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From: chas@netcom.COM (Chuck Fisher)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: give me solid facts: Windows/Mac
Message-ID: <1991Mar28.192032.1592@netcom.COM>
Date: 28 Mar 91 19:20:32 GMT
References: <91086.010558CXT105@psuvm.psu.edu> <1125@nih-csl.nih.gov> <61034444@bfmny0.BFM.COM>
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In article <61034444@bfmny0.BFM.COM> tneff@bfmny0.BFM.COM (Tom Neff) writes:
>It's true that Mac users master more apps than PC users.
>
>This is because it takes more Mac apps than PC apps to get your work done!
>
>The Mac fulfills the Marching Morons theory.  The user is as clueless as
>ever about what he's doing, but he looks a lot better doing it.

It's curious that you hold this attitude.  Microsoft and Zenith Data
Systems cosponsored a study entitled "The Benefits of the Graphical
User Interface, A Report on New Primary Research."  The study was
conducted by Temple, Barker & Sloane to identify differences in the
performance of GUI and CLI for applications software.

Both experienced users and novices from office environments were used
in the study.  Novices were split into separate CLI and GUI groups,
likewise experienced users were split.  All the subjects were given a
set of business tasks to complete and the results were scored for speed
and accuracy.  Users also subjectively rated their experiences during
and after the tests.

The results of the research supports seven benefits:

GUI users (1) work faster and (2) work better (complete more of their
tasks accurately) than CLI users and therefore have (3) higher
productivity than CLI users.

GUI users express (4) lower frustration and perceive (5) lower fatigue
after working with microcomputers.

GUI users are better able than CLI users to (6) self-teach and explore
and to (7) learn more capabilities of applications.

Three conclusions were drawn: GUI generates (1) higher output per
work-hour, through higher productivity, (2) higher output per employee,
because of lower levels of frustration and fatigue, and (3) greater
return on information technology investment than CLI, because users
master more capabilities and require less training and support.

This study was obviously designed to convince Corporate America to
switch to Windows 3 by showing that employees would be more
productive.  The findings appear to be at odds with your own anecdotal
experience.  I believe that the research results would apply equally to
CLI on a PC versus the Mac.  My own experience as an individual and as
a computer support provider is in line with the study's findings.

(I received a free copy of the report from Microsoft.)

Chuck

-- 
Chuck Fisher                                  Work: (800) 359-7997 
chas@netcom.com  <--- Note change             Home: (415) 964-2819
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