[Cross-posting BRAINSTORM entry: Create a composite PDA 1-screen UI for the desktop? per protocol.]

It's really cool that the N900 supports the heritage UI paradigm of desktop Linux (4-screens and a bunch of widgets). It is a computer, after all, in many ways more than it is a cell-phone/PDA. I liken it to a Leatherman or Swiss Army knife of mobile devices: while not the best at a single function, it's ability to do so many different things makes it great. And because it's so great, it's displaced all other mobile devices I used to carry (media player, camera, PDA, phone).

My challenge has been that I often find myself picking it up to answer a simple question: how many new emails have I got?, what was that alert I just heard? where/when is my next meeting? what song is currently playing? This is where the heritage desktop UI paradigm may not be the best PDA UI (or at least the way it's been implemented on Maemo):

Sure, I can build a desktop with Bookmarks, Contacts, Shortcuts, and Widgets, but their competing sizes and orientations thwart making a good layout (i.e. the width of the Calendar widget equals about 3.75 Shortcuts but 2.5 Contacts). On WinMo and Android this is accomplished via a 'today screen' (I'm using the term generically) and common examples include SenseUI, PointUI, TodayAgenda, TouchFlo3D, Manilla2D, and others.

So my question: Can we create a composite PDA UI for the desktop that:

Maximizes the display of PDA information on 1 screen
Presents information in a uniform, easy-to-scan layout
Includes indicators for # of new messages (vmail, email, SMS, MMS, IM, etc)
Relies on all built-in PIM apps (unlike GPE Summary)
Respects the existing Hildon/Theme framework
Looks cool!

I imagine this could be implemented via some uber-widget pulling data from Dbus into an almost-full-screen layout.

Curious if others have been pondering this, and if there's interest in doing something about it?

Solution #1: Large-size uder-widget displaying Dbus data
Posted on 2010-01-25 23:31 UTC by Alex Dunne.

Develop 1 'uber-widget' filling most of 1 desktop 'view' or screen (minus upper-left status bar indicator area). The uber-widget would present data from built-in apps (Calendar, Email, Media Player, etc) in a space-optimized layout. clicking on specific areas or content would directly activate the underlying app. For example, numeric indicators for new/unread emails per email account would, when clicked, open up the Inbox for the specified account...