31 December 2006
OLPC Sugar Desktop Most Innovative
Probably the most innovative and interesting thing about the One Laptop Per Child project is the desktop, nicknamed Sugar, that has been designed for the systems. The system was designed to be the best option for the collaborative environment that they will operate in.
The display is built as a zoom with four frames. Each frame is for one purpose. The frames include a home, friends, neighborhood and activity frame.
The first frame is the home frame and is the starting point where all activities begin. From here the user can focus on friends then the neighborhood or begin a specific activity. This display centers on a stick figure which represents the user. This is surrounded by a ring which show the activities the user is currently working on. The amount of the ring that each task takes shows the amount of memory that is being used. This makes it easy to see when the person is running out of memory. Users can start, end and switch activities from this view.
The next frame is the friends frames. This frame consists of colored stick figures that each represent a person that the user has included as a friend in sort of buddy list. These figures can be moved and arranged to form groups any way the user likes. This view also shows which activities the friends are doing and allows the user to join their friend's non-private activities. For an educational environment or even a business one, this is a very good idea and makes collaboration very efficient and fast.
The third frame is the neighborhood. From here the user can see everyone that can be seen from the wireless link. Again stick figures are used, but this time they are clustered around the current activity they are using. Again it is easy for users to collaborate on activities in the same way as from the friends view.
Lastly there is the activity frame. This is where the user can work on whatever task they like. This display avoids multitasking which is so common in modern operating systems and devotes the full view to one activity at a time. While I wouldn't say it is a good idea in most environments, for children devoting their time to learning, this can be very good in avoiding distractions. The small screen size of the laptops also leave little room to view more than one activity at a time.
Each of the frames is built the view in the center with the sides devoted to different parts. The bottom represents possible actions while objects, places and people are devoted to the sides and top.
In the people section is a list of all the people that the user is currently working with. This still uses the standard colored stick figure and allows the person to see details such as name, age, interests, and a small photo of the person.
Places includes the features of changing the zoom level as well as listing a bulletin-board. This is the navigation feature between frames on the laptop
Objects is a clipboard which users can put files or text into and copy them to other locations such as the bulletin board or a friend in order to send the file. This allows for the standard keyboard shortcuts or a drag and drop interface for dealing with clipboard items.
Activities acts as an activity launcher, but also includes invitations and notifications. Colored activities and invitations match the color of the person who sent the invitation or is running the application. Local applications are grey.
The bulletin board is exactly the same as it is in reality. It offers a place for pictures or work to be place to share with others around.
After looking at the layout and structure of this desktop, I would recommend a slightly modified version of the desktop for most people and businesses as it is very effective and efficient. The only think lacking is the multiuser features that is needed and common in current desktops. People with children should consider this setup as it provides a very straightforward interface for children that would require very little from parents to help the child use the interface. It would be even more fun for children and children can have even more fun while learning, especially if this desktop were used in a school setting on a normal system. This is not just something for developing countries' schools, but can be a great educational aid for all schools.
The display is built as a zoom with four frames. Each frame is for one purpose. The frames include a home, friends, neighborhood and activity frame.
The first frame is the home frame and is the starting point where all activities begin. From here the user can focus on friends then the neighborhood or begin a specific activity. This display centers on a stick figure which represents the user. This is surrounded by a ring which show the activities the user is currently working on. The amount of the ring that each task takes shows the amount of memory that is being used. This makes it easy to see when the person is running out of memory. Users can start, end and switch activities from this view.
The next frame is the friends frames. This frame consists of colored stick figures that each represent a person that the user has included as a friend in sort of buddy list. These figures can be moved and arranged to form groups any way the user likes. This view also shows which activities the friends are doing and allows the user to join their friend's non-private activities. For an educational environment or even a business one, this is a very good idea and makes collaboration very efficient and fast.
The third frame is the neighborhood. From here the user can see everyone that can be seen from the wireless link. Again stick figures are used, but this time they are clustered around the current activity they are using. Again it is easy for users to collaborate on activities in the same way as from the friends view.
Lastly there is the activity frame. This is where the user can work on whatever task they like. This display avoids multitasking which is so common in modern operating systems and devotes the full view to one activity at a time. While I wouldn't say it is a good idea in most environments, for children devoting their time to learning, this can be very good in avoiding distractions. The small screen size of the laptops also leave little room to view more than one activity at a time.
Each of the frames is built the view in the center with the sides devoted to different parts. The bottom represents possible actions while objects, places and people are devoted to the sides and top.
In the people section is a list of all the people that the user is currently working with. This still uses the standard colored stick figure and allows the person to see details such as name, age, interests, and a small photo of the person.
Places includes the features of changing the zoom level as well as listing a bulletin-board. This is the navigation feature between frames on the laptop
Objects is a clipboard which users can put files or text into and copy them to other locations such as the bulletin board or a friend in order to send the file. This allows for the standard keyboard shortcuts or a drag and drop interface for dealing with clipboard items.
Activities acts as an activity launcher, but also includes invitations and notifications. Colored activities and invitations match the color of the person who sent the invitation or is running the application. Local applications are grey.
The bulletin board is exactly the same as it is in reality. It offers a place for pictures or work to be place to share with others around.
After looking at the layout and structure of this desktop, I would recommend a slightly modified version of the desktop for most people and businesses as it is very effective and efficient. The only think lacking is the multiuser features that is needed and common in current desktops. People with children should consider this setup as it provides a very straightforward interface for children that would require very little from parents to help the child use the interface. It would be even more fun for children and children can have even more fun while learning, especially if this desktop were used in a school setting on a normal system. This is not just something for developing countries' schools, but can be a great educational aid for all schools.
