Ubuntu 12.04 to replace traditional menus with new HUD

[Leeky]

Ubuntu is set to replace the traditional menu system with a head-up display (HUD), enabling users to type or speak commands in its upcoming April 2012 long term support (LTS) release of the popular Linux distribution. Rather than using the traditional drop down menu, the Ubuntu HUD uses a transparent text box in which you can type or speak what you want to do to perform actions or tasks.

Canonical founder and former CEO Mark Shuttleworth announced the new feature on his blog. "The core idea [of HUD] is to get to a world where people can direct an application to do what they want," he said. "Having stated your intent, the application leads you down a simple journey to get that done."

It will use fuzzy matching and learns commands from past usage to ensure it returns the correct result during searches on the first time. Over time it will also prioritize tasks you perform more frequently when results are displayed. The feature uses a vocabulary UI, or VUI as Ubuntu is calling it, that is supposedly closer to the way users think. Shuttleworth says the tree is no longer important, what's important is the efficiency of the match between what the user says, and the commands the operating system offers up for invocation.

One major drawback would be for beginners, the company acknowledged, who could struggle without a menu in which to search if the exact commands are unknown. But they firmly believe the benefits outweigh the disadvantages in this scenario.

"Searching is fast and familiar, especially once we integrate voice recognition, gesture and touch. We want to make it easy to talk to any application, and for any application to respond to your voice. The full integration of voice into applications will take some time. We can start by mapping voice onto the existing menu structures of your apps. And it will only get better from there," Shuttleworth further commented.

He believes that even without voice support, the HUD is faster than browsing through the drop down menus using a mouse, and more simple than using hotkey’s which can change between different applications.

There is no doubt that the drop down menu system has remained the one constant feature that has continued to be integral to operating systems as they have advanced over the years. That said, it is "tried and tested" and used universally across every platform. The HUD marks a complete fundamental change in the way we interact with the computer.

It raises an interesting question about how users will be interacting with their computers in the next 10 to 20 years. Is this a feature that we’ll see other OS developers integrate into future OS releases on other platforms like Windows, or will the drop down menu in some form always be considered the number one way of performing tasks and actions on a computer?

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https://www.techspot.com/news/47193-ubuntu-1204-to-replace-traditional-menus-with-new-hud.html

 

[Lurker101]

So should we expect a variation of this in Windows 8 or will we have to wait till Windows 9?

 

[Archean]

Instead of HUD, something like Metro has a better chance of succeeding in the market place, simply because it will be much easier for a novice user to master such interface in a hurry. I find myself using the good old DOS prompt many times so ........ for a power user it make sense.

 

[inventix1136]

I can imagine this working on a simplified OS, something like iOS, but not on a complex desktop OS due to the sheer number of commands that would have to be exposed to allow for all of the actions.

 

[Guest]

It sounds like the voice commands will be limited to certain applications at first. That should make it easier for newer users to adapt to the new VUD.

 

[Guest]

Another marketing gimmick from a marketing company...

 

[Guest]

Do I really need my PC to lead me on a journey? For me this is an EPIC FAIL...

 

[TorturedChaos]

I don't know how I feel about this. Already not too thrilled about the Unity interface. I miss my drop down menu where I can look through the programs installed. sometimes forget the name of a program I want, but know what category to look it and have to scan through them to find it. Can't really do that with Unity, only look thru the list of all the programs. This could be worse or better. If I type in "game" will it give me a list of all the games I have installed or just things that have the word "game" in the name of the program?
Or I forget what option I'm looking for, but remember what menu it was in. How am I supposed to find it now?

 

[Guest]

Assuming voice commands next
this is the first step

 

[Guest]

This is a new creative idea in menu and control; Is it going to be useful and easy for the average user? If so then this concept will take off, if not it will be just another BEOS type of thing. Cool idea that doesn't last.

 

[Matthew DeCarlo]

Reminds me of Launchy.

 

[TJGeezer]

Voice control is nice in a mobile device but for a desktop PC running complex scripts and shifting to a console box when desired? I doubt it. I'll put on my red Star Trek shirt and give it a go anyway ("Computer: Mix me a martini" beep-beep) since I kinda like Ubuntu for trying new approaches. I'd like them better if they borrowed Mint's approach and included a good bridge between traditional menu and their new UI. Plus they'd catch less user grumbling that way.

 

[Guest]

OMG thats horrid...

I felt so confined just watching (him) that video. Thats a "Coder's" UI.


Once a proper GUI is set up, u never have to touch ur keyboard. Window 98 was great at this.. MS better get it right with Win8. Desktop operating system.. (D E S K T O P !!)



-particle_z00

 

[lawfer]

Lol, this is horrible. Seriously, what are they thinking? It's a desktop operating system, not an IT operating system.

 

[Guest]

"One major drawback would be for beginners, the company acknowledged, who could struggle without a menu in which to search if the exact commands are unknown. But they firmly believe the benefits outweigh the disadvantages in this scenario."

Because they're complete flaming loonies.

 

[Guest]

"This is a new creative idea in menu and control"

Er, it's a command line.

 

[Guest]

What? Everything is like a terminal now? What wrong with point and click? I think this just makes it easier for the programmers not us. As they don't have to make a click-able GUI.

 

[Guest]

I think Ubuntu is killing itself in doing so. Already, the Unity itself was dumb where you have to to click four to six times to open a program instead of just one/two clicks before, now they are introducing something that has no menu at all? This is a big step backward because you have to remember the name of the program which is the same as remembering commands in command line.

 

[Guest]

well i see it as a strategic move towards mobile , then u think of this think of voice not just writing
UBuntu main target now is mobile and differentiating itself from others systems is not a failure , on the other hand imitating successful OSs is.
give them a chance

 

[Guest]

Yes. HUD may be good for developers and for IT people in general. And I agree that it may be challenge for a newbie who does not know the application and know what exactly to search for. But I am thankful that Canonical is working on new ideas and innovations. Some ideas work and some don't but I would like my OS to evolve and be a leader in the evolution. HUD may be very well suited for MUbuntu (the mobile OS, Mr. Mark S. is probably thinking ahead on this already). Keeping in my Ubuntu's linux for human being idea, I would have the option for enabling the traditional menus so new users are happy. Thank you.

 

[Guest]

Fail. Would much rather have (pre-Unity) navigable menus from pointy-device than having to bounce between mouse and keyboard even more. Great for (some) developers. Not great for the masses. This feels like a step backwards. Unity, bad. HUD, worse.

 

[Guest]

I don't see this working for the same reason vista's voice recognition was a flop and Ford's 'sync' system was hated by so many. it's still syntax based. Siri has one-uped this because it isn't syntax based on the users end. We need to get passed that, and although yes HUD has search built in, it still leaves it to the user to know the name of the command out of sheer thousands of possibilities. What is necessary is a task rather then command based system where a user doesn't need to know the difference between a 'bookmark' or a 'favorite' when all they want to do is save the page for later.

 

[Guest]

Desktop computers are DESKTOP computers no pads or phones! I'll never move around with my pc and I have no need to speak for a command. I dislike Unity and this new one seems horrible. What's wrong with old point and click Gnome interface?

 

[Guest]

This concept is based on many mistakes:

1) Experienced users know the fastest way how to do things.
HUD is an obstacle or complication only.
2) Lexical (text baswed) UI tool is pushed to replace Graphical (position and icon) based system.
Ubuntu developers go in an opposite way to windows with their ribbons
that prove to be effective replacement of traditional drop down menus.

This system will not work for me on desktops / notebooks and I will ratther switch to KDE.

 

[Guest]

It's a gimmick, but it's not being forced on anyone. If you don't like 'buntu's silly UI stuff, then don't use 'buntu - it's as simple as that. There are hundreds of other GNU/Linux distros out there - all of which are as good as if not better than 'buntu.

Canonical Ltd are interested in breaking into the smartphone/tablet market - in a nutshell they want a "touchscreen ready" GUI. This has upset some "traditional" desktop users who have had these UI "improvements" installed along with regular updates. That's the direction 'buntu is going in - it's a commerical Linux distro, like it or not.

The HUD is basically an "autocomplete" system (a bit like bash completion for anyone who knows what that is) which allows the user to filter down to wanted applications rather than clicking through menus. The spiel from canonical is tries to cover the fact that this is all about touchscreens where as anyone that uses a touchscreen will no, menus are not the easiest way around.

What this touchscreen centric approach will achieve is a GUI which is a jack of all trades but master of none. In trying to be one size fits all, Unity will end up as a cumbersome piece of bloat - gnome 3 will also go the same way. What is actually needed are touchscreen/tablet/smarthphone desktop environments or shells which are built for purpose and leave the originals alone for desktop users - sadly this is not the trend being followed at the moment.