Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!chaph.usc.edu!aludra.usc.edu!yoon From: yoon@aludra.usc.edu (Dae-Kyun Yoon) Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms Subject: Re: Windows 3 criticism Message-ID: Date: 26 Sep 90 08:49:46 GMT References: Sender: news@chaph.usc.edu Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Lines: 56 Nntp-Posting-Host: aludra.usc.edu In-reply-to: gerry@frc2.frc.ri.cmu.edu's message of 18 Sep 90 15:56:44 GMT Originator: yoon@aludra.usc.edu In article gerry@frc2.frc.ri.cmu.edu (Gerry Roston) writes: > > This is never the case and never will be the case when you compare a > toy operating environment (Windows 3, Mac, NeXT) to a command line > oriented interface (DOS, UNIX). Now, don't get me wrong, DOS sucks > rocks and is horribly broken, but the ability to do things at the C:> > far exceeds any point and click ability. This is true when each user is able to memorize all(most of) the cryptographical commands/options. When I was exposed to the UNIX system for the first time in the early 80's, I'v spent quite a bit of time to *encode* huge volume of Unix manuals. To run an application for the first time, it was generally true that the one should start to read the manuals first. Consider the Mac environment. You can easily figure out what kind of applications or operating commands are available by just browsing menus and icons. Well, you can say this is a toy environment, but I would accept the word *toy* if using a computer can be just *fun* rather than *pain*. > And the reason is quite simply this. The folks who design the point > and click have some operating paradigm in mind when they write there > environment. If you wish to do anything they didn't think of, you're > SOL. Futhermore, these point and click environments are geared > towards novices, so that nayone canuse a computer. This tends to > force everyone to a level of mediocrtiy as opposed to leting truly > knowledgable individuals soar to heights of excellence. You seemed to agree "point and click" could make life easier than typing commands all the time for novices. Well, I think this is the most important reason why lots of people are struggling with developing GUI environment. And this paradigm tends to be globally accepted. > > The only thing that Windows has to offer the DOS world is > multitasking. Now, if only DOS with wither away and die, to be > replaced by UNIX, then the world would be a much better place. > Personally, I might give more credits to Desqview than Windows in terms of Multitasking. However, considering the efforts to build an user friendly operating environment, Windows well deserves lots of credits. I don't think the current version of Windows is the ultimate product for GUI on the PC family. There certainly will be other/updated products which are closer to the goal of GUI. But I think, at least, Windows stimulated many s/w developers to think about what they can do for more user-friendly and reliable environment, especially for DOS users. -- ----------------------------------------------- Dae-kyun Yoon dkyoon@priam.usc.edu, ..!uunet!usc!priam!dkyoon