Apple Granted Patent On Cover Flow-Like 3D Desktop

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Hasn't the whole 3D desktop thing been done a bunch of times already? Besides, I thought the reason no one used a 3D desktop is because they sucked. Who knows, maybe Apple's version will be better than all the past attempts.

According to the patent's detailed description, a user can tilt the computer to present the three-dimensional desktop "with a raised view level, such that desktop items behind the browsable parade are revealed." This action not only allows for a more immersive interactive experience, but increases viewable desktop space and aids in navigating the UI.
 
Doesn't Aero do this? With the Windows Key + Tab? Though I guess it's not usable in that state.
 
Isn't there something similar with Linux like Compiz?

And, there was something like that for Windows like DeskSpace.

I always thought they were cool but gimicky. (And, at times, buggy in older versions.)
 
Doesn't Aero do this? With the Windows Key + Tab? Though I guess it's not usable in that state.

No, it's nothing like that. They look the same and do the same thing, but are different. The difference is because Apple invented it "first".
End of story. ;)
 
No, it's nothing like that. They look the same and do the same thing, but are different. The difference is because Apple invented it "first".
End of story. ;)

Yes, this.

Same, but not. Inventions. Innovations.
 
I remember using BumpTop a few years with a tablet PC. Not a bad piece of software. Seems they got acquired by Google and no longer sell the product though.
 
BTW, you can still do this in Win 7 using Ctrl-Winkey-Tab. Not sure about Win 8.
 
Hasn't the whole 3D desktop thing been done a bunch of times already? Besides, I thought the reason no one used a 3D desktop is because they sucked. Who knows, maybe Apple's version will be better than all the past attempts.
It has been done to death, and it will still suck, but this is Apple we're talking about here. It will sell millions of new products because their specialty is taking old ideas and making people think it's the most awesome new innovation ever.
 
When your company is struggling to innovate, and keep up with everyone else, turn it into a patent troll.
 
When your company is struggling to innovate, and keep up with everyone else, turn it into a patent troll.
Apple took the twenty-second slot among the top 50 patent assignees in 2012. Samsung was second; Microsoft sixth; Google twenty-first.

Apple's having a difficult time keeping up with everyone else with respect to patent filings.
 
When your company is struggling to innovate, and keep up with everyone else, turn it into a patent troll.

Come on... owning patents != being a patent troll. In fact, it usually means you're innovating faster.
 
The only thing that hasn't been done (at least I haven't seen it) is a carousel like desktop where you move between the monitors in a rotary fashion. IE: You have three monitors, #1, #2, and #3. You have #2 set as the primary (taskbar, etc). By rotating in one direction - we'll say left - all apps displayed on #3 show up on #2, all apps on #1 show up on #3, etc. Kinda like rotating your desktop. Similar to Android.
 
The only thing that hasn't been done (at least I haven't seen it) is a carousel like desktop where you move between the monitors in a rotary fashion. IE: You have three monitors, #1, #2, and #3. You have #2 set as the primary (taskbar, etc). By rotating in one direction - we'll say left - all apps displayed on #3 show up on #2, all apps on #1 show up on #3, etc. Kinda like rotating your desktop. Similar to Android.

** while the taskbar/etc stays in the same place (#2 in this example).
 
No, it's nothing like that. They look the same and do the same thing, but are different. The difference is because Apple invented it "first".
End of story. ;)

Look, the desktop gets messy. SInce the advent of 3d, lots of people have been trying to make use of it to organize the desktop in a better manner and failing horribly. I don't see apple's attempt here being any better than the rest, but it IS different enough to patent in that it operates the method, potentially, via new I/O methods that are not a keyboard and mouse.

Not everything has to be radically new to be patented, although I would largely categorize this one as an improvement patent at best regardless of what the official patent system seems to think.
 
HOLD.
THE.
PHONE.

This is a design patent. it means nothing, folks. Essentially, unless someone has done it EXACTLY the same way, it's valid, and unless someone in the future does it EXACTLY the same way, visually, there's no infringement. i.e, since this is a horizontal cover flow, if someone did it vertically, no infringement.

Design patents are just not worth much, and are usually used to cement ownership in a Trade dress that is otherwise kind of hard to define.
 

1) It involves input methods other than just a keyboard.

2) It appears to also involve methods for organizing and manipulating the desktop that go well beyond the "pick a window" capability of the Flip 3D thing. It also seems to go well beyond being 3d eye candy glued on to virtual desktop spaces that you already have available on OSX and windows.

From the description though, I have trouble seeing at as anything other than a looks cool but is annoying type of feature on a desktop as it will involve more work to achieve essentially the same results you already get by easier methods. For tablets and other purely touch devices, I could see it potentially providing a usable interface to do something they currently do poorly or not at all. Cumbersome can beat non-existant, it seldom beats more efficient and easier.
 
1) It involves input methods other than just a keyboard.

2) It appears to also involve methods for organizing and manipulating the desktop that go well beyond the "pick a window" capability of the Flip 3D thing. It also seems to go well beyond being 3d eye candy glued on to virtual desktop spaces that you already have available on OSX and windows.

From the description though, I have trouble seeing at as anything other than a looks cool but is annoying type of feature on a desktop as it will involve more work to achieve essentially the same results you already get by easier methods. For tablets and other purely touch devices, I could see it potentially providing a usable interface to do something they currently do poorly or not at all. Cumbersome can beat non-existant, it seldom beats more efficient and easier.
See the comment above yours.
 
So, Apple is taking years old ideas and putting them in patents? I wonder what pre-existing devices they are looking to troll?
 
Apple took the twenty-second slot among the top 50 patent assignees in 2012. Samsung was second; Microsoft sixth; Google twenty-first.

Apple's having a difficult time keeping up with everyone else with respect to patent filings.

And most of apples patents should have been invalid since they are prior art.
 
I remember running 3 different 3d desktops on a Suse install 10+ years ago.
One was a sphere that flattened when you zoomed in, one was a sphere that stayed a bit rounded when zoomed in, and one was a six sided cube you hit the windows button to move then spun with mouse movements, the screen could be made flat again or you could get a bit distorted from looking at different angles of the cube.
Honestly I didn't care much for any of them.
I wonder if Apple is going to come up with something new, or rip one of those as their own idea and say its new because they merged it with a curved screen.
Pretty sure its not going to be something new, usually isn't.
I wonder which its going to be?
 
1) It involves input methods other than just a keyboard.

2) It appears to also involve methods for organizing and manipulating the desktop that go well beyond the "pick a window" capability of the Flip 3D thing. It also seems to go well beyond being 3d eye candy glued on to virtual desktop spaces that you already have available on OSX and windows.

From the description though, I have trouble seeing at as anything other than a looks cool but is annoying type of feature on a desktop as it will involve more work to achieve essentially the same results you already get by easier methods. For tablets and other purely touch devices, I could see it potentially providing a usable interface to do something they currently do poorly or not at all. Cumbersome can beat non-existant, it seldom beats more efficient and easier.
either you're the only one who read the patent or people really are just that biased that they can't differentiate between keyboard shortcuts expanding windows out like an accordion and moving an actual device to literally interact with a three dimensional desktop
 
i hate cover flow.

also, by reading the patent it seems to be more like an extension of the io7 feature of parallax motion, with no mention of patenting coverflow aspects, just maybe displaying the aspects with coverflow examples.

i would like a desktop (primarily a single user device) to track my eyes and yield a 3d deep view.
 
Come on... owning patents != being a patent troll. In fact, it usually means you're innovating faster.

"Owning patents" does make you a troll because it means you are incapable of competing without an illegitimate state-granted monopoly.

I wouldn't expect an IP shyster to understand since you make money by extorting other people.
 
"Owning patents" does make you a troll because it means you are incapable of competing without an illegitimate state-granted monopoly.

I wouldn't expect an IP shyster to understand since you make money by extorting other people.

Oh you...
I make money by tearing down bad patents to make sure that generic pharmaceuticals can get to market sooner and cheaper, and to make sure that the Big Pharma patents are legit and should have been granted. Google the "Hatch Waxman Act" or "ANDA Litigation" for more info.
I think you should also do some research about what the patent system is for. HINT: It's not about competition, jobs, the market or anything else. It's about spurring innovation by preventing copying.


Maybe personal attacks and painting with such a broad brush isn't as good an idea as you think.
 
I remember using BumpTop a few years with a tablet PC. Not a bad piece of software. Seems they got acquired by Google and no longer sell the product though.
Bumptop was awesome and far advanced for it's time! I keep waiting for Google to implement it into their Android software.
 
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