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From: rmartin@clear.com (Bob Martin)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: Speed versus whatever (vi versus Nisus; Unix versus Macintosh)
Message-ID: <1991Jan9.170551.22252@clear.com>
Date: 9 Jan 91 17:05:51 GMT
References: <19413@yunexus.YorkU.CA> <5966@stpstn.UUCP> <1991Jan4.225943.540@tc.fluke.COM>
Organization: Clear Communications, Inc.
Lines: 41

>In article <5966@stpstn.UUCP> cox@stpstn.UUCP (Brad Cox) writes:
>>Observation #1: Unix tools, such as vi, are remarkable (IMHO) for 
>>	(a) their speed (adequate) 
>>	(b) their user interface (terrible).
>>Observation #2: Macintosh tools such as Nisus (a text editor with comparable
>>	regular expression capability) are remarkable for 
>>	(a) their speed (terrible)
>>	(b) their user interface (adequate).
>>My question: Why does this pattern seem to recur consistently between
>>comparable Macintosh versus Unix applications?

I don't know about Nisus (sounds like a Larry Niven Character).  And I have
seen Mac programs with UIs that are merely adequate.  But in general the MAC
system and most of the applications support UIs that are far far superior to
anything on a Unix or any other kind of system.  (OK, OK, this sounds polarized
and there are some good UIs for _some_ unix programs?)

Take programs like More or Excel, or programming languages like Prograph.
These programs have outstanding user interfaces.  Many people never even
have to crack the manuals (no so for Prograph).  

Even little things like Macwrite, Macpaint, Macdraw are extremely useful
even with their (sometimes significant) limitatoins, simply because you
get a whole lot of functionality accesible to the user who is not willing
to spend a lot of time learning how to use it.

But it would seem that your real complaint is speed.  Granted some Mac
programs could be faster.  But for the majority of the things that you
can use a Mac for, the speed is a non-issue.  Furthermore, execution
speed is only a tiny fraction of what can slow down a user.  The UI
on the Mac makes most jobs go much faster simply by virtue of its ease
of use.

BTW there are some pretty fast programs on the Mac.  


-- 
+-Robert C. Martin-----+:RRR:::CCC:M:::::M:| Nobody is responsible for |
| rmartin@clear.com    |:R::R:C::::M:M:M:M:| my words but me.  I want  |
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+----------------------+:R::R::CCC:M:::::M:| the blame.  So there.     |