Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!sun-barr!lll-winken!unixhub!slacvm!jacobsen
From: JACOBSEN@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: give me solid facts: why is the mac better than MeSsy DOS/WINDOWS
Message-ID: <91067.222039JACOBSEN@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU>
Date: 9 Mar 91 06:20:39 GMT
References: <12337@goofy.Apple.COM> <4194@gmdzi.gmd.de>
 <FRANCIS.91Mar6033936@magrathea.uchicago.edu> <4249@gmdzi.gmd.de>
Organization: Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
Lines: 22

(Long, useful description of how Windows provides a facility
for the clipboard 'pasting' application to request a particular format
from the 'clipping' application, which provides it only then)

There is a real difference in the operation of the Windows and
Mac clipboard models. It's visible to any Mac user of Excel, which
does the Windows clipping/pasting model even though it's on a Mac.

Specifically, you select some cells, hit 'copy', and then do some other
stuff (insert cells, change formats, close a window, etc).  You then
go to 'paste' the data you thought you had in a specific place - the
clipboard. Arrgh - it's not there! Arrgh**2 - you've already changed the
cells you wanted a copy of!

The problem for Mac users is this just does not conform to our mental
model of the clipboard as a place where copies are actually put.  The
Windows model has some advantages and disadvantages, but it is NOT
equivalent.

(Incidentally, this is one of the reasons I really don't like Microsoft
Mac products - they really don't fit into the Mac well. Nor can they, if
they want to keep the Mac - Windows similarity)