Xref: utzoo comp.sys.mac:13692 comp.windows.misc:223 Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bbn!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!cornell!batcomputer!itsgw!steinmetz!vdsvax!barnett From: barnett@vdsvax.steinmetz.ge.com (Bruce G. Barnett) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac,comp.windows.misc Subject: Re: A/UX window systems, Mac tool...( Hum Interface) Message-ID: <4033@vdsvax.steinmetz.ge.com> Date: 8 Mar 88 15:17:59 GMT References: <4129@hoptoad.uucp> <283@rhesus.primate.wisc.edu> <1710@ssc-vax.UUCP> <7523@apple.Apple.Com> <1719@ssc-vax.UUCP> <241@eos.UUCP> <884@daisy.UUCP> <3172@phri.UUCP> Reply-To: barnett@steinmetz.ge.com (Bruce G. Barnett) Organization: General Electric CRD, Schenectady, NY Lines: 87 Keywords: It works. In article <3172@phri.UUCP> lonetto@phri.UUCP (Michael Lonetto) writes: |I hope that all of the Unix types who are talking about how task |switching can't possibly work right Well - I don't think we said it wouldn't work right. I admit I have difficulty imagining how the multifinder works. I would guess you Mac-types have a difficult time imagining how something like SunView or NeWS works. We both learn something new! |If you |put menus in the windows, which windows do you put them in? All of |them? Even for applcations that can have 7-8 windows open at once? |Sounds pretty wasteful of the screen to me. That's why people use pop-up windows. They take up NO SPACE, unless you need them. and then you don't have to move your mouse at all to get the menus. From your question I see that pop-up menus aren't understood. Perhaps an simple overview of the SunView 3-button arrangement would be interesting to the Mac-ites? Primary rule: If you want to do something, but don't know what your options are, you hold down the right mouse button. A pop-up menu appears - showing you your choices. (Like the title bar). Some choices have several options - indicated by an arrow pointing right. By moving the mouse to the appropriate arrow, another menu appears, with possibly more menus even further right (indicated by more arrows). You move the mouse to the action you want (it is in reverse video) and let go. The action is performed, the pop-ups go away. You can see the parallel to the pull-down menus - I am sure. The choices are context sensitive, with three main areas: desktop or root level used to open new applications, repaint, etc. application border window manager functions, like moving, resizing, open/closing, exposing/hiding application specific functions depends on the application The nice thing about this is that if you stick with the right mouse button, you can perform any basic operation. Because the user has to select the action and let go, the system doesn't generally surprise the user. (Yes I know I am glossing over some fine points). Another benefit is that any part of the border can be used to change the size or position of the window. As the user grows more sophisticated, they learn that the other two mouse buttons are accelerators, and can be used to perform the basic open, close, resize, move, zoom operations without the cumbersome pop-up menus. In all cases, the user can experiment with the buttons because anything with drastic results must be confirmed. Usually with the opposite button that caused the action. Clicking too many times doesn't usually change anything. I have taught beginners how to use SunView, and I don't agree that three-button mice are hard to use. I frequently get asked about faster ways of doing some common operations. But most people find SunView very simple to use. I should also mention that SunView has several options (e.g.): (Point is - don't flame a window system until you understand it.) Menu styles (16 variables) like expanding initial selections Scrollbar styles (13 variables) Input (14 variables) like mouse motion scaling SunView (12) like icon gravity, click-to-type (split-focus) Yes - SunView is very different than a Mac. But I don't know how different myself. Which is why I have posted my questions. I would like to compliment everyone on the quality of the postings so far. These conversations have been very interesting to me. Thank you. -- Bruce G. Barnett uunet!steinmetz!barnett