Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!munnari.oz.au!csc!pfr654
From: pfr654@csc.anu.oz
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: Low cost Mac's ?
Message-ID: <2734.26de5b62@csc.anu.oz>
Date: 31 Aug 90 12:43:13 GMT
References: <25541.26DA84DD@stjhmc.fidonet.org> <1385@gold.GVG.TEK.COM> <1990Aug30.194221.29942@phri.nyu.edu>
Organization: Computer Services, Australian National University
Lines: 43

In article <1990Aug30.194221.29942@phri.nyu.edu>, roy@phri.nyu.edu (Roy Smith) writes:
> brandonl@gold.GVG.TEK.COM (Brandon Lovested) writes:
>> I agree that in 1990, the average person does not "need" a computer.  In
>> 1910, the average person did not "need" a car, either.  Our homes grow
>> with our tools.
> 
> 	Perhaps what's really true is that in 1990, the average person does

(stuff deleted)

> 
> 	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.
> --
> Roy Smith, Public Health Research Institute

*** :-)    :-)    :-)   :-)
Hey NETWORK

There's this insanely great new way of measuring ease of use of a computer 
interface, it's called the 'Roy Smith's Mother's Index' or RSMI for short.

The year 2020:
"
Yep, the new Jonathon IIIct computer has been extensively RSMI tested and 
comes out at 37.3 swootis (the new unit to measure RSMI, of Seconds Worth 
Of One Time Instructio), which does not quite get to the theoretical 
minimum of 30, but is more than half as much again as the nearest 
competitor, the HAL PeeSuh/s/hit! Available now for only $29,995!
"

Honestly, though, I agree with Ray's point: my father got a mac but his 
secretaries use it since he didn;t really want to bother learning all the 
B***S**** that comes with computing.

*====*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*
Phil Ryan                                         
ANU Department of Physics and Theoretical Physics 
Canberra, Australia                               
pfr654@csc.anu.oz.au   phone:(61 6) 249 4678   fax:(61 6) 249 0741