It`s surprising how poor operating systems are in terms of optimizing for productivity. Everything is an individual app, rather than a workflow. Notifications litter the screen by default. And the OS has no real context on what you`re trying to do, on which apps go together.
there is more bad timing than bad ideas (RT myself)
Would kill for a productivity OS.
I think you should try .. :D
This workflow youre talking about it coming with the mew iPad os and iOS with focus modes and launching multiple apps already in multitasking views via shortcuts !!
Dual boot Linux and Windows Linux for work Windows for games That`s the closest I`ve been to optimizing for productivity. Whole new OS means strict focus. Tools like help too
Different device logins as different usage profiles. Sharing common files might need worked out.
The closest thing I`ve found to this that breaks the current system architecture is Mercury OS Always thought this would be ideal for a phone. Work mode, personal mode. Maybe even weekend mode. Surely pretty straightforward to make happen
I just gave up and made another user profile on the same PC - say I do course on line then I create a new user profile for the time I`m doing that course
> OS has no real context on what you`re trying to do, on which apps go together. I`ve seen tiling window managers solve this pretty well
I created an app for MacOS that tried to create a dedicated environment for writing - it switched off notifications, went full screen, hid everything else, etc. They rejected it for tinkering w the OS notification setting.
I guess we`ve come full swing from "Don`t mode me in" on linux, most distros like ubuntu, mint etc, have "workspaces" that you can customize "coding wspace", "gaming wspace" etc but must be done manually, OS doesnt customize for yiu
Yes! I`ve been asking for "Work mode" and "non-work mode" for years. Everything should change. Notifications. Contacts. Who is allowed to call me. Which apps are available. Website blocking. This TED talk from 2009 gave me hope, but it never happened I use to keep my development separate, its great! but what would be greater is a full decentralized developer service. Something close to what was creating.
Just dual boot and store home and office files separately
Use linux and multiple user accounts. Or use multiple linux variants each optimized for different workflow.
Not AI etc, but Bunch allows you to do this kind of "environment setting" very easily With some discipline may be one can create walls using virtual desktops - one for work, other for recreation..
That`s Plasma with Activities. Though it doesn`t have AI. Few notifications. Windows are per activity.
A first good step would be to set the context or switch the context at OS level and making sure that all the apps inherit this context. Dark mode is a good example for this. Some apps already read this setting and change the mode in the app too.
I know a few folks who hack something like this by having multiple user accounts, set up for different contexts. It adds overhead when you do have to bridge contexts, since it`s not the intended use...
Mac has spaces and Windows has multiple desktops -- I have a definite geography when I work (1: personal, 2: code/local terminals, 3: photo/video tools, 4: remote servers). I`m more worried about kids coming up that have an ingrained one-app-at-a-time mentality from years on iOS
The FDC3 standard is trying to achieve desktop app interop and orchestration/workflows for the financial industry. Corsaic, openfin and glue42 offer fdc3 implementations with proprietary extensions
Sounds like a future React OS.
iOS 15 and macOS Monterey are steps in that direction! I can set up individual modes (that can automatically activate based on parameters). It affects home screens, notification settings, and more. Also syncs across devices. Already using it and loving it. save thread
One similar thing I would love on a phone is a button that would unlock the phone but only let you write notes. No accessing other apps or getting distracted. FWIW gets pretty close to what you describe with their focus mode.
People slip into procrastination not because they have internet at hand, but to cope with emotional overload. One can interiorize corporate firewalls etc. but he will just scoll Instagram on his iPhone (as it happens with time logging apps which take screenshots).
Its a good analogy. I think scar tissue can be avoided by understanding the real reason for its failure. Itll limit collateral damage to the whole sector. Rule 1 for investors is they need to *really* understand what they are investing in.
I often think about how different it would be if there was a GUI equivalent of the pipe operator for connecting apps.
Yes always wanted project spaces all the files, logins, config settings and applications that pertain to a given project easily accessible. Anything saved in that mode auto associated with the project.
is solving this with All apps can be integrated with insights. But our tech runs each app in isolation. Distributed using a federated app/content store featuring credit based micropayment
A separate work laptop won`t require "home" & "office" mode anyway. What we do require is optimization for different types of tasks, within the sphere of "work" or "home."
I am working on a dAPP which tackles the problem!! I am alone tho, I started codings six months ago cause it was had to explain my idea with words, without knowing the code behind it!
@woonomic There are many areas where a v1 doesn`t work & discourages ppl from doing a v2. But Satoshi made digital currency work, Oculus made VR work, the iPhone made "convergence devices" work, Chewy made work, etc. See piece: You obviously haven`t used work spaces on Linux.
Balaji, I saw you on a podcast recently - so many ideas packed into a short space of time, what`s driving this?
I`ve mostly worked around that by adopting for personal workstation. Every qube is its own "working environment" with particular set of applications that constitute an isolated "workflow" with clearly defined interfaces between them (qubes tends to start being an >
It is because they are designed to maximize engagement, not productivity.
W7 was used to identify things power users liked and W10 was to make sure they fucked it all up.
Isnt ios moves towards that?
time to launch Clippy OS. We have a customer. Question is how much less effective such partitions are without physical cues, like a separate computer or even separate rooms, to our lizard brains (like how sleep science suggest you keep work and exercise out of your bedroom to improve sleep)
Alternatively, if you over-optimize for productivity, the less productive you get. There needs to be a balance between stress and ease for productivity. This way noise is useful. Like white noise.
should we have those divisions? Using a meta, if you see the pc as a portable brain it would be like using different parts of the brain for fun or work.
Use multiple workspaces - the deeper you go, the fewer apps/tabs are allowed. On the deepest workspace allow only a notepad and your primary work app.
Indeed it just needs on screen timer for every app to start with. This can be done so easily, we just need to evolve task manager to modern world
There`s plenty of ideas around but making new operating systems is hard and takes years, want to bank roll one?
A lot of effort put into this space. Do Not Disturbs and virtual doors shutting
This is why I partition my HD for dev and personal use.
Seems like Apple is pushing this: Also work on I use different browsers / profiles for the different mental divisions and I pray to the gods of innovation for someone to create a superpowered customizeable notification management app for MacOS.
I hate to be that guy, but most Linux distributions have limited notifications by default, follow open standards and composability in the command line
Check out :)
On iOs you can build something on that line quite easily with Shortcuts. It will be available to MacOs too soon, which will be more powerful.
Interesting , I could try this with multiple user accounts dedicated to my workflows with only relevant apps installed.
Basically, we don`t really have the standard mental divisions of "home" and "office" and "recreation" and so on on the computer. They are all jumbled together. Yes, you can get a separate work laptop...but how far can we take this kind of contextual virtualization?
This is so well thought out. My work flow as an architect is Autodesk-Adobe with multiple back and forth attempts as I improve the design. The pain it causes to create an easy work flow between these two is immeasurable.
Far easier to criticize than to build, but just as a thought experiment... Hit a button to get "developer mode". Launch only dev-related apps. Use AI to only allow browsing of code-related content. Set a timer, hide everything else. Shifting context from dev requires reboot.
Almost no default notifications on ubuntu.
Is this a plug for your next idea?! :)
Sooooo we need $DAG is what you`re saying
Never programmed in VBA?
