Why can't Windows do that?
? WhyMe ?
coworkers recently saw a snowfall screensaver on-display at a nearby Apple
Store and was able to track it down and install it on his machine.
This 'Snowfall' screensaver is available here:
http://www.alittlebitofnothingleft.net/snowfall/.
Besides the LARGE, DETAILED, GORGEOUS, SULTRY semi-transparent 3D snowflakes
that spin and fall, the most amazing part is that it requires nearly no CPU
power!! I found out that 'Snowfall' is written for the OSX using its Quartz
Composer framework -- which from my (limited) understanding is based on
OpenGL and Screen PostScript technology originally developed by Adobe/NeXT.
Basically, Quartz forms the foundation for all of Apple's on-screen
rendering, graphics display, GUI presentation, transition effects, and all
that sexy eyecandy that we salivate over whenever we see someone working in
MacOSX.
Seeing 'Snowfall' reminded me of a the more modest animated snowflake
DesktopX object that came out a few years ago
(http://wincustomize.com/ViewSkin.aspx?SID=1&SkinID=3105&LibID=3), which
featured some nice, small 2D snowflakes that fell and spun. But as I
remember, this would consume a lot of CPU power -- and it was only 2D!
Why such a difference between the capabilities of Mac OSX and Windows? The
hardware is essentially the same nowadays, and yet Mac OSX is able to crank
out the best effects without overly taxing the system. Transition effects
are universally smooth, video and animation are not bothered by background
processes, there's never jitteriness or ghosting of unrefreshed elements
onscreen, and generally, every visual element of the operating system is
finished so nicely.
When are we going to have the same level of performance in Windows? Is it
truly here with Vista, or do we have to wait for Fiji (Vista R2) in 2008, or
Vienna in 2010?
ObjectDesktop's components are wonderful, and work really well.... but when
will Windows' foundational framework be restructured to allow full
exploitation of all this hardware our PCs have?
Jealous of my coworker's Mac's eyecandy...
~ Alessandro.
? WhyMe ?
http://forums.wincustomize.com/index.aspx?AID=139413