I just downloaded and installed Beryl on my Ubuntu desktop and OMFG! Is it cool! The window effects, the zoom, focus and not to mention the 3D desktop cube – you have to see it to really appreciate it! Br4x had been telling me about it, and it sounded cool from what I had read online – but as I just stated – you have to see it.
The themes that come with it are outstanding as well, and I can’t say that I will miss the Ubuntu Brown.
Now the Dell is selling Ubuntu desktops & lappies, I wonder how that will make a difference in the world of Linux and joe-consumer. Dell is big. Real big, bigger than Gateway methinks – my experience with Dell is that they are a better machine. Although I have to say the elcheapo craptastic monitors we got at work from Dell, suck big-time! A ton have failed, and were replaced with even cheaper POS’s.
Any way, I’m getting off track. I’m no where near an expert on Beryl, or Ubuntu for that matter – but this is the coolest thing I have seen in a while.
Speaking of off track
I just saw the latest Microsoft initiative today too. Microsoft Surface.
Some of you may remember the TED presentation Jeff Han did a couple years ago about mutli-touch interfaces. If not, check it out – very sweet. This is very much like that, in fact it makes me wonder if it is not exactly the same thing – maybe they swallowed Han up to move this forward. Dunno. But it’s still out there as far as sweet interfaces go.
Last year Han jumped into the Startr-ups world with Perceptive Pixel, but there isn’t much to the site really. Regardless, the potential for this sort of technology and interface is very 24th century, and I can’t wait to see how it progresses. Hopefully it will wind up being more than a couple of cool start-ups and a micro-site. You know, kinda like the last thing Microsoft tried to flail out there before it was ready? Remember origamiproject.com? The site has changed now from the micro-site, but it still hasn’t gone anywhere.
I just love this stuff though. Watch the vids on the MS site too, they are very worth while. Then take a look at this image (Br4x found it on digg).