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From: torrie@cs.stanford.edu (Evan Torrie)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: Re: De-macification of the Amiga (Re: The Amiga's Future)
Message-ID: <1991Jun22.071317.26217@neon.Stanford.EDU>
Date: 22 Jun 91 07:13:17 GMT
References: <1991Jun21.025704.27445@neon.Stanford.EDU> <13297@uwm.edu>
Sender: torrie@neon.Stanford.EDU (Evan James Torrie)
Organization: Computer Science Department, Stanford University, Ca , USA
Lines: 52

gblock@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Gregory R Block) writes:

>From article <1991Jun21.025704.27445@neon.Stanford.EDU>, by torrie@cs.stanford.edu (Evan Torrie):
>>>For instance, I can load executables into most Amiga text editors and
>>>patch them. 
>> 
>>   Of course, the "average" user is really going to want this feature :|

>Well, you make a choice.  You either gear the gui completely for the
>average fool ( insert smiley ), which eventually makes the OS a pain
>to the power user who likes features like this, or you leave it open
>enough that the average user has to deal with the choices he makes,
>without an os to slap his hand and say "no, bad boy."

  Or you make it open enough that the power user CAN get these features
if he wants them, but by default, it supports a more intuitive/user friendly
method for the average user.

>>   Just add a '****' wildcard resource to your text editor, and all
>> will be dandy.  

>Sounds like a kludge to get around something the OS doesn't want you
>to do to this mac user.  

  It really has nothing to do with the OS (actually the Finder GUI,
which is hardly the OS).  It's the application that doesn't want you
to open files it wasn't designed to handle.  So go rag on the 
application writer.  For applications designed to do this sort of 
thing, (e.g. ResEdit, DiskDoubler etc), the ability to handle any
type of file is already built in by the programmer.
   
>And amiga user.  And once 24bit support is
>better on the Amiga, I'm dropping my mac like a hot potato.

  It could well be a cold potato by the time that happens.

>>   In terms of the average users, I wager most people would be confused, 
>> and annoyed if they could drag anything onto any application, only 
>> to find out when the application launched that it says
>> "Sorry, I can't open this file".

>Like I said, deal with what you do, or have the os stand over your
>shoulder.  Frankly, NOBODY stands over MY shoulder.  :)

  Oftentimes, a guide over your shoulder can help prevent even the
experienced user from making mistakes.  

-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Evan Torrie.  Stanford University, Class of 199?       torrie@cs.stanford.edu   
"Lay me place and bake me pie, I'm starving for me gravy... Leave my shoes
and door unlocked, I might just slip away - hey - just for the day."