Windows 8 : A change from WIMP to OCGM ?

For Windows 8, it is possible that the user experience will no longer be controlled by WIMP but rather OCGM.

The current user experience on Microsoft operating systems has been based on the WIMP interface. This acronym describes the different elements that make up the user interface: Windows, Icons, Menu’s and Pointing Devices.

Numerous evolutions to the WIMP concept have been proposed, with Ron George recently adding his two cents by offering not just an evolution, but rather a new version. This information is more interesting then comments made by most, as he is the man in charge of Microsoft’s Zune and Surface teams responsible for the tactile tablet. Currently an NUI (Natural User Interface) / UX (User Experience) designer, Ron George is heavily involved in the conception of Windows 8.

Looking at the user’s experience, Ron George is offering a new acronym as the successor to WIMP, with OCGM this time representing Objects, Containers, Gestures and Manipulations.

These notions aren’t easy to lean, as Ron George explains that the objects are at the heart of the users experience with "direct correlation" between the user and the interfaces objects. The containers are grouped into objects which Ron George believes "should no longer be windows".

The gestures are actions performed by the user which represent functions recognised by the system. Ron George speaks about an "indirect action" on the system, as it has to be finished before the system reacts. The manipulations are "direct influences" over an object or container.

Despite Ron George’s explanations, it is difficult for the uninitiated to understand what this really means in practice. Could we see first hand with Windows 8?