OSNews: http://www.osnews.com/story/19318/Microsoft_Research_s_InkSeine_Coming_This_Friday Exploring the Future of Computing en-us Copyright 2001-2009, David Adams adam+nospam@osnews.com Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:46:45 GMT http://www.osnews.com/images/osnews.gif OSNews.com http://www.osnews.com :o http://osnews.com/thread?300354 http://osnews.com/thread?300354 This is just too cool. Seriously.

This is the first ever time in my life where I thought, hey, a tablet PC can actually be useful! Sun, 10 Feb 2008 22:27:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Thom_Holwerda) Comments Directional menus http://osnews.com/thread?300357 http://osnews.com/thread?300357 The most interesting bit (not the FIRST bit, but) is the 'directional marking menu.' That's a really logical extension of the tablet platform, and while it's been done before (in games), it seems like it'd be a practical way for storing lots of commands.

Besides the directional marking menus, command line enthusiasts can take joy in that this could conceivably be used to make any part of the screen where you can write a "command line:" write, circle, execute.

Here's to the tool ring one day replacing the Start button! Sun, 10 Feb 2008 22:33:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Almafeta) Comments Go Computers http://osnews.com/thread?300358 http://osnews.com/thread?300358 Of-course if Microsoft had not killed off Go Computers years ago with it's blitz about Pen-Windows doing it all in the first place. There would be a good chance that all these features would already be available in a commercial product today!

Most of what Microsoft claims it invented was really developed be Go over 15 years ago.

Check out http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0REL/is_n1_v91/ai_9379872/pg... for an example.

PS. Notice how fast Microsoft dropped extending Pen Windows once Go went out of business. Sun, 10 Feb 2008 22:46:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Earl Colby pottinger) Comments RE: :o http://osnews.com/thread?300380 http://osnews.com/thread?300380 The question then just begs to be asked, when will it be available for the broader public? Even the MSDN would be cool.. Mon, 11 Feb 2008 01:32:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (de_wizze) Comments What they really need now is http://osnews.com/thread?300388 http://osnews.com/thread?300388 A new user interface. I think it is incredibly ridiculous to have a mouse cursor based interface with a tablet. You need an interface for the pen. Some of the ideas here could go towards that. Mon, 11 Feb 2008 02:56:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Jesuspower) Comments Parts of BeOS GUI there? http://osnews.com/thread?300427 http://osnews.com/thread?300427 Is it just my imagination or did i just saw parts of BeOS GUI there? ;) .

Anyway, i don't like idea of pen-only based device. It would be great if it was multi-touch screen AND pen. There's nothing better for operating GUI than fingers ;) .
But pen is better for writing text (maybe it's just because when we learn to write in early childhood, we use pen?).

Circle-based pop-up menus, and icons are already in use in games and some applications (there was even add-on for Firefox IIRC) so not much "new" there.

If nothing else, maybe this project will let them find out how to make really (or just a bit more than today) user-friendly interface. Mon, 11 Feb 2008 10:17:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (ahwayakchih) Comments RE: Go Computers http://osnews.com/thread?300428 http://osnews.com/thread?300428 It's a well worn tactic. Promise features that you know you're never going to produce in order to make your competitor's customers wait for what you have. Wait until your competitor leaves the market or goes out of business and then drop all mention of what you were going to do. Mon, 11 Feb 2008 10:18:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (segedunum) Comments Random Speculation http://osnews.com/thread?300445 http://osnews.com/thread?300445
InkSeine is a research demonstration only, and is not a Microsoft product, nor is it intended to become a product. It is just something we built as a pure research project to explore novel pen and ink functionality.


Ok, so how about open sourcing it on codeplex under the MS-RL, MS-PL, or one of the limited equivalents? Probably wishful thinking, but wouldn't this kind of thing, and maybe the powertoys, be the kind of image enhancing thing they are looking for? Aren't they talking about creating a open source software ecosystem around Windows?

Anyway, this is just some random questions. I guess we'll find out more when the thing is released in a couple of days.

Also, here is the actual homepage with more information.

http://research.microsoft.com/users/kenh/InkSeine/ Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:49:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Flatland_Spider) Comments RE: What they really need now is http://osnews.com/thread?300446 http://osnews.com/thread?300446 I agree. The paradigm has changed with the pen, but the UI devs still treat it like a mouse. It's understandable why they do that, but that way of thinking is really limiting.

It's not like this wouldn't transfer over to the a desktop with a wacom tablet. Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:52:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Flatland_Spider) Comments RE[2]: Go Computers http://osnews.com/thread?300449 http://osnews.com/thread?300449 "InkSeine is a research demonstration only, and is not a Microsoft product, nor is it intended to become a product. It is just something we built as a pure research project to explore novel pen and ink functionality."

Yeah, that sounds like a feature they're 'promising'!
They explicitly mention that they have no plans for a product. Didn't even bother reading the summary, did you?!Edited 2008-02-11 15:52 UTC Mon, 11 Feb 2008 15:52:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (linumax) Comments RE: Random Speculation http://osnews.com/thread?300454 http://osnews.com/thread?300454 MS Research is very different from their open source stuff. Research is to come up with ideas to use in other products. Open source is used to help strengthen existing developer communities around their platform products. MS doesn't open source anything for reasons other then that. Mon, 11 Feb 2008 16:40:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (google_ninja) Comments RE[3]: Go Computers http://osnews.com/thread?300455 http://osnews.com/thread?300455 The parent was talking about Microsoft's tactics in killing off Go Computers.

Read. Comprehend. Reply.

In that order, please. Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:00:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (monodeldiablo) Comments RE: Go Computers http://osnews.com/thread?300458 http://osnews.com/thread?300458 Well it's not like Microsoft invented the "tabletPC" itself either...
http://www.atarimuseum.com/computers/16bits/stpad.html Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:06:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (mmu_man) Comments