Graphical user interface for computers having variable size icons #20070079255
Apple has filed for a patent for variably sized icons (within a single Finder window). Apple states in the application that the icons in Finder windows could be set to vary in size based on a number of criteria; the number of items in a folder, the size (MB) or just arbitrarily set by a user or developer.

Apple seems to have dragged this patent application from the past (judging by the OS 9 interface, the BBedit 5.0 icons shown in the illustrations and the statement that ‘large’ icons are 32X32 pixels!). Perhaps this indicates better than anything that this might be an option which was going to be present in Leopard? As far as I’ve seen variable sized icons within a single window are not going to be included– it’d be good if it was a late addition but perhaps would confuse the simplicity of the OS X UI. Apart from the advantages in UI (changing the relative size of icons is a simple intuitive way of indicating the size/importance etc of a file/folder), the variable sizing would help developers with the packaging of Applications – the example below for BBedit 5.0 shows how a develop could present their application with the important files giving prominence. This doesn’t appear to be too novel an idea but it could (if well implemented) a useful addition to a new high resolution Finder in Leopard.


Inventors: Gourdol; Arnaud; Lindsay; Donald J.
Filed: December 8, 2006