
Zoomable User Interfaces  - kqr2
http://www.usabilitypost.com/2009/02/09/zoomable-user-interfaces/
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alabut
One could argue that OS X already has a basic implementation of this with
Exposé - work down at the single window level, then zoom up to the all-windows
view, zoom back down, etc. It even combines with Spaces well - you can trigger
both Spaces and Exposé at the same time to scour through windows on all the
desktops.

There's also a feature exactly like the type of zooming described in the blog
post and demoed in the flash prototype, you can turn on Zoom from the
Universal Access Preference Pane, but it's something that I typically only use
to check colors or graphics when designing layouts, it's not nearly as usable
as Exposé + Spaces.

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rivo
There is lots of research on zoomable user interfaces. A variation is detail-
in-context interfaces where the points of interest are magnified while the
rest is compressed. The OS X icon bar is a good example. Check out
[http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~sheelagh/wiki/pmwiki.php?n=Ma...](http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~sheelagh/wiki/pmwiki.php?n=Main.Thesis)
(contains many references to ZUI research as well) It's been suggested to use
a trackball with your left hand to zoom in and out while keeping the mouse in
your right hand (vice versa for left-handed people). I'd like to see that
happen.

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TrevorJ
This would be killer on the iphone because with the accelerometer you could
physically move the phone around the surface of your virtual desktop to reveal
different areas of it.

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speek
ZUIs are really exciting. I'm actually working on a project that uses ZUIs to
help people visualize large amounts of data.

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thomasfl
Mousewheel zoom doesn't work with my Microsoft IntelliMouse. Mabye it's
because I use it with a Mac...

