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Idea #20642: Implement Milliseconds and Microseconds options in Clock

Written by isaacthulhu the 12 Jul 09 at 14:25. Category: Quality. Related project: Nothing/Others. Status: New
Rationale
Simple Description:
The addition of live display Milliseconds and Microseconds to "Clock" or desktop clock which appears in the tool-bar.

Argument for:

The addition of Milliseconds and Microseconds Contributes to an overall working environment with a feel of precision while providing the user with a more fluid, realistic and exciting experience of the simple passage of time.

The new proposed and optional display of units would appear:

H(12 or 24):M:S:MLS(optional):MIS(optional)

It is very difficult to determine the total potential need for this addition to the existing clock options, however this in no way precludes the potential that it's inclusion brings with it.

-24
votes
up equal down
Solution #1: Implement Milliseconds and Microseconds options in Clock.
Written by isaacthulhu the 12 Jul 09 at 14:25.
Implement Milliseconds and Microseconds options in Clock.

Propose your solution

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isaacthulhu wrote on the 12 Jul 09 at 15:50
I must apologize the intended title for the Idea was "Implement Milliseconds and Microseconds options in Clock"
and not "Greater intuitive comprehension of time/Cool factor.
" as it is shown. I attempted to edit the title but it looks as if it is the one thing that can not be edited.

andruk (Idea reviewer) wrote on the 13 Jul 09 at 01:16
I doubt that many users would use this, but I could be wrong. The simple reason is that they simply couldn't see the discreet changes because the eye can't see anything faster than ~30 changes per second.

OpenNingia wrote on the 13 Jul 09 at 10:51
And think of CPU usage... refreshing the panel every microsecond? Oo

onesimus wrote on the 13 Jul 09 at 14:58
The problem is more fundamental than updating the display with the actual time. By far the greatest error is the system clock itself. It was never designed to provide accuracy to milliseconds or even microseconds.

System clocks can (and will) drift by as much as a few seconds in a week. There is no point in displaying a time to more significant figures than than the error.

A quick search on the internet relating to this is:
http://www.greyware.com/software/domaintime/technical/accuracy/pcclocks.asp

(There are probably better web pages, but it gives the general idea).

coolen wrote on the 14 Jul 09 at 11:46
Let's assume that this would be technically feasible.

First, as pointed out, microseconds are impossible to display when your vision refreshes at a rate of 30Hz, and your display refreshes at a rate of 50-60Hz (even the fastest displays are an order of magnitude away from displaying microseconds, and they don't sell any eyes yet that are that fast).

Second, it's not realy useful. I can react to things within the length of a second just fine. Just yesterday, I was enrolling for tuts at uni, and I had to time my responses to the second (VERY competitive. I once left it fifteen seconds and my preferred prac was full).

I think this would be fun for about a minute. After that, it's just distracting, and wasteful of resources.

ushimitsudoki wrote on the 15 Jul 09 at 03:59
Sometimes I wish there was a -10 button on Brainstorm.

And you could use it repeatedly.

isaacthulhu wrote on the 15 Jul 09 at 10:32
Thank you for the comments. I have since done a bit more research on the subject and have noticed that there does seem to be some demand for this but as several here have stated it seems to be unfeasible due to system clock issues.

AndrewLuecke said: "Updating every 0.1seconds would be fine"

Now that I understand the situation a little better it follows that Microseconds would not be at all feasible.
Would updating every 0.1 seconds then be more realistic?

When I initially had this idea it came as a result of doing thinking on the graphical paradigm of the progress bar, While I understand that the progress bar is meant to be a generalized representation of relative progress, I did wonder how it could be made more specific. That was when I first began thinking about the display of milliseconds.
Even in the case where the human eye is not capable of catching every single distinct change perhaps something like this might still be a slight step up from a simple progress bar?




isaacthulhu wrote on the 15 Jul 09 at 10:38
andruk Said:"the eye can't see anything faster than ~30 "

This would still leave the option open for 1/30 second display wouldn't it?

I am glad to see BTW that despite the number of votes against that the majority of the comments on my *First* idea here are still polite and respectful, with the obvious exception of the completely useless comment by ushimitsudoki, which offers no constructive contribution whatsoever.


isaacthulhu wrote on the 15 Jul 09 at 11:06
a final footnote here... Regardless of accuracy issues which have been raised. The progress bar is a fuzzy interpretation of progress through process. I was well aware that the human eye would not be able to distinguish each and every passing digit in the proposed idea. The purpose was more to add intuitive element which the progress bar has and the clock lacks to the clock than it was specifically to increase usable precision of time. This renders the accuracy issue irrelevant since it hasn't got anything to do with the addition of the element of fluidity to what is already apparently an inaccurate and "drifting" measurement of time; Furthermore the progress bar itself could benefit from the inclusion of such display elements (external to issues of accuracy) as numeric countdown housed within the progress bar area.


cheesehead (Brainstorm moderator) wrote on the 15 Jul 09 at 12:44
To change the title, just leave a comment (with the new title) so an admin can change it for you.

isaacthulhu wrote on the 15 Jul 09 at 17:57
cool! thx Cheesehead.

isaacthulhu wrote on the 15 Jul 09 at 18:05
The title should be changed to "Implement Milliseconds and Microseconds options in Clock."

And, I still think the Idea has SOME merit, though it now looks as if it would not be as I originally imagined it. That doesn't matter so much however, what matters is whether or not some variation on the idea can be implemented without causing problems with the refresh rate as some posts seem concerned would be the case.

I think I would really like to see those extra bits of seconds flipping past even if they are just as AndrewLuecke said: "Updating every 0.1seconds would be fine" .

being able to assign a custom font with ease would be cool too. I have seen screenshots of desktops where contemporary fonts and separate colors were somehow used for H:M:S and it looked really classy. Not a default sort of thing obviously but an option I would like to have or would like to be able to more easily get at.

cheesehead (Brainstorm moderator) wrote on the 25 Jul 09 at 16:42
Edited the title.


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