Desktop 2.0

This term was coined by my friend Curtis (an ex-dot-com-er now living in Haight Ashbury). It's a riff on the term "Web 2.0," which is itself a riff on the older concept of coming out with new versions of software. When you come out with Version 2.0, it implies two things: (a) This version takes all the old concepts and leapfrogs it forward in a significantly new way, and (b) It's a fresh start, with lots of new room for expansion and improvement. It's like moving into a new house; presumably bigger, better, and fancier than before, but also with new and exciting possibilities. All these connotations exist in the term "Web 2.0."

So, what's Desktop 2.0? It's a new way of using your computer. You know what your computer "desktop" is; it's the thing you see when you first turn on your computer. Background, some icons, and a start bar. Nothing special, just a launch pad for doing more important things. But that's just Desktop 1.0.

Desktop 2.0 makes the desktop a destination in and of itself. You get system monitors (like the dashboard on your car), you get fancy eye candy (like Mac OS X), and you get content like news headlines and weather reports. (Microsoft, Apple, Google, and Yahoo are already competing to bring you "applets" that run right on your desktop.) This may seem like a bunch of toys, but really it's a new way of using your computer. What's the purpose of a computer? It gives you information and entertainment. But now you can get those things without even having to do anything; it's all sitting right there on your desktop.

Why am I blabbing about this now? First of all, it's a very cool concept and deserves discussion. All the major computer companies are getting in on the action but no one seems to be looking at the big picture. Second of all, of course, I'm up to my neck in Desktop 2.0. You've heard me blab about Compiz, a feature of Linux that turns your desktop into a cube and makes it look very pretty. As usual, Linux is way ahead of the curve.
Well, they just came out with a new version called Beryl. It's really frigging cool.

Your desktop is no longer something that just sits there. It's alive. You can interact with it. It has depth and texture. Windows shimmer, dance, and even burst into flame.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many is a video worth? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7knpeGm6ns

And, of course, a picture of my own desktop: