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Path: utzoo!utcsrgv!mason
From: mason@utcsrgv.UUCP (Dave Mason)
Newsgroups: net.cog-eng
Subject: Re: Reply to "Are we designing for the users...?"
Message-ID: <2173@utcsrgv.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 2-Sep-83 12:49:25 EDT
Article-I.D.: utcsrgv.2173
Posted: Fri Sep  2 12:49:25 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 2-Sep-83 17:03:03 EDT
References: <938@utcsstat.UUCP>
Organization: CSRG, University of Toronto
Lines: 22

Note that experts can also be novices:
I currently use Unix,VMS,RSTS/E,UCSD P-System,VM/CMS and maybe CP/M or
AppleDOS in a typical week.  There is no way I can remember how to use
the command syntax on all of these (perfectly), and I prefer systems that
prompt me on how to do something (when asked for), or give me help when I
forget how to do something with this O/S's arcane syntax (or with the
editor's arcane syntax).  Because of this my casual use favourites in
order are VMS,UCSD,VM/CMS,Unix. (Go ahead with the flames..but let me
continue first.) VMS & VM/CMS have good, consistent help facilities in both
the command interpreter and the editor, but I don't 3270's.  UCSD gives a 1 line
prompts all the time, so it's easy.  Unix man facility is OK, but you have
to read the whole thing or know what you're looking for, and there does not
appear to be help from within the editor (which is where I think it is most
important).  I like the UNIX process model better than VMS, but for casual use
DCL beats csh. (Please if you haven't used both save us both time..if you have
..flame away.)
One other thing I like in Unix and VMS is the ability to define aliases
(better done in csh than DCL).

 -- Gandalf's flunky Hobbit --   Dave Mason, U. Toronto CSRG,
        {cornell,watmath,ihnp4,floyd,allegra,utzoo,uw-beaver}!utcsrgv!mason
     or {decvax,linus,lsuc,research}!utzoo!utcsrgv!mason   (UUCP)