RE: [cobalt-developers] Problems with the Cobalt GUI and Linux browsers

["Robert Walter" <rwalter@xxxxxxxxx>]

Just my two cents worth...

Why would anyone want to change the Sausalito architecture? From a 3'rd
party developer standpoint, it is extremely simple to program, very
flexible in its programming options (PHP, Perl, C) and its web based
foundation classes are downright ingenious. The sausalito architecture
uses pretty purist level HTML to generate the user interface as well as
a few javascript calls. If alternate browser developers can't keep the
basic functionality of the HTML standard intact, should every other
developer in the world dance to their drum? In terms of flash for a UI,
why bother. It's way to slow. It uses proprietary software to develop
in, and is a pain to integrate into back end systems that require
dynamic content.

I think what needs to be done is this. Get the guys that write the
browser software on the same page! All these browser developers want to
be the kings of free software. So they add bells and whistles to try and
win users. But what they need to learn is that they really are just a
means of accessing the real information. We the end users don't want
muddy interpretaion, we want form & function. PLAIN AND SIMPLE.

If they held to form & function, all would be well.

Like I said, just my 2cents worth.

Robert Walter
rwalter@xxxxxxxxx
Cyrius Automation Inc.
78 - 678 Citadel Drive
Port Coquitlam, BC
V3C6M7  CANADA



-----Original Message-----
From: cobalt-developers-admin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:cobalt-developers-admin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of CJ Johnson
Sent: Thursday, June 27, 2002 9:31 PM
To: cobalt-developers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [cobalt-developers] Problems with the Cobalt GUI and Linux
browsers



    > From     : "William L. Thomson Jr." <wlt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
    > Subject  : Re: [cobalt-developers] Problems with the Cobalt GUI
and
    > 	 Linux browsers
    >
    > Has there ever been discussion of using Flash for the Cobalt web
    > interface?
    >
    > ...
    >
    > Some food for thought, if the web interface architecture every
gets
    > redone. :) Most likely the last thing on your mind after making
the
    > move to the new architecture.

Actually, the new architecture (Sausalito) inserted layers that allow us
to change the UI without starting from scratch.  It is still a big
project, but we have options that weren't available in the the previous
version (Cobalt "special sauce").

Things like browser independence have been investigated; as Bruce
mentioned, the resource tradeoffs are always the challenging part.
Beyond our mainstream engineering efforts, one of my hats here is to
manage our advanced technology group, and we are looking at a number of
UI issues for the longer term future.

Flash has plusses and minuses.  If there are other UI technologies or
issues that you folks feel should be on our radar screen, feel free to
send me a note, and I'll get it to the right destination.

cj*

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