Xref: utzoo comp.sys.mac.misc:10105 comp.windows.ms:10802 Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jato!dave From: dave@jato.jpl.nasa.gov (Dave Hayes) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc,comp.windows.ms Subject: Re: give me solid facts: why is the mac better than MeSsy DOS/WINDOWS Message-ID: <1991Mar26.181438.17611@jato.jpl.nasa.gov> Date: 26 Mar 91 18:14:38 GMT References: <1991Mar26.011127.28302@amd.com> <1991Mar26.063111.3133@cs.uoregon.edu> <1991Mar26.165101.10570@cs.uoregon.edu> Reply-To: dave@elxr.jpl.nasa.gov Organization: Jet Propulsion Lab - Pasadena, CA Lines: 34 akm@obelix.cs.uoregon.edu (Anant Kartik Mithal) writes: >One of the things that I respect the Mac for is that it made >programmers aware that the needs and perceptions of the user are of >paramount importance. This would have been GREAT if some programmers hadn't gone ALL the way to the other side and considered that the needs and perceptions of users (who really did not know WHAT they wanted in most cases) were more important than functionality, robustness, usefulness, and efficiency. >Calling users stupid does not show any respect >for them or their needs. That is true. I believe that the issue is honesty. Some users ARE stupid, not in the sense of low intelligence, but in the assumption that getting or using a computer means that they don't have to learn one whit about what they are using. Too much catering to this "unwilling" user, and you make all the "willing" users (especially us computer professionals) resistant to the idea of catering to the user. A happy medium is what is needed. THIS IS WHY Mac's are such a "religious" issue. Those who hate them hate them and their philosophy because no respect is given the user who is willing to learn the machine. My $0.02 anyway... -- Dave Hayes - dave@elxr.jpl.nasa.gov - ames!elroy!dxh In a meadow, the King shot an arrow at a deer but missed. "Bravo!" a Fool shouted. The King became angry and snapped "So! You're making fun of me, eh? I am going to punish the life out of you!" "My word of praise was not for His Excellency, but for the deer."