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Dennis E. Hamilton's avatar

Wow, your excitement from this time is contagious. I regret that this high-level account for what the ribbon achieved was not available more clearly at the time. I have been a fan of Jensen Harris ever since he blogged about the introduction of the ribbon as it was being revealed. Maybe the bits were all there, even then, and I didn't grok it yet.

As mentioned regarding the previous section, it was funny to see people offended by the ribbon, not unlike the days when using a mouse was ridiculed, to eventually end up with crummy imposters that simulate the form but not the affordance. Or in some cases, objectors remain stuck in a 2000-era UI design.

I look forward to how the emergence of new form factors and physical interfaces will challenge the desktop-reconciliation, if you will take us that far. By now, of course, it should be no surprise that I miss my Luna 550.

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Ian Ceicys's avatar

Hi Steven, thank you for the awesome article. Jensen's video of the behind-the-scenes story is awesome to see as well - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8qOX6oSw7Y

I would love to read more about how the team can successfully hold 2 opposing ideas in tension for weeks, months, and even years.

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