the idea of icons in the corner to close programs. A more intuitive(not to mention fun) way to close programs could be to click it with both cursors next to each other, and tear it apart like a piece of paper, window resizing could be handled a similar way by clicking opposite ends of a window and constricting or expanding it with mutual mouse movement. Instead of clicking and dragging, both could be clicked concurrently and both cursors will square up based on relative position to each other. That's just off the top of my head. And this isn't even my ideal input method! Johnny Mnemonic, Minority Report, and Iron Man are closest to my ideal. What I want is a fantasy tech of haptic gloves that have some bit of resistance when interacting with a simulated surface. With that alone, not even a keyboard and mouse will be necessary, even if you like the ergonomics since virtual ones can be substituted easily if you prefer that, but more importantly, will open up to a myriad of gestures that can open programs. I want to tap on my desk and clear all active programs to a clean desktop environment. I want to snap my finger on my right hand to open a web browser, on my left hand to open a file directory, and both concurrently to open a game launcher. If I see something that makes me rage while browsing the internet, I want to pull an Elvis and shoot the offending window, or do a Kamehameha and watch it Derez like Tron Legacy. Navigating my computer should make me feel like a goddamn sorcerer. I don't know if this is anywhere near GUI enlightenment, but damn if it's not a shot.