after a long and heated debate with JJ. I think we have decided that having to separate letters to do the same thing would be kind of dumb. As in ctrl n would be a new window, but windows e would do the same thing. Does't make much sense. Instead the windows key shouold forward those commands to the shell (finder type thing). so if the shell command is ctrl n then windows n will do the same thing from anywhere in the system. And ctrl k will do the same thing as windows k. And for those few things not controlled by the shell, like logout and restart and stuff will have their own specific windows + key. that ctrl + key will not work in the shell.... but they can't conflict. So if ctrl + s is save in the shell (not sure what u can save in the finder like thing) then windows s cannot be shutdown. it must be save.
I think that makes the most sense.
Now when u just hit the windows button down and let go it will open something like this:
http://www.skinner.com/jeffberg/files/f10/(note from Orethrius:
link is dead, no forwarding address)the first picture is when u first open it (press the windows key) the second picture shows the live search (as u type in letters it narrows down ur apps) now to keep the non apps function available visually, we would have hardcoded shutdown and restart and logout command in there at the top. However once you start searching they act like normal programs. So when i first open it, all the hard coded ones will be the top row. Then when I hit "in" to open IE they will disappear just like all of the other icons that don't match in would. Now if i searched for "shut" then they weould disappear except for shutdown. Make sense?
I think this is the most intuitive and simple way to get the best of both worlds. Easy to remember system wide shortcuts and a nice visual way to launch apps.
for more info on f10 go here:
http://www.chronosnet.com/&/products/f10/f10_product.html(note from Orethrius:
link is dead, Archive.org)P.S. I do not insist that this OS be an OSX clone. but I do want a couple of things from OSX. Like the universal menu bar at the top, and a dock that can act like OSX (alghough it doesn't have to act "only" like OSX... it should be able to be set like OSX's)
Then another request is an OS 9 based finder (shell). AKA no folder can be open in 2 windows at the same time. Also it would save the folder size and placement setting not in.ds_Store or desktop.ini's but in the folders meta data. I also think Meta data on this FS would be good.
P.S.S. I resent being called as dense as a neutron star. JJ made no hint as to the windows key having another function. When he said it will work exactly like windows. that registered to me as it will work exactly how windows works when u do windows + e or whatever. There was no statement or hint to a different function of this key
P.S.S.S.
Me and JJ also shortly discussed the possibility of making this a 64 bit OS. the transition will happen soon, Might as well do it.
jeffberg over and out
[ September 25, 2003: Message edited by: jeffberg: Mac Capitalist ]
