Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!mcsun!unido!gmdzi!strobl From: strobl@gmdzi.gmd.de (Wolfgang Strobl) Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms Subject: Re: Windows 3 criticism Message-ID: <3401@gmdzi.gmd.de> Date: 26 Sep 90 21:57:14 GMT References: Organization: GMD, Sankt Augustin, F. R. Germany Lines: 46 gerry@frc2.frc.ri.cmu.edu (Gerry Roston) writes: >In article dve@zooid.UUCP (David Mason) writes: > I can't understand people like John Dvorak at all. He seems to be a total > opponent to Windows. Do these people not see that Windows is much more > effective and powerful than straight DOS? >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 of course true, because the ability to do things at the C> prompt includes the ability to type WIN[ENTER] ;-), and more. But ... what about the ability to launch multiple DOS shells and cut and paste between them and real Windows applications? You may consider this to be playing around, but then your argumentation breaks down to "if it's no hard work, it's no work at all". So what. >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. Writing BAT files, or shell scripts? Oh well... Anyway. Have you noticed that many of the newer non Windows DOS applications try to mimic the user interaction style of Windows, in text mode? Look at the Borland Turbo series, or at PC-TOOLS. These applications seem to sell very well, the people seem to like them. I think this is because these applications are useable for everyone, novices and experts, likewise. >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. What do you think about X-Windows, Motif and such? Wolfgang Strobl #include