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From: Jim.Spencer@p510.f22.n282.z1.fidonet.org (Jim Spencer)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: give me solid facts: Windows/Mac
Message-ID: <670383148.3@mmug.fidonet.org>
Date: 30 Mar 91 06:29:10 GMT
Article-I.D.: mmug.670383148.3
Sender: UUCP@mmug.fidonet.org
Lines: 19


Aaron Wallace writes in a message to All

AW> Is this true? I work in an environment with a lot of both kinds 
AW> of users. Mac users in general know of and have toyed with more 
AW> kinds of applications (read: they tend to have many illicit copies 
AW> of everything their friends have), but few that I know of have 
AW> *mastered* more than a few apps. By mastered I mean knows inside 
AW> and out. If someone can't tell you how to enter a section break 
AW> or a formula in MacWord, they haven't mastered it. 
AW> Most Mac users I know know enough about the apps they use to 
AW> get by. They get work done, and that is good and as it should 
AW> be, but they don't often do things the "best" way, such as by 
AW> using a feature they are unaware of. 

The weakness of your argument is that the same is true of DOS users.  My job requires sending Word Perfect documents to other users by E-Mail who have completely different hardware setups.  I'm constantly amazed at the folks who will call me who don't know how to select a printer or can't restart page numbering or any of the other things that mastery would imply.

The point is that studies show that a user of a particular competence will have that competence in more Mac applications than they will in DOS applications.  This makes sense because they only have to learn the basics once do to an extremely high uniformity in user interface between applications.