New multimedia GUIs (Graphic User Interfaces) are on the way.  Microsoft's next version of Windows, currently named Longhorn, will be a major move in that direction as it will make integrating video, audio and slick graphics quite easy.  I am sure that Apple will get heavier into that realm to get one up on Microsoft and from the looks of it, Linux fans will try to get up on these new multimedia interfaces also (more below).

Some computer users and a number of software developers are not so excited about all this "Eye Candy", I am not sure why though, it seems all this will just make computing even easier.  Many may say that it is performance loss, but with some of these systems, the performance loss is not that great, even if it were, the new systems coming down the road will easily handle all this multimedia GUI without blinking an eye.  Yes, it may mean yet another upgrade in a few years, but I think it will be worth it for the simplicity and user friendliness.

I found this link at Kevin Rose's site..

http://www.kevinrose.com/index.php/weblog/comments/216/

about an example of the power of graphics of wobbly windows currently being explored on Linux:

http://plasticbugs.com/wp-trackback.php/239

While all my current development is on MS Windows (2000 and beyond only), it is interesting to see some Linux people playing with advanced GUI techniques.   This demo rather reminds me what is coming in Microsoft's Longhorn (next version of Windows) shortly. 

The wiggly windows in this demo I think would get old fast, but it is impressive in the ability to handle all this graphic power without bogging down the system. The clip of the video playing with transparency in a wiggly window moved around on the screen all without affecting the play of the clip is pretty cool stuff.

For more information on Microsoft's Longhorn, you can browse:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/Longhorn/

You might be interested in browsing the Longhorn concept videos at the above link for a few examples of how Microsoft expects Longhorn to fit into computer solutions for large corporations.

I for one have always been excited by new graphics advancements and enjoy seeing new GUIs, although many of them currently still leaving you wanting.  We heard for years about multimedia this and multimedia that, but by large are daily uses of a computer is far from multimedia anything.  It looks like the world is moving fast to a true multimedia computing experience. 

Although some developers will curse these new GUIs and say the world should stay with a text UI :), the majority of the world (myself included) will enjoy this new brave world. I think there is new world coming down the road and Apple once again gets a nod for helping raise the bar to push the technology beyond them.