

Value of Windowing is Questioned (1984) - decklin
http://www.nytimes.com/1984/12/25/science/value-of-windowing-is-questioned.html

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glabifrons
I find the timing interesting. It certainly sheds light on whether or not
Microsoft should own the trademark on "Windows", as it is obvious it is an
established generic term at the time by the way the article was written
("windows" is not in direct reference to Microsoft's product at all in the
article).

This is not news to me, mind you, as I remember painstakingly entering every
character of a long machine-language program into the monitor (call -151) of
my Apple //c back in the '80s, for a graphical "windows" system published in
Nibble Magazine (I really wanted a Cauzin strip reader!). This software was
merely interesting, not really useful without extensive work. You could do the
same sort of thing with a few pokes (defining the corners of the
printable/scrollable screen area), just without the fancy graphics. It had no
mouse support, relying on the keyboard for input and the software currently
running in a window to manage the contents of that window. Being hand-entered
from a magazine, I didn't exactly expect more. Still, it was fun to show
people at the time. :) Of course the software discussed in the article was far
more useful, but still probably not that much _at the time_.

I also remember the threats that Caldera made against Microsoft, saying they
had enough prior art to lift Microsoft's trademark. That certainly had some
interesting twists.

Later the suit between Microsoft and Lindows, which ended (interestingly) with
Microsoft buying the name from them.

I was curious of exactly when the trademark was applied for and given, and was
astonished how late (and mysterious) it was:

[http://www.geek.com/news/suit-seeks-to-strip-ms-of-
windows-t...](http://www.geek.com/news/suit-seeks-to-strip-ms-of-windows-
trademark-552275/)

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baxter001
I rarely make use of stacked windows, multiple virtual desktops and a tiling
window manager work much better for me, even then if I'm using two panes it's
almost always an editor in one and a shell to compile and run the other.

~~~
klutometis
What Erik describes in this paragraph is painfully apparent to me whenever I
see someone interact with such a stacked desktop:

"[W]indowing was to emulate the familiar, comforting desktop, a cluttered one
at that. But it is extremely difficult to use efficiently a system that
displays bits and pieces of documents . . . with just their edges sticking out
here and there to identify them."

Using e.g. StumpWM's windowlist, I can unambiguously navigate to some desired
window without guessing from partial information.

If it is the case, furthermore, that "windowing was to emulate the familiar,
comforting desktop;" I think it's a skeuomorphism that we can profitably
abandon.

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woah
After I stopped using Windows, I kind of stopped using windows. On Linux (and
my current computer, a Mac) multiple workspaces are smooth and easy enough to
set up that windows are a pain. I would rather have my applications organized,
taking up as much screen space as possible, and accessible with a quick swipe.

In the browser, I have tabs.

The only time I really use windows anymore is to drag things from one folder
to another, and even this would not be necessary if Mac's finder had a "view
extra pane" option, like Ubuntu's file explorer.

I find windows to be a clumsy waste of space. Agree with article.

~~~
danoprey
I largely agree but to predefined windows. For example, on Ubuntu Ctrl-Alt-9
snaps a window to the top right. I find this really useful to open a terminal,
text editor and video tutorial all at the same time and quickly snap them in
place.

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mcherm
I can't understand this at all. I use multiple windows quite frequently -- I
would estimate 40% of the time. Usually I have a document open in one window
that I am modifying and another window in which I am searching for information
-- browsing, reading other documents, etc. If I am consuming only (and not
generating content) then one window at a time suffices, but creating usually
requires me to have sources open and available. This is one of the reasons why
I can use tablets to consume content, but not really to generate it.

Am I unusual in this? Or perhaps is window use becoming less common because
people are producing less content, either because they become passive
consumers or because they are interactively engaging with systems (playing a
game, online banking, etc) instead of creating?

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m3rv
Published: December 25, 1984...

You really want to argue with worldview from past? (30 years ago!!!)

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Zigurd
The desktop metaphor was always more cute than useful. Multiple graphics
contexts is a useful software construct. But I think implementers fell in love
with the capability rather than take a cold hard look at user benefits. It
makes a nice demo: What should I drag with the mouse? Drag the papers around
your virtual desk.

