Indeed, programming is more about conceptual understanding than typing speed. I see bubbles as being more useful for understanding how an entire code base fits together than emacs buffers and windows.

Though, if we had a desktop that is infinitely expandable, then emacs, and any other windowed application for that matter, could be put to the same use. Really, bubbles is best as a general workflow paradigm, of which programming is a sub problem.

... by users that have managed to master entirely text-based editors like emacs or vi to a degree that allows them to still be as productive as their brethren who moved on to slicker IDEs :)