IdeaFarm (tm) { Wo'O's Table

Windows (tm) vs. IdeaFarm (tm) Piggyback Distributed Operating System

Overview

Windows (tm) IP-DOS (tm)

A computer is a motherboard in a plastic box on my desk, with an attached monitor, keyboard, and mouse. computer defined The computer is a billion motherboards, keyboards, mice, displays, and cell phones interconnected worldwide.

All symbols needed to express written human language, plus a few rendering control symbols (e.g. tab and new line). character set defined All symbols needed for the entire dialog between human and computer. For example, there are symbols in the character set for positioning a rendering cursor, for drawing a line, for rendering a button, and for clicking a button.

The computer is a "personal computer" that the human user can use exclusively, power up or down, and modify. the primary difference for the human end user The computer is again a "mainframe" that the human user shares with other users and that is administered by specialists, except that now there is no centralized hardware.

Input consists of text, key events, and mouse events. Output consists of text, drawings, windows, and controls. the primary difference for the computer programmer All input and output is text.

realistic static 2D pictures (photographs and fully detailed paintings) presentation look and feel minimalist dynamic 3D line drawings (colored lines sparsely drawn onto a black background, fully animated in 3D)

As mature as it is ever going to get. Analogous to a 50 year old man. We aren't going to teach Windows any new tricks. development stage Still wet behind the ears. Analogous to a newborn infant, one minute old. IP-DOS (tm) isn't vaporware; it served this web page to you. IP-DOS (tm) is here! Its infant body is 10% ability, 90% potential. Come, play with me, and watch me grow!

The IP-DOS Console

To switch from the Windows Desktop to the IP-DOS (tm) Console, the user clicks on an icon in the Windows Taskbar, near where the time is displayed. The IP-DOS (tm) Console occupies the entire physical display. To switch back to the Windows Desktop, the user clicks on the button that is highlighted in blue. That button is one of five buttons displayed. The other buttons are labeled with recognizable words. The highlighted button is labeled with the IP-DOS (tm) glyph for the Escape key. To "escape" back to Windows, the user clicks the highlighted button or presses the Esc key.

Human User

Windows (tm) IP-DOS (tm)

... personal computer that is contained in that motherboard box on my desk. I am using a ... ... global computer that consists of a billion interconnected motherboard boxes and cell phones.

... it came preloaded when I purchased my motherboard box. I can use this operating system because ... ... I downloaded and installed it (in less than a minute) as a normal, everyday Windows application.

Less animated. Although objects on the "desktop" can be dragged, they don't move of their own volition, and the desktop does not move relative to the user. look and feel relative to a video game More animated. Objects are positioned in three dimensional space. Objects generally do move both of their own volition and when force is applied to them. The user can navigate in three dimensions. All objects exhibit realistic full motion animation.

Comparable to a painting. The "desktop" can be a photograph or painted graphic. All of the displayed pixels are generally colored to give a realistic rendering of the object being represented. look and feel relative to a painting A minimalist drawing composed using colored lines on a black background. Objects in "space" are drawn in three dimensions using straight line segments. Objects are not rendered realistically or even fully; as much as possible is left to the imagination of the user. Even curvature is illusion.

Text is rendered using fonts similar in character and available variety to ink on paper printers' fonts. look and feel: text fonts Text "fonts" are drawn using line segments of unit pixel width, even when rendered large.

characters: the symbols used in written language, plus tab, new line, and a few other symbols for controlling two dimensional rendering text is a string of... strokes: characters as described at left, but now renderable in three dimensions, plus symbols for three dimensional rendering of (1) line segments and (2) manipulable sentient objects

manipulable objects primary human / computer interface type conversational text that contains manipulable objects

conversational text secondary human / computer interface type (none)

ad hoc (each object must be addressed in its own language) conversational language IdeaFarm (tm) Sentient Object Interface Language <> SOIL (tm)

The human user uses a keyboard and mouse to manipulate two dimensional objects on a two dimensional "desktop". human / computer interface description The human user uses a keyboard and a mouse to converse with the computer. The conversation consists of expressed text. Text is a sequence of "strokes". Text expression by both the human and the computer can include line drawings and manipulable sentient objects as well as written language. All text expression by the computer is presented in realistic full motion animation in a three dimensional space that is navigable by the human.

Human users can converse with Windows by running CMD.EXE .
Such a text conversation consists of commands typed by the user and replies displayed by the computer. Commands are implicitly addressed to the operating system (Windows). The user can continue typing after completing the entry of a command, but the second command is not received and processed until the reply to the first command has been completely displayed. Replies consist of arbitrary text. Commands consist of written language text ended by the Enter key. The written langauge text consists of words separated by blanks. During parsing, consecutive blanks are generally treated as a single blank.
text conversation Human users can converse with IP-DOS (tm) in several kinds of sessions:

By installing an IP-DOS (tm) "home" on a Windows computer and then opening the IP-DOS (tm) Console.
By using a web (http) browser to open the Door (Well Known Port 902) of any IP-DOS (tm) home.
By using a raw telnet client to open a Door.
By using a udp client to throw text at a Door and catch replies.

In all of the above, the human is engaging the Door of an IP-DOS (tm) home in text conversation. The Door is aware of the type of each session, but this information is used only to mitigate or avoid limitations of the session type. As far as possible, the syntax and semantics of a text conversation between a human and IP-DOS (tm) do not vary across session types.
Text conversation consists of commands typed by the user and replies displayed by the computer. Each command is explicitly addressed to an object in the current space. Commands are received (by that object) and processed as soon as they are entered. The human user is, to the commanded object, just another object in the current space. Replies consist of arbitrary text. Each command is a string of strings of strokes. The text in a command is not limited to written language; command text can also contain line segments, manipulable sentient objects, and rendering control strokes. Any defined stroke value can appear in command text. Each string in a command is analogous to a blank-delimited word in a Windows command. For example, the entire body of an email message would be a single "word" within a command to send that email.

I want to play with IP-DOS (tm). How can I do that? You can open the Panic Door of the IP-DOS (tm) home that served this web page to you. To do that, use your browser's Back button to display the home page. Then select "curious". "Panic Door" appears within the header of every page of the black paper. Click "Panic Door" to open a command session. You will have opened a conversation of the http type, so you're not going to get to see the whizzier features.

Only IdeaFarm (tm) Associates who have been in good standing for 256 days or more are allowed to download, install, and use IP-DOS (tm). IP-DOS (tm) can be installed on any normal Windows desktop computer of recent vintage. To become an IdeaFarm (tm) Associate, display the home page and then click "fearful" (even if you're not!).

Overview
Windows (tm)		IP-DOS (tm)
A computer is a motherboard in a plastic box on my desk, with an attached monitor, keyboard, and mouse.	computer defined	The computer is a billion motherboards, keyboards, mice, displays, and cell phones interconnected worldwide.
All symbols needed to express written human language, plus a few rendering control symbols (e.g. tab and new line).	character set defined	All symbols needed for the entire dialog between human and computer. For example, there are symbols in the character set for positioning a rendering cursor, for drawing a line, for rendering a button, and for clicking a button.
The computer is a "personal computer" that the human user can use exclusively, power up or down, and modify.	the primary difference for the human end user	The computer is again a "mainframe" that the human user shares with other users and that is administered by specialists, except that now there is no centralized hardware.
Input consists of text, key events, and mouse events. Output consists of text, drawings, windows, and controls.	the primary difference for the computer programmer	All input and output is text.
realistic static 2D pictures (photographs and fully detailed paintings)	presentation look and feel	minimalist dynamic 3D line drawings (colored lines sparsely drawn onto a black background, fully animated in 3D)
As mature as it is ever going to get. Analogous to a 50 year old man. We aren't going to teach Windows any new tricks.	development stage	Still wet behind the ears. Analogous to a newborn infant, one minute old. IP-DOS (tm) isn't vaporware; it served this web page to you. IP-DOS (tm) is here! Its infant body is 10% ability, 90% potential. Come, play with me, and watch me grow!

Human User
Windows (tm)		IP-DOS (tm)
... personal computer that is contained in that motherboard box on my desk.	I am using a ...	... global computer that consists of a billion interconnected motherboard boxes and cell phones.
... it came preloaded when I purchased my motherboard box.	I can use this operating system because ...	... I downloaded and installed it (in less than a minute) as a normal, everyday Windows application.
Less animated. Although objects on the "desktop" can be dragged, they don't move of their own volition, and the desktop does not move relative to the user.	look and feel relative to a video game	More animated. Objects are positioned in three dimensional space. Objects generally do move both of their own volition and when force is applied to them. The user can navigate in three dimensions. All objects exhibit realistic full motion animation.
Comparable to a painting. The "desktop" can be a photograph or painted graphic. All of the displayed pixels are generally colored to give a realistic rendering of the object being represented.	look and feel relative to a painting	A minimalist drawing composed using colored lines on a black background. Objects in "space" are drawn in three dimensions using straight line segments. Objects are not rendered realistically or even fully; as much as possible is left to the imagination of the user. Even curvature is illusion.
Text is rendered using fonts similar in character and available variety to ink on paper printers' fonts.	look and feel: text fonts	Text "fonts" are drawn using line segments of unit pixel width, even when rendered large.
characters: the symbols used in written language, plus tab, new line, and a few other symbols for controlling two dimensional rendering	text is a string of...	strokes: characters as described at left, but now renderable in three dimensions, plus symbols for three dimensional rendering of (1) line segments and (2) manipulable sentient objects
manipulable objects	primary human / computer interface type	conversational text that contains manipulable objects
conversational text	secondary human / computer interface type	(none)
ad hoc (each object must be addressed in its own language)	conversational language	IdeaFarm (tm) Sentient Object Interface Language <> SOIL (tm)
The human user uses a keyboard and mouse to manipulate two dimensional objects on a two dimensional "desktop".	human / computer interface description	The human user uses a keyboard and a mouse to converse with the computer. The conversation consists of expressed text. Text is a sequence of "strokes". Text expression by both the human and the computer can include line drawings and manipulable sentient objects as well as written language. All text expression by the computer is presented in realistic full motion animation in a three dimensional space that is navigable by the human.
Human users can converse with Windows by running CMD.EXE . Such a text conversation consists of commands typed by the user and replies displayed by the computer. Commands are implicitly addressed to the operating system (Windows). The user can continue typing after completing the entry of a command, but the second command is not received and processed until the reply to the first command has been completely displayed. Replies consist of arbitrary text. Commands consist of written language text ended by the Enter key. The written langauge text consists of words separated by blanks. During parsing, consecutive blanks are generally treated as a single blank.	text conversation	Human users can converse with IP-DOS (tm) in several kinds of sessions: By installing an IP-DOS (tm) "home" on a Windows computer and then opening the IP-DOS (tm) Console. By using a web (http) browser to open the Door (Well Known Port 902) of any IP-DOS (tm) home. By using a raw telnet client to open a Door. By using a udp client to throw text at a Door and catch replies. In all of the above, the human is engaging the Door of an IP-DOS (tm) home in text conversation. The Door is aware of the type of each session, but this information is used only to mitigate or avoid limitations of the session type. As far as possible, the syntax and semantics of a text conversation between a human and IP-DOS (tm) do not vary across session types. Text conversation consists of commands typed by the user and replies displayed by the computer. Each command is explicitly addressed to an object in the current space. Commands are received (by that object) and processed as soon as they are entered. The human user is, to the commanded object, just another object in the current space. Replies consist of arbitrary text. Each command is a string of strings of strokes. The text in a command is not limited to written language; command text can also contain line segments, manipulable sentient objects, and rendering control strokes. Any defined stroke value can appear in command text. Each string in a command is analogous to a blank-delimited word in a Windows command. For example, the entire body of an email message would be a single "word" within a command to send that email.