Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!newstop!sun!claris!peirce
From: peirce@claris.com (Michael Peirce)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: Low cost Mac's ?
Message-ID: <11219@claris.com>
Date: 30 Aug 90 23:34:20 GMT
References: <25541.26DA84DD@stjhmc.fidonet.org> <1385@gold.GVG.TEK.COM> <1990Aug30.194221.29942@phri.nyu.edu>
Reply-To: peirce@claris.com (Michael Peirce)
Organization: Claris Corporation, Santa Clara CA
Lines: 30

In article <1990Aug30.194221.29942@phri.nyu.edu> roy@phri.nyu.edu (Roy Smith) writes:
>	Think about that last bit.  I defy you to show me a single program
>that runs on a Macintosh that my mother can use with no more than 30
>seconds worth of one-time instruction.  For reference, my mother is an
>intelligent woman with a graduate degree from an Ivy league university,
>who's only problem is that she grew up before computers were invented.

The closest is the original MacPaint.  It's always what I tell people to
try first and most people are drawing ugly pictures very quickly. 

I say the original MacPaint because it really is easier for a complete mac
novice to use.  The 2.0 version from claris is more powerful, but introduces
concepts like scroll bars, floaters, and multiple documents that just get
in the way of a complete novice.

[I wish *all* Mac programmers would sit down with a COMPLETE mac novice at
least ever six months or so.  It's a tremendously eye opening experience
(and I mean that ever six months it re-opens my eyes) to see basically
smart people struggle with the interface.  We'd have a lot fewer of the
horrible interfaces that are inflicted on us all the time]

 Claris Corp. | Michael R. Peirce
 -------------+--------------------------------------
              | 5201 Patrick Henry Drive MS-C4
              | Box 58168
              | Santa Clara, CA 95051-8168
              | (408) 987-7319
              | AppleLink: peirce1
              | Internet:  peirce@claris.com
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