Wow: 3D operating system, Open Croquet

this looks real nice
i think this will shoot us into a new dimension of playing together

Robert,

While a 3D operating system certainly sounds nice how does that improve my working day to day? Does seeing the numbers in 3D format make me decide faster, or in some way make me see insights into those numbers any different than in a 2D format? The breakthorughs that the Excel team showed on Channel9 is something more of what I want to see. Make it easier for me to analyze the data and I do not believe that seeing the data in 3D format will in any way help me do that. Sorry.

I mean not to give you a hard time but sometimes I wonder if those people who think these things up will try to solve some of the really “hard problems” that Bill Gates mentioned on Channel9. These hard problems are creating a more natural interface. An interface that will naturally understand my voice when prompted. Imagine that interface transferred to other things such as a car. Now how would that change the world? I would imagine quite alot.

I really like the whole idea of a virtual world though. A place where we all can go to escape and create connections. That is a piece of software that is really going to take off. Although I am sure the folks at LucasArts would disagree since they are having such a hard time with Star Wars Galazies taking off.

You are lucky in that you get to see the neatest gadgets before any of the public does.

Richard: I believe so, yes. But it is a LONG way from being mass market. They showed a spreadsheet with a new kind of chart that, I think does let me see its data in a new way. But, if you focus on that you’d be missing the point. This stuff is a lot bigger deal than just an improved spreadsheet.

But, we’re years away from having it be a mass market thing. Even though it’ll have some pretty sizeable success in the next five years thanks to things like World of Warcraft and Second Life.

Hi,

Lots and lots of information and downloads which include some videos are available, this is open source openly licensed cross-platform software available at http://www.opencroquet.org/. Come and get it!

Thanks,
Preston Austin

Yeah, Croquet is pretty damn cool. Which chart was demo’ed? (Out of professional curiosity. Data display is something I spend a lot of time on).

Byron: it was a spreadsheet of numbers. I didn’t find out. That was a minor part of their demo.

Linking in 3D was a piece of cake with VRML.

Unfortunately, VRML never could find an audience.

Not impressed.. Just another 3D funny thing

Heh, you sound like me when I first discovered VRML in the 90′s. It’s the same as when you rave on and on about Second Life; I’m thinking ‘yup, cybertown’. (http://www.cybertown.com/)

Back then it was mainly the processor power holding us back, but there was another thing lacking:

a mouse, keyboard and 2d screen remains a lousy way to interact with a 3d world. ‘salright for a game MAYBE but it is clunky. HMDs are clunky. Solve the 3d interface problem and MS’ll be set for another decade of world domination.

Robert, I’m pretty sure it doesn’t exist… But, if you find an HD DVD of the movie “Disclosure” get it and pay REAL close attention to the scene where Michael Douglas goes into a VR world, interacts with a file system, retrieve docs, searches, and watches while someone else enters and begins trashing documents.

We may be closer to that than anyone realizes. VERY cool!

Robert:

“Sometimes I pinch myself at what I get to be among the first human beings to experience.”

From July 2004, at Smalltalk Solutions:

http://www.cincomsmalltalk.com/blog/blogView?showComments=true&entry=3235743262

It was also demonstrated at Smalltalk Solutions 2003, but I didn’t blog that conference.

Whoops, I can’t recall what I’ve blogged when. That was the 2003 Smalltalk Solutions show I blogged about Croquet, not 2004.

2003, huh? As Homer Simpson would say…. “D’oh!”

@2

“While a 3D operating system certainly sounds nice how does that improve my working day to day? Does seeing the numbers in 3D format make me decide faster, or in some way make me see insights into those numbers any different than in a 2D format? ”

What an astonishing lack of vision. What do the numbers represent? Most likely a model that can be rendered. Suppose you have a multivariate function you’re trying to get a grip on. You could build a surface and explore how the surface looks to gain insight into how your number behave.

Spreadsheets are too abstract – animate your data and make a simulation – then play with it and SEE what happens. Right now computers suck at exploring real world ideas because simulation takes a whole lot of custom programming and is beyond the skills of the average developer much less user.

Croquet is designed to allow people to create and explore worlds with real physics models and rapid model making and collaboration on the order of the web (Teatime sync protocol).

Just because you can’t see beyond MS Office doesn’t mean there’s nothing there. I imagine you probably would have asked “Rows and columns? how does that help me do arithmetic like I do with programming now?”

We don’t know yet. We know that computers suck. Maybe they can suck less. Innovation begets innovation. Lets try it and see.

Just Gave it a Digg – Hope this helps spread the word around

http://digg.com/programming/3D_Collaberative_Operating_System_Debuts

Scoble, while amazing, how would that be efficient as an OS for say a business or something? It to me looks like a game where you can walk around and do things. Maybe I haven’t looked far enough into it yet. Just my 2 cents for now.

Brian

It looks and demos real cool, until you start navigating around in it yourself. Go poke around in Second Life for awhile, then try messing around in Croquet–it’s painful. There’s no denying that it’s sexy, but I think it’s an awful metaphor for several types of computing. Having said that, I think that it could be great for simulations.

They show 3d used for collaboration a lot. Is that supposed to be cool? Because I cannot feel for it. For collaboration you can use Groove, or OneNote, or Communicator, or SharePoint, or even Excel’s shared spreadsheets – none requires 3d and all work today.

I’m really glad you found the demo compelling, Robert. I’m hopeful that Croquet might soon be ready for prime time. It has had a long gestation, though – Lisa Rein has a nice writeup of Alan Kay’s demo of an earlier version of the system at the 2003 ETech. (http://www.lisarein.com/alankay/tour.html) I remember being blown away by the demo, but then downloading the system and discovering I couldn’t do very much without learning an enormous amount about the underlying system. I think the product is far more mature than that now, but is still going to require someone – either the existing developers, or another group of geeks – to build some applications on top of the OS… and possibly some middleware as well. (Great to see you, BTW…)

nothing can beat the sun looking glass project

http://www.irin.co.uk

So..you gonna get MS to buy this technology for Vienna?

*nudge*nudge*

So..you gonna get MS to buy this technology for Vienna?

*nudge*nudge*

This creative work won’t just get left alone! I expect Microsoft to feature built in 3D world within its next operating system!

3D operating systems: Old, tried and failed far too many times, not an innovative or productive use of time.

Peer to peer worlds: THIS is cool. A MMORPG without servers! Local worlds, no downtime, etc. Very sweet.

3D operating systems: Old, tried and failed far too many times, not an innovative or productive use of time.

Peer to peer worlds: THIS is cool. A MMORPG without servers! Local worlds, no downtime, etc. Very sweet.