Excalibur: The Lost post-Longhorn Tier, *Sigh*, yet ANOTHER tier! Options

[Stephen]

According to a slide regarding Longhorn, which I found in an internal, NDA-bound presentation from 2004 presented by a major PC Vendor, there was a tier planned above Aero named Excalibur. Not to be confused with Longhorn MCE's "Aero Diamond" or any variation thereof, Excalibur was the name of the tier that will speculatively be unveiled in, what is now, Windows Vienna. With all the speculation of Aero Diamond and Vector Glass, Excalibur gives us one more teir to theorize and inquire about. Did Excalibur rebirth into some variation of what we now know to be Aero Diamond? Perhaps, but with the notion that "Aero Diamond" was to appear in RTM back before Longhorn was nixed and reformed, since a date (2007) is appearing next to Excalibur in the slide, I think this goes to show just how much and how long Microsoft has been thinking "radical interface" (and undoubtably toying with) up to this point. Let's hear your thoughts.

Source: In-house
View: (Click image below to view the slide)


This post has been edited by Bryant: Oct 24 2006, 08:52 PM

[Guest_casablanca_*]

Intresting slide. Personaly, Vienna (If it is supposed to be there) will have a whole new UI, so it will be intresting to see how it'll turn out when we see it.

[stooovie]

Intresting slide. Personaly, Vienna (If it is supposed to be there) will have a whole new UI, so it will be intresting to see how it'll turn out when we see it.

Hmm, that's what we thought of Vista as well. My bet is that Vienna will have basically the same interface we are seeing since 1995, with another effects and ho-hum branding elements bolted on top of it. Shell team will once again argue that average Joe would not comprehend any major change, so here we go.

[Bruno Silva]

This is somehow expected, not only for the UI but also for other technologies that MS is developing, they will introduce changes gradualy that way they won't scare the common users with such things as a 3D interface.

[ark_mage2]

Hmm, that's what we thought of Vista as well. My bet is that Vienna will have basically the same interface we are seeing since 1995, with another effects and ho-hum branding elements bolted on top of it. Shell team will once again argue that average Joe would not comprehend any major change, so here we go.

unfortunately, you are probably right.

[Stephen]

Intresting slide. Personaly, Vienna (If it is supposed to be there) will have a whole new UI, so it will be intresting to see how it'll turn out when we see it.

Hmm, that's what we thought of Vista as well. My bet is that Vienna will have basically the same interface we are seeing since 1995, with another effects and ho-hum branding elements bolted on top of it. Shell team will once again argue that average Joe would not comprehend any major change, so here we go.

I can agree with you on this but what if they offer the choice. That would be the happy-medium, I believe. Imagine: explorer.exe or explorer3d.exe or something to that effect, based on the experience you select through themes or logging in or what have you. I'd like to think they would take the choice approach this time around since they should undoubtably have the technology stable and finalized by then (seeing it as it's already been developed.)

[nexus]

Seems everyone forgot this might just be the name for the direct x 10 version of Aero thats supposed to come with R2 (as SM3.0 dx9 is for AD) . seems everyone is forgeting about r2 these days

[Stephen]

Seems everyone forgot this might just be the name for the direct x 10 version of Aero thats supposed to come with R2 (as SM3.0 dx9 is for AD) . seems everyone is forgeting about r2 these days

With how much Vista had delayed, removed, changed, etc., I don't think people are following too closely to the "supposed to's" with r2... much less Vienna. This post was merely regarding another slot up on the hill of tiers. Suffice it to say, it was obviously a codename for the next-gen UI but would that lend to the notion that Microsoft had their next-generation UI in-store for post-Longhorn even before they cancelled it and started Vista? Depending on when in 2004 this was created, at the time, Longhorn was still supposed to contain then next-generation UI by RTM. It could mean a lot of things... and lord only knows what you might come up with, Nexus, lol. You and Utaks = kings of conspiricy theories and speculation.

[Rhys]

The way it looks in that presentation it appears to be just another graphics tier on top of Explorer, not something completely new, like a 3D UI.

Still, I hope we see some of this someday...

[Karl]

I can agree with you on this but what if they offer the choice. That would be the happy-medium, I believe. Imagine: explorer.exe or explorer3d.exe or something to that effect, based on the experience you select through themes or logging in or what have you. I'd like to think they would take the choice approach this time around since they should undoubtably have the technology stable and finalized by then (seeing it as it's already been developed.)

Won't happen. Offering two entirely different experiences is not good practice.

[Stephen]

I can agree with you on this but what if they offer the choice. That would be the happy-medium, I believe. Imagine: explorer.exe or explorer3d.exe or something to that effect, based on the experience you select through themes or logging in or what have you. I'd like to think they would take the choice approach this time around since they should undoubtably have the technology stable and finalized by then (seeing it as it's already been developed.)

Won't happen. Offering two entirely different experiences is not good practice.

I iterated my point incorrectly. I meant offer in a way so as to not make it so cut and dry, yet at the same time, make it cut and dry, lol. Basically, like the differences with the tiers that currently exist. Make the transition as seemless. Now... do I think we're going to see a UI like this 3D deskspace and all this other wacky stuff? Nah. I'm interested in seeing what they end up coming up with, though. But, see... I've got a feeling that Microsoft will end up getting a run for their money in terms of ideas. Just think of how limitless WinFX/WPF/etc. is... just imagine all the possibilities and all the things people will inevitably create INCLUDING (potentially, but it seems highly possible) a 3D shell. We already saw a couple created for XP but the ease (relatively speaking) of creating something like that with Vista will be there for people who have the aptitude, interest, and creativity to do as such.

I think Microsoft may be waiting to see what happens with Vista before they determine just how far to take the UI and UX with R2/Vienna/etc. Who knows, though.

[Karl]

Enhancing the current model with 3D effects and stuff like that is perfectly possible. But only so long as it fits the current shell paradigm.

[AlphaAddict]

Reminds me of the task gallery concept , With WPF and XAML adding 3d content is easy i just hope whatever we get its well thought out and intuitive

[stooovie]

I don't think a new shell should be necessarilly 3D, in fact I very much doubt we will ever see an usable 3D shell with existing display technologies. There are simply too many problems navigating in pseudo 3D space, and almost no advantages IMHO.

Current Windows shell has a lot of room for improvement as it is, no need of making matters even more complicated by adding a third dimension. MS should make KISS their mantra. "Clarity" is a joke with endless plethora of overlapping little non-resizable windows and panels in Vista. Almost every aspect of Vista UI is compromised in one way or another. Getting rid of this is the key, not adding 3D.

[raskren]

Imagevenue has porn links all around the picture of the tiers. Definitely not work safe. Can this be hosted somewhere else?