I have been doing a lot of thinking on the subject of GUI design.

I think it might be useful to create an OS that dos'nt have a specific
GUI format. All I have to do is provide a structure that defines simething similer to a window, as well as graphical APIs so that the developer can create programs with whatever GUI they want, and then tie it into the OS with the structure provided earlier.

Which would be better to create a GUI with a unifying theam or a GUI that is based more on elequently delivering information, more like an object orianted OS.

Well I would realy appreciate some fead back on this.

Thanks.

do you want to create another linux?
it has many GUI's written in c++.

Well I would rather stay away from Linux. I have alwase wanted to write my own OS just to be able to say Im that smart. I in no way want to be self centered, this is just one of the things I want to be able to do.

When I write a program that is able to interface with other programs from other companys, things like writing graphics engines that rival DirectX, Operating Systems on par with Windows, things that say that
I can do just as good as they can, Theres a sence of fulfillment when
I can say I'm as good as Microsoft.

Thats the whole idea behind my OS, it must be as complete and as advanced as posible. With new ideas, new ways of doing things that Microsoft has'nt thaught of yet. Just to know that i made something that Microsoft could'nt.

Thats why I talk about things like 3D GUI, Securing FAT16, Simple things put together when planned out properly will work together
perfectly with no unused varibles, wasted space, unnesissary code,
but with extreamly good performance, and efficiancy.

Well, Thanks.

First ask who is your target user, then ask what will they need, to use your OS and then you have the answer to "what type of GUI to implement".
eg: "Dex4u" my OS is based on keeping things simple and easy, so it is based around a ipod GUI, heres a screenshot it may help.
http://www.dex4u.com/guinew.PNG
This is only the basic design, more functoin will be add, like C drive, start etc.
But as the GUI main job is to load and run programs, in "Dex4u" i should be ok.

Edit: remember how many people work for M$ and how many $$$$$ they have, but your a one man band

Microsoft has so many people that some of their employees are considered as "Microsoft Millionaries" they got rich by working for microsoft..

Wake up,

Micrsoft can and could do ANYTING... IF they only wanted to.

They focus on and follow the profit lines because they have a responsability towards the shareholders.

You can never claim to the world that you did anything better than Microsoft

In order to do that you need more users than thay have... You can pretend that in front of a few friends but it would be easyer to buy a new expensive clock ... or get Naomi as a girlfriend...

What is "good" for you is not good for another. While there is an absolute good --The ONE-- is of no use for fame and comercial (unfortunately for hummans lies are more productive) .

So as a consequence to be able to par on Windows you need either the same resources (money, people, knowledge and will) or to buy them out.

You could also erode them as Linux does, but it will take huge ammount of free work and time.

Competing with somebody else is childish. You can only be better or worst than yourself... that is the only competition that deserves any action. All other are slavery...

As an hobby/personal OS your maximal chance is to do decent and to gain some experience and understanding, It will take many many years of hard work, it will not be appreciated and there is a minimal chance to obtain anything...

You could use it on a CV. But consider that you boss will compare it with his laptop on Windows and you might need 10.000$ just to get the specification of one of the devices inside that new laptop. Or it might test it on an very old Pentium1 in some storage room with some video board you have never heard of with 256kilobytes of RAM. If it doesent work you will loose your advantage . It is more usefull to have a nice suit and a few good work behind.

Making an OS does NOT make you inteligent or fullfilled ... it it the most used hobby today after considering yourself Napoleon or Jesus himself... check out there are thousands if not millions of OSes in development that consider them better than Windows -- trust me I Know

OS is just plain work and perseverence and understanding and experience. The most of the work is done in stupid pathetic drivers for the hardware that you have no info or clue about... and less in glamour things... He who has the secret specifications can do it in 3 days... it takes at least 3 months for a genius to do it without the secret documentation ... (or maybe never)

Such kind of questions show that you are on the wrong track already...

Windows could have thousands of GUIs by its design, it was just not a good market decission. Uniformity was needed for a start to get its userbase.

It still isn't the case as one can see from Linux story that has many GUI's but no such success. However, when the focus of the crude masses will switch... then and only then Microsoft will produce as many GUIs and as configurable as it is needed to mantain it's pole position... check XP tendency...

Windows has the drivers, it has the man power, it has the money, has the secret information, patents, has many more ideas that your mind can ever grasp...

You have only one thing: if you are a genius (unlikely by your standard questions about 3D-GUI and very conformist things you think about) then it is faster to work in a small team of 2-3 people that in an 10.000 people team like Microsoft... it's less paper work!

But such a quest requires passion and idealismus and not standard ideas and a need to prove yourself better than others

If you are a genius, then you already know it, if you are out to prove it --> then you are not. One common mistake of humans is to consider that ideas worth anything. No they do not. Any decent humman closed in a room has millions if not billions of good ideas in its field... to make the become real you need one of 2 things: money or passion -- ideas do not matter.

Wake up... the matrix has you and you like to dream that you are awake...

Bogdan, Sometimes in order to overcome an impossible position, one has to have a dream, and then make it a reality. I'm not saying what you said is wrong, it is frightening really. There are limits to everything, understanding your limitations in relation to your goals will help in internal inspiration or not.

Personally Geek, it is a noble aspiration, which I doubt you'll achieve.

Yes, mea culpa ... sometimes I can be rough.

Simply put you have no limitations but you are not aware of that yet.

A dream is benefic a long as it serves to overcome presumed/assumed/considered personal limitations, become better that yourself and go beyond your own limits. As soon as you start competing with others, want fame, money or respect it becomes malefic.

Like this:

I like your idea, but it'll be... a WHILE (I'm being nice)... until you can compete with M$ The important thing is to make your OS for the fun, or you won't have fun and you'll eventually give up. I like your GUI idea, too, but it isn't new- same with Linux and XFree86. And even Windows has that capability, if you push it. LiteStep, for example.

My OS will not have a GUI in the beginning, of course. Commandlines rule! But when I do have a GUI, I might do something similar to your idea, except I intend to have a full GUI which can be extended, modified, etc.