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From: chuq%plaid@Sun.COM (Chuq Von Rospach)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: MS Word 3.0 and LaserWriter 4.1
Message-ID: <21521@sun.uucp>
Date: Fri, 19-Jun-87 12:57:55 EDT
Article-I.D.: sun.21521
Posted: Fri Jun 19 12:57:55 1987
Date-Received: Mon, 22-Jun-87 04:07:06 EDT
References: <cUpj3uy00WI8yAk0RI@andrew.cmu.edu> <1590@tekig4.TEK.COM>
Sender: news@sun.uucp
Reply-To: chuq@sun.UUCP (Chuq Von Rospach)
Organization: Fictional Reality, uLtd
Lines: 44

>Of course the phrase "Consistent User Interface" is in their dictionary! They
>are trying very hard to be consistent with the IBM PC! Remember WordStar? Now,
>why do you think that they have so many key-click "equivalents," some that are
>"equivalent" to features addressable in no other way?
>
>From day one, Microsoft has "freely" interpreted the Mac's user interface
>guidelines in their own way. Unfortunately their commercial success has made
>them insufferable on many fronts, this being only one.

Harumph indeed.  Commercial success may be making them insufferable (I don't
find them that way, personally, but whatthehell), but it is also usually an
indicator that something is being done right.

Look, there are some botches in Word 3.0 -- I'll agree with that.  There are
some places where it could be cleaned up.  It doesn't necessarily match the
Mac paradigms (but the reality is, most people have different views of what
the Mac paradigm is -- standard user interface is in the eye of the
beholder, more than not; just look at how all these applications define
their version of the standard!).  But nobody can show me a word processor
that has the same essential functionality of Word 3.0 that does it better
AND is shipping in the marketplace today AND matches the Mac interface. It
doesn't exist -- which doesn't mean it won't.  Someone will come and knock
Word 3.0 out of the water, just as Forethought took Microsoft File (remember
that?) and blew it away with FileMaker+.  But until that happens, you can
bitch all you want, but for all of its problems, Word 3.0 is the best there
is for the power WP user.

[[[submittor's note:  Now we can all sit down and argue about what the
essential functionality is so people can try to flame this posting. For me,
if it doesn't have: spell checking, style sheets, glossaries, a full range
of character formats including small caps, strikeout, and the standards,
significant control of page layout and formatting, and postscript
capability, I won't look at it.  Less powerful WP's may well handle their
less powerful tasks better, but a simpler program makes it easier to write a
simpler interface.  No arguing apples and oranges:  if the program doesn't
do what Word 3.0 can do to a significant degree, you can't use it to knock
Word.  And no vaporware need apply]]]

chuq (have fun..... heh-heh)


Chuq Von Rospach	chuq@sun.COM		Delphi: CHUQ

Now, where did my ex-wife put my Fairy Dust?