Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!tdatirv!sarima
From: sarima@tdatirv.UUCP (Stanley Friesen)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re:  What's what in OPEN LOOK/OpenWindows (long)
Message-ID: <154@tdatirv.UUCP>
Date: 21 Sep 90 17:13:52 GMT
References: <9009191654.AA05730@spiff> <833@auto-trol.UUCP>
Reply-To: sarima@tdatirv.UUCP (Stanley Friesen)
Organization: Teradata Corp., Irvine
Lines: 33

In article <833@auto-trol.UUCP> marbru@auto-trol.UUCP (Martin Brunecky) writes:
>In article <9009191654.AA05730@spiff> brett@SPIFF.DEN.MMC.COM (Brett Ballantyne) writes:
>>I've read several places that
>>OPEN LOOK is technically superior to Motif (a debatable issue to be sure,
>>but that seems to be the general consensus -- at least in the trade
>>rags I read) ....

>   I can think of many reasons which could be used to justify such
>   statements:
>   - toolkit features: "pushpins" versus "keyboard traversal", "drag and drop"
>     versus "UIL" (comparing incompatible features is purely intentional-).
>   - style guide consistency and completness: how well it covers needs of
>     wide range of applications, how it deals with new/unknown/undefined
>     issues
[long list of toolkit level features deleted]
How about adding:
   - GUI internal consistancy and ease of learning (e.g. intuitiveness,
     simplicity of operation, ease of description).


Really, since we are (supposedly) comparing User Interfaces, then technical
superiority should be judged on the basis of *user* interaction, not
programming ease, implementation quality, or documentaion quality.
(For one thing multiple implementations are possible of the same GUI - for
instance there are *four* Open Look toolkits, OLIT, XView, NeWS, and
SunView Open Look)

In my experience the Open Look interface is much more intuitive, and much
more consistant than the Motif interface.  For instance, the designated
MENU button on the mouse *always* brings up a menu under Open Look.  And it
does *nothing* else.  (This is usually the right button).

It is this simplicity and consistancy that makes Open Look superior.