In an interesting move, Apple recently filed for a patent that would allow OS X users to have multi-sized icons on the screen at the same time. The system would allow users to make icons of files larger or smaller, based on importance. In fact, there’s a whole lot of sizing goin’ on here. Apple writes:
“However, such difference in size does not indicate the relative importance of the files or program represented by the icon, since the change in icon size is performed universally for all icons in a container, such as a folder or window,”
“Accordingly, in order to present a more informative and personalized user interface, a manner of describing to a user relative importance of an icon in relation to other icons in a system is desirable.”
This new icon system is vaguely described, but the idea sounds fantastic. Could this be part of the new rumored UI for OS X Leopard? Could be, but we’ll have to wait and see.
Apple’s Mac OS X may gain multi-sized icon interface [Apple Insider]