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From: zrm@eddie.MIT.EDU (Zigurd R. Mednieks)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hypercard,comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: MacUser Hypercard coverage
Message-ID: <7469@eddie.MIT.EDU>
Date: Mon, 23-Nov-87 10:40:54 EST
Article-I.D.: eddie.7469
Posted: Mon Nov 23 10:40:54 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 26-Nov-87 00:07:47 EST
References: <34557@sun.uucp>
Reply-To: zrm@eddie.MIT.EDU (Zigurd R. Mednieks)
Organization: MIT, EE/CS Computer Facilities, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 28
Xref: mnetor comp.sys.mac.hypercard:157 comp.sys.mac:10160

In article <34557@sun.uucp> chuq@plaid.Sun.COM (Chuq Von Rospach) writes:
>2) Bobker's other point was that the lack of restriction on the user
>    interface will kill the Mac. I almost fell out of my chair laughing over
>    this one. His claim is that with everyone doing exactly what they want,
>    the cohesiveness of the Mac Interface will die, and so will the mac.
>
>My response is simple. Bull. To put it simply, this isn't a new problem.

I second that "Bull." Hypercard evolved from Magic Slate, an attempt
at a next-generation user interface. In many ways Hypercard's user
interface is easier to use than that of most Macintosh applications
that faithfully hew to the User Interface Guidlines. John Scully has
said in interviews that Hypercard is of strategic importance to Apple
now that IBM will have a Macintosh-like user interface. By that he
means that Apple intends to stay ahead in user interface design.

The issue of cohesiveness is simply a red herring. As long as
Hypercard stacks are easy and obvious in their user interface, they
have fulfilled the user interface contract. "Cohesiveness" should not
come to mean familiarity for familiarity's sake. The next-generation
computer from Apple may not have a menu bar, or a Desktop, or it may
not implement buttons and other controls the Macintosh way. Things
will have to change simply because the Macintosh is too bound to
today's technology to last for more than 5-6 more years before a
compellingly superior user interface is possible at a reasonable
price. 

-Zigurd