New Modes of User Interaction – Dan Bricklin

Dan Bricklin points to a new generation of applications that will utilize a new mode of interaction with the computer, beyond mice and menus.

In a podcast with Scott Hanselman, Dan also said that it will also affect the way programs are written, similar to the transition from text/console programs to event-driven ones [not his exact words].

What I love about the article was that it is not just about the future, but it is about the past as well, in a way that reminds us that the technologies that are cutting edge today, the future generation will be taking for granted.

There is also a sundry list of sensors which have become ubiquitous – webcams, touchscreens, leading to a series of UI implications.

If you are interested, have a listen also to Ed Fontana’s talk on IT Conversations (slides here). He goes over the topic at a million miles an hour, but he looks at these issues purely from a process point of view.