Recent desktop/mobile trends

[Matt_H]

Apple has been pulling UI features from iOS into OSX, and now Microsoft is doing the same with Windows Phone 7 and Windows 8.

The UI features in the mobile systems came about because of the limitations inherent in small-form-factor devices. Do you think it makes sense to scale up these UI elements to the desktop, where such limitations don't exist? What does a "large-form" small-form-factor UI do better than a traditional mouse and keyboard? What does it do worse?

Please share your thoughts

[Matt_H]

Off topic a little. In my opinion making a desktop PC with a smart-phone GUI would be most useful in the lounge room. I have the impression that Lion and Windows8 are being aimed at the leisure market of PCs. I guess you could say that the ps3 and the xbox are already (trying) to do this with people using their consoles for things other than games. And you have to admit that using a mouse and pictograph interface while sitting on the sofa would suck and a more smart-phone style app launcher would be preferable.

Interesting point. Game console UIs are much more similar to phones than computers.