The Strategic View

There have been tons of variations on file exploration. An OS is, largely, a system that allows you to manipulate the files on your computer (and related volumes). In fact thats pretty much the definition of a computer.

There are several moments when you need access to the file system: the document launch, the task switch, and the document compare. Lastly, there is housekeeping -- the manipulation (move, transport, deletion) of files and directories for their own sake.

File Launch

I dont have a lot to add to this that hasn't been done elsewhere. I think the MicrOSX system works pretty well in this regard. The only thing I would like to see in this arena is more seperation between folders and files. They are distinct and should be independantly viewable and scrollable within the same root directory.

Also, why does the desktop have to be behind everything? I would rather that the documents be at the bottom of the "stack" and that the file system overlay the interface. that way you can still refer to the open windows and even click back into them.

Task Switch

The Mac OS is clearly superior in this regard. However I do find the zoomout implementation a bit vertigo inducing. This is a natural side effect of the fact that they focus on giving you window imagery to choose from. This is a natural side effect of the inevitable weakness of windows: they cover each other up.

I would like to see an "X-ray" list of document titlebars, in parallel with a list of open documents. I find it astonishing that neither vendor has provided this. OSX almost goes there with "documents opened today" but even that isn't integrated into the "Zoomout" mode.

This is what I would like in a task switcher:

I am fine with not having visual feedback on all open documents simultaneously -- to me, that is information overload. If you want to see a document, you can always hover over its toolbar or listing in the open files spreadsheet view. Switching between "X ray mode" and the current destop would be much less vertigo-inducing.